Social Class and Pedagogic Practice Basil Bernstein Chapter 7

Pedagogic Practice Examine social class assumptions and consequences; Traditional vs. progressive  relationship to the marketplace Social form Specific content

Reproduction of class inequalities Acquirer and transmitter learn their roles and appropriate conduct what and how of transmission i.e. rules of social order, character and manner Acquirer comes to understand what is legitimate relations and communication

Teaching moral activity  an evaluation of the competence of the acquirer tracking and pedagogical practice: visible  external product invisible pedagogy  process, procedures, competencies

Visible Pedagogy Characteristics: sequencing rules are explicit Time limits; less exposure pacing rules  expected rate of acquisition modification  stratification and reduce content Limits teacher  student interaction ** distributes different forms of consciousness according to social class ** result  alienated youth

Invisible Pedagogy presupposes movement in the classroom encourages individual representations i.e. “make your mark”; foster “unique” representations Multi-layered communication Preparation/foundation for a long pedagogic life Result: class based communication strategies

Considerations **Two sites of acquisitions home  silent space, language narrative (form and content) **Working class children misread cultural/cognitive significance of communication in the classroom  consciousness is differentially regulated

Schools Invisible social class assumptions Selective re: those who acquire dominant codes especially socio-linguistic competencies Working class  facts, skills Middle class  processes, connections ** Reproduction of class inequalities