Social analysis - Term 1: lecture 10 - Education Inequality

This week we look at the influence that social background has on educational attainment. Alongside empirical studies which have attempted to measure this, we will look at the main theories suggested to help us understand the primary and secondary ways in which educational inequalities are manifested. We then look at how this affects differences in the jobs that young people get and the legacy of social background on pay. • Platt, L. (2011). Understanding Inequalities: Stratification and Difference. Cambridge: Polity Press. Chapter 6: Education, pp.133-162. • Bukodi, E., Goldthorpe, J. H., & Zhao, Y. (2021). Primary and secondary effects of social origins on educational attainment: New findings for England. The British Journal of Sociology, 72(3), 627-650. • Laurison, D., & Friedman, S. (2016). The Class Pay Gap in Higher Professional and Managerial Occupations. American Sociological Review, 81(4), 668-695. Questions: 1. What are primary and secondary effects in educational outcomes? 2. Why is there a social class gradient in school examination results? 3. Why is the choice of qualification or subject important in understanding educational inequality? 4. Do class origins still have an impact on young people in managerial and professional jobs? If so, how?

What are primary and secondary effects in educational outcomes?

• Primnary effects - refer to the direct impact of social origins on educational attainment, affecting choices made at key transi

Do class origins still have an impact on young people in managerial and

professional jobs? If so, how?

Why is the choice of qualification or subject important in understanding

educational inequality?

Why is there a social class gradient in school examination results?

what are primary and secondary effects of social origins?

• how are they related

What percentage of effects do Goldthorpe et al, attribute to secondary ones?

How do Goldthope et al catogarise origins"?

• also there limitations

• which of these is most infleuntial

• how does thsi change over time

How did Goldthope et al (2021) measure this

• discuss findings

What is teh purpose of Platt (2011) paper/study?

• what methods where used

what is intresting about the intersection of gender and class/ and gender and ethnicity, in educational performance?

What is teh purpose of the Laurison/ Fredman (2016) study?

what is the glass ceiling

What methods did they use and what were their issues with the Great British Class Survey?

• contrast with Labour Force Survey

• Laurison and Friedman (2016)

What were their issues with measuring success using occupation and measuing ‘big class’ over ‘micro class’ meausres

• Laurison and Friedman (2016)

Essay Plan:

‘What are the primary and secondary effects in education? Give Examples of how these have been reserahced and how these help us to understand educational inequalities”