Neither Capital, Nor Class [E-book, PDF

Music as Social and Cultural Reproduction: A Sociological Analysis of Educational Processes in Ontario Schools. Un article de la revue Canadian University Music Review / Revue de musique des universités canadiennes (Numéro 5, 1984, p. 1-373) diffusée par la plateforme Érudit.

Test-based education in China is often seen as an educational system that focuses on test scores, memorization and problem-solving, with the main aim of improving students' adaptive skills. However, there are problems with this model that inhibit students' autonomy and creativity. This paper will therefore compare Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital and social reproduction with Nussbaum's theory of a competency-based approach to understanding social justice and equity in Chinese exam-based education. Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction objectively examines the development of students in test-based education at the level of "capital", where each student's academic performance is determined by multiple capitals. Nussbaum's competency approach theory explains the problems with this model in terms of freedom and choice, and that it is up to the student to decide what functions are valuable. The competency approach theory has been found to provide a more comprehensive and human-centered explanation of teaching to the test. There are therefore various drawbacks to teaching to the test, so how to overcome or mitigate these drawbacks is something that needs to be taken seriously in education today.

This study is concerned with those pupils registered as having 'special educational needs' within mainstream schools and also those who attend special schools of non normative designations and seeks to explain the over - representation of white working class boys amongst such populations. The processes of identification and subsequent allocation to non normative special categories are argued to be both class and gender biased and to represent the placement of pupils so identified along a continuum of exclusion, being an indication of their failure in conventional terms. An approach is developed which attempts to make the link between such failure and wider social and educational processes, viewing schooling as a form of cultural politics and seeing such politics as being intimately linked to wider structural relations. To this end the work of Pierre Bourdieu is employed. The aim of the research is to test and also to develop Bourdieu's theories of social and cultural reproduction and particularly his concept of habitus and its gendered embodied nature, as a means of illuminating the processes involved in the generation of these differential outcomes. The study takes the form of qualitative in-depth semi structured interviews with teachers from eight schools, five special and three mainstream, in order to generate detailed contextualised knowledge of the processes by which pupils may have been identified as having special educational needs within mainstream schools and then possibly allocated to special schools and of the assumptions perceptions and understandings of those teachers in special schools at the 'receiving end' of these processes. The resultant data is analysed using a conceptual framework provided by Bourdieu's theories. The study is placed within the context of the recent history I politics of special educational practices through a consideration of legislative and other developments of the past twenty years or so which are argued to have led to an increase in exclusionary pressures despite the rhetorical emphases throughout most of this time firstly on Integration and latterly on inclusion.

Cultural Capital and Education

A programmatic study of inequality/difference in New Zealand education has been carried out, for a quarter of a century, within a family resource framework that has supported both theoretical and empirical research. Although deeply influenced by Bourdieu's theories of social and cultural reproduction, its adherence to a realist philosophy of science means that its structure-disposition-practice explanatory schemes cannot be represented as Bourdieusian. This article takes the concept of habitus (as a set of learned dispositions)and argues that durable embodied cognitive schemes, acquired by children in classed environments, are a principal cause of observed class variation in educational performance. This view challenges accounts in which 'ability'is regarded as 'socially constructed'. The entire history of the sociology of education might be written in terms of its struggle against the dominant influence of IQ theory as an explanation of inequality/difference in education. It is not clear that our discipline has yet been successful in that struggle. These matters are discussed with reference to empirical data on the association between social class and educational achievement in New Zealand. The evidence suggests that class patterns of attainment, particularly on standardized tests designed to assess verbal intelligence, support the thesis that cognitive operations effected by the cognitive habitus are fundamentally involved in the reproduction of inequality/difference. It seems that the primary effects of socialisation may be more important than the secondary effects that many sociologists have taken as their proper area of concern. Some policy implications of this thesis - which is neither a move to encode IQ theory in a radical discourse nor an attempt to reinstate classical deficit theory - are discussed in the context of state-sponsored possibilism currently being imposed on many educational systems.

This study examines transforming Barasuara's "Guna Manusia" from a folk-rock song into a brass band arrangement. It analyzes its cultural and sociological ramifications using Pierre Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction. The project aims to investigate the impact of song adaptation on audience perception, involvement, and awareness of environmental issues. The research utilizes a comprehensive technique that combines descriptive analysis and literature review. The process of descriptive analysis entails the examination of YouTube videos showcasing both the original and brass band renditions of "Guna Manusia" to comprehend the musical alterations and gauge the audience's reactions. A literature review is placed on findings within appropriate theoretical frameworks and examines prior research on music adaptation and cultural replication. The analysis demonstrates that by converting "Guna Manusia" into a brass band arrangement, its cultural importance is enhanced, and its accessibility is broadened to a broad spectrum of audiences. Descriptive analysis reveals that the brass band adaption successfully communicates the song's environmental message through instrumental expression. Bourdieu's theory demonstrates how cultural reproduction impacts the adaptation process and affects the audience's reception. The study highlights the educational and societal significance of employing music to promote environmental advocacy. It showcases how Barasuara's rendition of "Guna Manusia" actively helps increase awareness and encourage transformative change within society. The research offers unique insights into the profound impact of music and its role in tackling urgent social problems.

Taking Account

The phenomenon of interfaith marriage tends to raise problems regarding how parents provide parenting patterns to their children. These issues include how parents will raise their children to instill religious and social values while adapting to environmental conditions. This article aims to determine the reproduction of interfaith family culture in instilling religious and social values in children. The study used a qualitative method in the form of a case study of interfaith families, with field research in Kapencar Village, Semarang City, and Bekasi City. This study focused on 12 informants from three families of different religions. Data has been collected through interviews and field observations on May 21, 2024, and August 1, 2024. The study was analyzed using Pierre Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction which cannot be separated from the concept of social practice. This theory is used to examine the cultural reproduction produced by families of different religions by considering the aspects of capital, habitus, and arena within the family. The results of the study show that interfaith families produce complex values by instilling them in children. In instilling religious and social values in interfaith families, it is possible to reproduce symbolic dominance and innovative cultural reproduction. The reproduction of symbolic dominance includes aspects of giving values that tend to be dominated by one of the parents' religions and the reproduction of innovative culture includes aspects of giving mutually balanced values. There are value instillation strategies found in interfaith families, namely a universal value-based model and a model of dividing the role of parents in instilling religious and social values. This research serves as a reference for understanding and developing parenting patterns in families of various religious backgrounds.

According to Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction, children from middle-class families are advantaged in gaining educational credentials due to their possession of cultural capital. In order to assess this theory, I have developed a broad operationalisation of the concept of cultural capital, and have surveyed pupils on both their own and their parents' cultural capital. I will conclude that cultural capital is transmitted within the home and does have a significant effect on performance in the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations. However, a large, direct effect of social class on attainment remains when cultural capital has been controlled for. Therefore, ‘cultural reproduction’ can provide only a partial explanation of social class differences in educational attainment.

According to Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction, children from middle-class families are advantaged in gaining educational credentials due to their possession of cultural capital. In order to assess this theory, I have developed a broad operationalisation of the concept of cultural capital, and have surveyed pupils on both their own and their parents' cultural capital. I will conclude that cultural capital is transmitted within the home and does have a significant effect on performance in the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations. However, a large, direct effect of social class on attainment remains when cultural capital has been controlled for. Therefore, `cultural reproduction' can provide only a partial explanation of social class differences in educational attainment.

This study examines the determinants of the gaps in learning outcomes of students in three lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) – Ethiopia, India, and Vietnam. We examined the extent to which English language performance relates to Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction, using the Young Lives international school survey data in the three countries. We employed a three-level multilevel model, to investigate variables at the individual, classroom and school levels that may influence English language skills of students. We find that differences in English test performance are attributable to both home background and school factors in all three contexts. Within countries, we find evidence of a high degree of variation in the English test scores of students between schools, indicating the importance of schooling quality and school characteristics for the development of English language skills. We conclude that the process of cultural reproduction through schooling is different for each country, with school-level factors found to reinforce social stratification in countries that are less equitable. This study provides a robust quantitative contribution to the literature base on English language learning in LMICs, where large-scale cross-country comparisons are relatively uncommon due to a relative lack of suitable data. The results and recommendations would be of interest to education stakeholders within LMIC contexts.

The aim of this article is to articulate the theory of resistance with the theories of social and cultural reproduction, within the boundaries of the new sociology of education. Starting from the concepts of classification and framing developed by Basil Bernstein and of Pierre Bourdieu's social camp, the author defines some concepts which, in his opinion, are basic to establish the theory of resistance with conceptual rigour and analytical capacity. It will thus be possible to constitute a referential theoretical matrix for the development of counter‐hegemonic curricula, teaching materials and pedagogical practices, whose objective is to oppose the schools' social and cultural reproduction in its different forms (of class, race, ethnic groups and gender), at its two levels—the reproduction of the sexual and social division of labour and of the inculcation of the dominant ideologies.

Many Chinese students pursue advanced studies overseas through private international schools, which are distinguished from public schools by high fees. In the Chinese context, parents prioritize education spending to enhance their children's competitiveness and chances in a challenging educational environment. Most research on China's private education system focuses on the macro level to investigate educational inequality by comparing private schools with public schools in terms of teachers' welfare security, students' recruitment, and establishing key public schools. Relatively little research has been conducted on educational inequality brought about by the emergence of private international schools from individual perspectives, and a limited amount of research has explored institutionalised capital from students' perspectives in China. This study aims to investigate how the development of private international schools provides better higher education opportunities for students from middle-income household family backgrounds. Two case schools were selected in economically developed cities in different provinces. Guided by Bourdieu's cultural reproduction theory and Weber's social stratification theory, this research explores how the national and local policies impact the development of private education, and to what extent these different stakeholders in the two selected private schools believe that educational inequality is reproduced in the development of private international schools. In order to undertake a thorough review, different types of data sources were utilised, including desk-based research, quantitative surveys, and qualitative interviews. Empirically, the research provides a systematic review of current Chinese policies and regulations that influence the development of private education in China. It contributes to knowledge concerning private education in China through the identification of different geographical locations, different routes of sending students abroad, schools' training, parents' expectations of private schools, and students' experiences in school, which reflects on how private international schools generate educational inequality. Methodologically, this research is a multiple-case study approach using mixed methods to collect qualitative and quantitative data in private international schools with principals, teachers, parents, and students in different regions of China. This participatory approach, using case studies, allows for an insider perspective to help build rapport with potential participants, the collection of authentic and in-depth data, and positioning of the researcher to be able to reflect and avoid being methodologically subjective. Theoretically, the empirical evidence challenges the concept of meritocracy in the Chinese context. What this means is that students who cannot be admitted to famous local public high schools still have the opportunity to go to famous universities abroad by attending private international schools due to their parents' economic capital purchasing educational resources and privileges. This research utilises Bourdieu's theory on social reproduction where economically advantaged families can transfer their economic capital into children's cultural and institutionalized capital, culminating in the social advantages and educational privileges that private education can bring. Private schools have restructured their institutional habitus in ways similar to overseas universities. This means that although students may not have inherited middle-class family cultural capital as described in the existing Western literature, they can benefit from the enhanced institutionalised cultural capital to be found within private education establishments, thus leading to the reproduction of further education inequalities.

Although the U.S. population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, research indicates that minority participation in the arts continues to decline. This article addresses the racial disparity of public art museum attendance by examining the role of the art museum curator and the process by which concepts of race are reproduced within the space of the public art museum. Utilizing Bourdieu's theories of cultural reproduction, social space, and symbolic power as a preliminary framework of inquiry, we examine the concept of whiteness as privileged social construct. Through face‐to‐face in‐depth interviews with museum curators, we investigate the means by which the dominant cultural narrative of whiteness is maintained through the preferences, decisions, and social interactions of curators. We draw upon critical white studies, a part of critical race theory, to underline the manner in which whiteness presents itself as a position of dominance. Our findings show that whiteness is maintained through the process of exclusion by presenting the white cultural narrative as both ordinary and invisible.

I address the usefulness of Pierre Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction, and his concept of cultural capital, for explaining inequality. I argue that while Bourdieu's theory lacks clarity, recent research provides a useful framework for conceptualizing the mechanisms through which cultural capital affects inequality. I also review the empirical literature and conclude that we know less about the role of cultural capital in explaining inequality than is commonly assumed. Finally, I suggest that the concept of cultural capital, stripped of some of its 'legacy content', might be useful for capturing a set of non-cognitive skills (such as creativity, academic confidence, and persistence) that parents transmit to children and that affect inequality.