Sociology - social class differences in education internal factors

What are the three main internal factors?

1. Labelling

2. Setting/streaming

3. Pupil’s class identities

What do we mean by habitus?

The conditioned/deep rooted way of thinking and behaving shared by a particular social class including their tastes, accents, activities, outlook on lifeand expectations. It influences how individuals perceive the world and their place in it.

What habitus does the education system favour?

The middle-class habitus as it puts a higher value on middle class tastes and knowledge.

Because the middle class share the habitus of the school, what do they experience?

Symbolic capital meaning they have the necessary behaviours and tastes that are valued in education. This leads onto academic success and higher achievement.

Because the working class do not share the habitus of the school, what do they experience?

Symbolic violence meaning the working class habitus is rejected and de-valued in education and so they reject it. This leads onto lower academic achievement and self-exclusion.

According to Louise Archer (2010), how do the working class respond to symbolic violence?

They develop ‘Nike’ identities. This means they invest in styles such as wearing branded clothing like Nike which enables them to gain status and approval from friends rather than education.

What did Pierre Bourdieu (1984) find in terms of self-exclusion and class identity?

Working class students think Oxbridge is not for the likes of them and so they exclude themselves from applying.

What did Diane Reay find in terms of class identity and self-exclusion?

Working class students have strong affinities to their local communities (collectivism) and less likely to move away from home to study. This limits their success and opportunities.