The 'New' Sociology Of Education

1
The 'New' Sociology Of Education

• Since the 1960's there has been more focus in
  research on interactions between pupils and the
  school

2
The 'New' Sociology Of Education

• Bernstein (1975 1990) Language Codes
• Language linked to educational performance
• Restricted codes - short hand speech,
  grammatically simple.
• Elaborated codes - long hand speech,
  grammatically complex
• MC use elaborated code more than WC
• Therefore MC kids are at an advantage when they
  start school

3
The 'New' Sociology Of Education

• Bernstein (1975 1990) Language Codes
• 3 aspects to this
• 1. Adults are more likely to have jobs where
  elaborated codes are used
• 2. MC parents use elaborated codes to help
  develop their childrens socialisation
• 3. MC parents use more negotiations and less
  orders with children

4
The 'New' Sociology Of Education

• Criticisms
• Rosen 1974 says
• Bernstein is too vague on class
• Bernsteins evidence is too patchy
• Too much is presumed rather than there being hard
  evidence
• WC subculture is seen as culturally deficient

5
Labelling Pupils

• Cicourel Kitsuse 1963
• Studied an American High School in Chicago and
  found
• that non academic factors influenced
  'counsellors' judgements of them and their
  suitability for particular courses.
• Such things as manners, appearance, dress etc
  all helped to make this 'judgement'

6
Labelling Pupils
Keddie 1971 Looked at how pupils were banded
according to ability and the consequences for
them of being labelled accordingly.

• Students were divided into 3 bands
• Through observation of lessons and interviews
  with teachers she found
• Teachers expected more from A band students than
  C band
• A banders seen as able to handle more complex
  info and easier to teach

7
Bourdieu - Cultural Capital and Cultural
Reproduction

• The 'new' sociologists of education drew heavily
  on sociological theory and here Bourdieu typifies
  this approach with a reliance on Marxism

8
Bourdieu - Cultural Capital and Cultural
Reproduction
Cultural Reproduction

• - the process whereby a dominant culture
  penetrates educational institutions
• Reproduction takes place via the socialisation of
  the young
• In effect MC kids grow up to have MC jobs..have
  kids who grow up to be MC etc etc..

9
Bourdieu - Cultural Capital and Cultural
Reproduction
Cultural capital

• Individuals who possess this dominant culture
  have cultural capital
• MC pupils are recognised as having it, are
  selected and succeed.
• MC pupils have the codes to unlock the mysteries
  of education
• MC parents have the knowledge of how to play
  the system in their favour.

10
Willis 1977
11

• Willis 1977
• conducted a study of a small group of working
  class lads through their last few months at
  school into their first few weeks of work. His
  study involved participant observation, informal
  interviews and diaries.

12
Willis 1977

• The WC lads were part of the counter school
  culture
• Racist, sexist, anti-authority etc.
• They knew they would fail exams and get manual
  jobs
• The paradox is that they were being educated for
  these jobs by failing at school
• Shop floor culture was racist, sexist, anti
  authority
• Manual work was promoted as real mens work

13

• Willis 1977
• If Willis was to look at similar lads today -
  following them into the world of work would be
  very difficult as high unemployment has been
  biting hard since 1979.
• The rapid rise in youth unemployment set the
  agenda for the next few years in sociological
  research in education. In particular a focus on
  what was being done about the situation

14
The Sociology Of Policy Studies

• The new legislation and changing economic scene
  led to the creation of the Journal Of Educational
  Policy (founded in 1988). Steven Ball has been a
  key figure in the new debate and argues that 3
  perspectives fight to be heard today-

15
Ball 1994

• 1.
• Critical policy analysis
• - govt documents, newspaper articles etc
• - helps give am interpretation of the moral order
  of reform

16
Ball 1994

• 2.
• Post-structuralism
• - this applies the ideas of power and discourse
• - and the location of values, class and power

17
Ball 1994

• 3.
• Ethnography
• - Ball has spent time studying individual grant
  maintained schoools
• - looked at effects of policies - ie what
  actually happens