Bourdieu on Education

Question 1

Educational as Cultural Reproduction

Answer 1

Middle-class habitus given symbolic capital
1. teachers and heads are middle class
2. those that write curriculum and policies are middle class
- working class disadvantaged subject to symbolic violence

Question 2

Contemporary Applications

Answer 2

• Ofsted - Cultural Capitals
• school policies on uniform
• curriculum based on middle - class knowledge
• Teachers judgement

Question 3

Support for Bourdieu

Answer 3

• Archer - Nike identities (what they wear)
• Reay - Psycho-social approach - cleft habitus (conforming to M/C but staying into W/C due to friends)
• Sullivan - students with higher cultural capital achieve higher

Question 4

Criticisms

Answer 4

• Functionalists suggest that education is meritocratic
• socialised into value consensus - skills need to be achieve
• students acquire cultural capital throughout their education