Habitus and the Capitals - Educational Sociology

S Fury

11 Sept 201404:59

Summary

TLDRThis sociological narrative examines the impact of Pierre Bourdieu's theory of habitus and capital on educational outcomes. Set in a government high school in New South Wales, it highlights the challenges faced by a disruptive year 8 student from a working-class background, contrasting her with Miss J, a former student who overcame her troubled past to become a successful teacher. The story underscores the reproduction of inequality in education, where teachers play a pivotal role. It advocates for teachers to recognize and challenge their biases, embracing inclusive pedagogies to empower students from diverse backgrounds and break the cycle of educational disparity.

Takeaways

🏫 The script discusses a government high school in a coastal town in New South Wales with a socio-economic advantage compared to surrounding areas.
👨‍👧‍👦 The school's student body may not reflect the demographics of the local area, with 42% of students in the bottom quartile of socio-educational advantage.
👩‍🎓 The story focuses on a disruptive Year 8 student who is frequently suspended and has a high level of absenteeism, impacting her education negatively.
🤔 Teachers have expressed apathy or disdain towards the student, with some suggesting she could succeed if she attended more regularly.
👩‍🏫 Miss J, an experienced teacher, found the student exhausting and recalls her own school days with the student's mother, who was also disruptive.
🎓 Miss J's educational journey contrasts with Mrs. L's, illustrating different social class backgrounds and outcomes due to Pierre Bourdieu's theory of habitus and capitals.
👶 Children inherit social class and habitus from their families, which influences their educational success and the 'currency' of their capitals in the school environment.
🔄 The script highlights the reproduction of inequality in education, where middle-class children are more likely to succeed due to inherited habitus and capitals.
👩‍🏫 Teachers play a role in the reproduction of inequality, potentially through deficit discourse that exacerbates social class impacts on education.
🛠️ Teachers can improve educational outcomes by examining their own habitus, challenging expectations, and valuing diverse capitals students bring.
🌟 Adopting 'turnaround pedagogy' that leverages student habitus can help teachers become agents of change, transforming education and reducing inequality.
🚫 Sociological factors affecting educational outcomes must be acknowledged, and teachers should maintain high expectations for all students to help them achieve their best.

Q & A

What is the population of the coastal town in New South Wales mentioned in the script?
-The population of the coastal town in New South Wales is 2400.
How many students are currently enrolled in the government high school discussed in the script?
-The government high school has about 440 students enrolled.
What does the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicate about the socio-economic status of the area where the school is located?
-The Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that the area where the school is located experiences a higher level of socio-economic advantage compared to other surrounding areas.
What is the percentage of students at the school who are in the bottom quartile on the index for socio-educational advantage?
-42 percent of the students at the school are in the bottom quartile on the index for socio-educational advantage.
Why do most teachers feel apathy or disdain towards the disruptive year 8 student mentioned in the script?
-Most teachers feel apathy or disdain towards the disruptive year 8 student because her behavior is highly disruptive, she is frequently suspended, and behavior management processes seem to have little or no effect on her.
What is the relationship between Miss J and the disruptive student's mother, Mrs. L?
-Miss J attended the same high school as the student's mother, Mrs. L, and they were there at the same time.
How did Miss J's educational and career path differ from that of Mrs. L?
-Miss J completed high school, finished year 12, went on to complete a university degree, and now has an established teaching career, while Mrs. L was highly disruptive, left school at the end of year 9, and did not pursue higher education.
What is Pierre Bourdieu's theory of habitus and the capitals, and how does it relate to the educational outcomes of students?
-Pierre Bourdieu's theory of habitus and the capitals suggests that individuals inherit social class and associated behaviors (habitus) and resources (capitals) from their families, which in turn influence their educational outcomes. Middle-class students are more likely to succeed in education due to their habitus aligning with pedagogical expectations and having the right capitals.
How does the script suggest that the reproduction of inequality occurs in education?
-The script suggests that the reproduction of inequality occurs in education through the inheritance of habitus and capitals, where middle-class children are more likely to have positive educational outcomes due to inherited advantages, while working-class children may face negative outcomes due to lack of support and resources.
What role do teachers play in the reproduction of inequality in education according to the script?
-Teachers may play a role in the reproduction of inequality in education by engaging in deficit discourse, which can compound the negative effects of social class on education. They may also perpetuate inequality by having lower expectations for students from diverse backgrounds.
How can teachers challenge the reproduction of inequality in education as suggested by the script?
-Teachers can challenge the reproduction of inequality in education by examining their own habitus, challenging their expectations of students from diverse backgrounds, valuing the different kinds of capitals each student brings, and adopting pedagogies that use student habitus to their educational advantage.
What is the term used in the script to describe a type of pedagogy that can help transform the field of education and reduce inequality?
-The term used in the script to describe this type of pedagogy is 'turnaround pedagogy.'
What is the script's final message regarding teachers' expectations and the impact on students' educational outcomes and life chances?
-The script's final message is that teachers should avoid engaging in deficit discourse and maintain high expectations for all students. By doing so, they can help students achieve their personal best educational outcomes and improve their life chances.

Outlines

00:00

🏫 Socio-Economic Impact on Education

This paragraph discusses the socio-economic background of a government high school in a coastal town in New South Wales, Australia, and its impact on the student body. The school's 440 students are drawn from a community with a higher level of socio-economic advantage compared to surrounding areas. The narrative focuses on a disruptive Year 8 student who faces frequent suspensions and absenteeism, which hinders her educational progress. The teachers' apathy towards her situation reflects the challenges in addressing socio-economic disparities within the school environment.

👩‍🏫 The Role of Habitus and Capital in Educational Outcomes

The second paragraph delves into the theory of habitus and capital by sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, illustrating how social class background influences educational success. It contrasts the life trajectories of Miss J, a teacher with a middle-class upbringing who has a successful career, and Mrs. L, a former student from a working-class background who struggled in school. The paragraph highlights the concept that middle-class students are more likely to have the right 'capital' and 'habitus' to succeed in education, while working-class students may face disadvantages due to different socialization and lack of resources. It also touches on the role of teachers in either perpetuating or challenging these inequalities.

🔄 Reproducing Inequality in Education

This paragraph examines the reproduction of inequality in education, using the case of Miss J's child and Mrs. L as examples. It suggests that Miss J's child is likely to have positive educational outcomes due to inherited middle-class habitus and support, while Mrs. L's child may face negative outcomes due to a lack of support and the inherited working-class habitus. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of teachers recognizing and challenging their own biases and expectations to avoid deficit discourse and to improve educational outcomes for all students, regardless of their backgrounds.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Habitus

Habitus refers to the internalized set of dispositions and habits that individuals develop through life experiences and social interactions, which shape their perceptions, actions, and tastes. In the video, it is used to explain how students' behaviors and attitudes towards education are influenced by their social class backgrounds, as seen with Mrs. L and Miss J's contrasting educational outcomes.

💡Capital

In the context of Pierre Bourdieu's theory, capital encompasses various forms of resources that individuals possess, including economic, social, cultural, and symbolic capital. The video illustrates how Miss J has more 'capital in the right currency' to succeed in education, such as a supportive family environment and cultural capital, compared to Mrs. L.

💡Socio-economic Advantage

Socio-economic advantage refers to the relative standing of individuals or groups in terms of wealth, education, and social status. The script mentions that the area where the school is located has a higher level of socio-economic advantage, which contrasts with the educational outcomes of students from different social backgrounds.

💡Disruptive Behavior

Disruptive behavior in the script is exemplified by the year 8 student who frequently gets suspended or undergoes behavior management processes. It is a key issue in the narrative as it affects the student's educational outcomes and reflects the challenges faced by the school in addressing such behavior.

💡Socio-educational Advantage

Socio-educational advantage is an index that measures the relative educational advantage of students, often related to their socio-economic status. The video uses the term to highlight the demographic discrepancy between the local area and the student body, with 42 percent of students being in the bottom quartile.

💡Deficit Discourse

Deficit discourse is a term used to describe the negative stereotypes and assumptions about certain groups, often based on their social class. In the video, teachers' apathy or disdain towards the disruptive student may reflect a deficit discourse, which can exacerbate educational inequalities.

💡Inclusive Education

Inclusive education is the practice of ensuring that all students, regardless of their backgrounds or needs, have access to quality education. The script mentions that despite the requirement for inclusive education in New South Wales, the reproduction of inequality persists, indicating a gap between policy and practice.

💡Pedagogics

Pedagogics is the study of methods and approaches in teaching. The video discusses how students' habitus should align with pedagogics for better educational outcomes. Miss J's child, for example, is likely to have a habitus that is more aligned with educational expectations.

💡Turnaround Pedagogy

Turnaround pedagogy refers to teaching strategies that seek to improve educational outcomes for students who are at risk of failure. The video suggests that teachers can adopt such pedagogies to leverage students' habitus and challenge the reproduction of inequality in education.

💡Reproduction of Inequality

Reproduction of inequality is the process by which social and educational disparities are perpetuated across generations. The script uses the term to describe how the school environment and teachers' attitudes may unintentionally contribute to maintaining these disparities, as seen in the different life trajectories of Miss J and Mrs. L.

💡Virtual School Bag

The 'virtual school bag' is a metaphor used in the video to represent the different types of capital that students bring to their educational experience. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing and valuing the diverse resources and backgrounds students possess, rather than focusing solely on academic achievements.

Highlights

The school in New South Wales, Australia, serves a community with higher socio-economic advantage compared to surrounding areas.

440 students are enrolled, with 42% in the bottom quartile on the index for socio-educational advantage.

A Year 8 student's disruptive behavior and frequent suspensions reflect a challenging educational environment.

Teachers' apathy towards the student suggests a lack of effective behavioral management strategies.

Miss J's experience as a former student provides insight into the student's family's history with the school.

Miss J's educational and career success contrasts with Mrs. L's past as a disruptive student.

Pierre Bourdieu's theory of habitus and capitals is introduced to explain educational outcomes based on social class.

Middle-class students are more likely to succeed due to alignment of habitus with pedagogical expectations.

Inheritance of habitus and capitals from family influences a student's educational trajectory.

Miss J's child is expected to have positive educational outcomes due to inherited middle-class habitus and support.

Mrs. L's child may face negative outcomes due to a working-class habitus and lack of support.

Inclusive education policies in New South Wales do not prevent the reproduction of inequality.

Teachers may unintentionally engage in deficit discourse, exacerbating social class impacts on education.

Self-examination of teachers' habitus is crucial for challenging expectations and improving educational equity.

Adopting pedagogies that leverage student habitus can transform education and reduce inequality.

Turnaround pedagogy involves explicitly teaching the unspoken rules of education to level the playing field.

Sociological factors significantly affect educational outcomes, requiring teachers to maintain high expectations for all students.

The narrative calls for teachers to become agents of change in education to enhance students' life chances.