...Theory and Research in Education http://tre.sagepub.com/ Individual choice and unequal participation in higher education Kristin Voigt Theory and Research in Education 2007 5: 87 DOI: 10.1177/1477878507073617 The online version of this article can be found at: http://tre.sagepub.com/content/5/1/87 Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com Additional services and information for Theory and Research in Education can be found at: Email Alerts: http://tre.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://tre.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Citations: http://tre.sagepub.com/content/5/1/87.refs.html >> Version of Record - Feb 13, 2007 What is This? Downloaded from tre.sagepub.com at Templeman Lib/The Librarian on January 28, 2013 . . TRE Individual choice and unequal participation in higher education k ri st i n vo i g t Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford, UK a b s t rac t Does the unequal participation of non-traditional students in higher education indicate social injustice, even if it can be traced back to individuals’ choices? Drawing on luck egalitarian approaches, this article suggests that an answer to this question must take into account the effects of unequal brute luck on educational choices. I use a framework based on expected utility theory to analyse qualitative studies on educational choice.This reveals...
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...How does social class affect education? Education is available to all people from different social class background, but not everyone is able to accomplish high level of education. The level of education an individual acquires is based on an individual’s position in the social class hierarchy. Depending on which social class a person falls in affects person’s education level and quality of education. An individual from higher social class spectrum will be more likely to have a better education than an individual from lower social class spectrum. A person’s home background, resources available, and access to take advantage of opportunities tells whether or not a person is capable of getting good education. An individual that has ability to...
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...essay will discuss some of the theories and definitions of class, then examine how they relate to Australian society, and whether Australia does indeed have a class system, arguing that in many ways, it does. It will discuss people’s perception of classes and their position in them, mobility between classes, and the impact of class on health, education and crime. It will show that there is a direct correlation between class and the level of crime, the health of an individual and the level of education attained. At its federation in 1901 the new nation of Australia was founded on principles of equality, although as Belinda Probert points out in her lecture ‘Class in 2001’, (Probert, 2001) this equality did not extend to women, Aborigines or people from non Anglo races. This egalitarian belief was founded on the notion of a fair and decent wage, an ideal proposed by Justice Higgins of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration in 1907, when he set the first minimum weekly wage. This wage 1 was to reflect the cost of living, the amount of money required by an average person for the basic necessities of life; food and water, housing and clothing. This was called the Harvester Judgment. What is class? It is a division in society of a group of people who all have a similar social and economic status. For Karl Marx this status was dependent on whether a person owned (capitalist or bourgeoisie) or used (working class or proletariat) the means of production. (Germov J. &...
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...Holly Nichols CHFD225 I002 Sum 12 Social Class and Child Rearing September 15, 2012 Social Class and Child Rearing "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" is one of the most recognized phrases in the United States Declaration of Independence. This phrase is meant to illustrate the "inalienable rights" with which all human beings are awarded by their Creator for the protection of which they institute governments. It is because of this right to pursue happiness that America is a country where people have the distinct ability to move between the ranks of social class. There are four branches of social class that exist in America; lower class, lower middle class, upper middle class and upper class. Class is a social relationship between the haves and the have nots; this social hierarchy influences much of the way parents choose to raise their children. Understanding the differences between social classes enables one to appreciate how families in such diverse social classes place different emphases on education, social etiquette, health, parent child relationship and child discipline. Since the beginning of recorded civilizations there has been an evolution of the class system. Through this evolution of the class system, America has grounded itself on four distinct classes of people. It is first imperative to understand the class system we have in America. The first branch of social class is upper class which is defined as those with power, prestige, and influence especially...
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...FUNCTIONALIST THEORY A consensus theory. Society has basic needs, including the need for social order. School is fair to all, and helps encourage positive social solidarity, and socialises students effectively. DURKHEIM * Durkheim saw education as the transmission of society’s norms from one generation to the other. This is vital to produce social solidarity. * The school is a miniature society, where students are trained to interact with other students much like they are trained to interact with other members of society. * He argues that individuals must be taught specialist skills in order to obtain a job in a highly complex division of labour in which people must cooperate. CRITICISMS * Marxists argue that educational institutes teach the dominant culture of the ruling class. * Studies by Willis and Hargreaves, for example, show that the transmission of norms is not always successful. Some students form anti-school subcultures, such as Wills’ Lads. PARSONS * Through the process of socialisation, education is used as a bridge between the family and society. * In the family, children are judged according to particularistic standards. Their status is ascribed. In society, the individual is judged according to equal standards. Status is achieved through merit. * Education eases these transitions. Exams judge based on merit, and rules such as wearing uniform makes all students equal. * Schools transmit two basic values: ...
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...Mathew Bleasdale-Clews Using Material From Item A & Elsewhere, Assess The View That Factors & Processes Within The School Are The Main Cause Of Differences In The Educational Achievement Of Different Social Groups: The cause of differences in the educational achievement of different social groups can be asssigned to various social areas. One example is that of gender within school; the level of success in a child’s education can vary greatly depending on how a boy or girl is treated throughout their school life compared to the other. For example, in the 1960’s/70’s, sociologists were concerned with the apparent underachievement of girls. It wasn’t simply due to a lack of ambition; back then it was the norm for women to marry, and it was almost socially unacceptable for women to reach higher education, thus girls may have felt pressured in lower education to have less of a strive towards educational success than boys did. Far fewer girls studied maths, physics and chemistry as boys as these were considered ‘male’ orientated subjects, in which mostly male teachers were tutors for the subjects. If women did study such subjects they likely will have been ignored in the presence of so many male students. By the time boys were ready for university, girls were very likely to be considering family life, marriage and raising offspring. Even if they wished to attent university, grade boundaries were inflated to make it far more difficult for them to attain entry than boys...
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...achievement for a variety of reasons and in a number of different ways. I intend to describe the ways in which educational achievement differs between males and females and the possible reasons for this variation between the sexes. Social class and ethnicity also play important parts in affecting the achievement of individuals and groups. I intend to discuss their affects on results seen in education and the way in which these factors are interwoven with one another. I will highlight the importance of each of these factors in determining the achievement of individuals and groups in education and the reasons behind their importance. Over the last ten years, the gender gap between the achievement of males and females in education has been growing in developed countries. (Gibb, Fergusson and Horwood, 2008) On average, girls in England achieve better results in most subjects at all levels of education. The issue is not confined to the UK as the problem also presents itself in other countries. (Machin and McNally, 2005) Women in the USA have continued to be more educated than men since the mid 1970’s. (Charles and Luoh, 2003 in Machin and McNally, 2005) Females attain more school and post school qualifications than males and also attend university in higher numbers. (Alton-Lee and Pratt, 2001, in Gibb, Fergusson and Horwood, 2008) National statistics for 2004 reveal a 10 per cent difference in percentage points of males and females with five or more GCSE’s at grades A*-C. (Machin and...
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...The United States of America is considered to have one of the most efficient educational systems in the world because it guarantees high quality in education. This is because a country’s wealth is partially determined by the amount of money and resources spend on education as well as the achievements of higher education. Therefore, countries that are struggling to obtain basic necessities are unable to afford educational system that would help reduce their poverty rate. The differences in education varies among countries and states, thus the states with the low socioeconomic background status, experience larger gaps in performance. To ensure higher standards, the “No Child Left Behind” act was introduced under the George W Bush regime in 2002,...
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...Social class is the key factor influencing a child’s education attainment. There are major differences between the levels of achievement of the working class and middle class. Generally the higher the social class of the parents the more successful a child will be in education. Social class inequality begins in primary school and becomes greater as you move up through the education system with the higher levels of the education system dominated by middle and upper-class students. There are many other factors that can explain differences in educational achievements for different social classes, these include material explanations which put the emphasis on social and economic conditions, cultural explanations which focus on values, attitudes and lifestyles and factors within the school itself. Material factors such as poverty, low wages, diet, health and housing can all have important direct effects on how well individuals do at school. Material deprivation such as this helps when explaining the pattern of working-class underachievement in education. Douglas (1964) found that poor housing conditions such as overcrowding and insufficient quiet can make study at home difficult meaning they cannot complete homework and may not pass exams. In working class families, low income or unemployment may mean resources such as computers and text books cannot be bought which will restrict the amount of studying the child can do. They may also not be able to attend school trips that could...
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...actions, our behavior, and our lifestyle. Another aspect that strongly influences our lives is social class. Social class is the rank that an individual holds, with present rights, duties, and lifestyle, in a social hierarchy based upon honour or fame. Status may be ascribed, which is assigned to individuals at birth without reference to any innate abilities—or achieved, requiring special qualities and gained through competition and individual effort. There are many effects of social class and can be felt anywhere. Almost every aspect of society is influenced in some manner by social class. School, work, religion, and home lives are also linked to the influence of social classes. “A Devoted Son”, by Anita Desai is a moving story about a father-son relationship which strongly reflects on the effects of social class. It shows how people’s attitudes vary in different circumstances. Social status can affect an individual in society by gaining or losing the respect of a person. It can allow a person to be recognized and, yet, unrecognized. It depends on the status. Social status can be developed or achieved by education, family, or fame and fortune. In the story “A Devoted Son” by Anita Desai, the author uses education, family, and fame and fortune for a way to develop and achieve social status. Education can greatly impact the individual’s development as a social being. Having a good education means being more knowledgeable and respected among people in society. It allows a person to...
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...attainable. The American Dream of education, class, and happiness is not attainable. The American Dream of getting an affordable college education is not attainable. For some students it is difficult to pay for college. According to The Washington Post, “For students, tuition is only...
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...Social Class in Modern British Education For this assignment I have been asked to write about a current issue in Further\Higher Education. I have chosen to discuss some of the issues of social class as they relate to education policy in modern Britain. Following the right to vote, the right to education is a freedom which people throughout history and around the world have struggled to achieve. “There is a sense in which social class has been at the core of British sociology of education throughout the existence of the field, even when it has not been high on education policy agendas.” (Whitty, 2001, p.287) While issues and effects of social class exist in all countries, the English experience is particularly problematic. (Goldthorpe, 1996) In the United Kingdom at the turn of the 19th century a university education was a privilege enjoyed by the sons of the wealthy and influential. Although members of the social elite “passed through the universities, they rarely completed their degrees. The subsidiary mission of the pre-industrial universities was to complete the socialisation of future elites, social and political”. (Scott, 1995, p.12) The last two decades have witnessed a considerable amount of rhetoric with regard to improving this situation; with access and inclusion being the keystones of nearly every government policy issued. New Labour went so far as to announce in its election manifesto an explicit aim of increasing participation in higher education to 50 per cent...
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...Analyse the importance of poverty as an explanation of social class differences in educational achievement Introduction Sociologists have argued that social class differences in educational achievement can be explained in terms of 4 not necessarily mutually exclusive kinds of theory: IQ theory; theories emphasising social class differences in material circumstances; theories emphasising social class differences in subcultural attitudes and values; and theories emphasising the importance of within school labelling processes. Sociologists tend to be critical of IQ theory for several reasons and point out that there is good evidence to show that social class is a major determinant of educational success even independently of measured differences in IQ. I shall therefore concentrate upon the three more sociological approaches and in each case it may be argued that the factors which may disadvantage working class students in general are especially likely to disadvantage those working class students who experience poverty. However before analysing the possible effects of poverty on educational achievement some preliminary investigation of the nature and extent of poverty in the UK is first necessary and for these purposes we must first distinguish between absolute and relative poverty. Absolute poverty is said to occur when individuals lack the money necessary to ensure their basis physical survival whereas relative poverty exists where individuals have insufficient money to...
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...the past and will continue to rise, is social class. Throughout history, in any government, has faced the issues of social class and the stratifications that break up the population. Focusing on the issue, I conducted an interview with my father that opened my eyes to the similar views we both hold on social class and also helped me realize things I hadn’t before. In my own opinion, social class can be viewed from a functionalist point of view. Social class is inevitable and inescapable due to the need for the levels of social classes to be filled in order for a society to function. The function of society would ultimately fail if the social class system didn’t exist due to people...
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...Me like I’m Rich Are children really getting the same education as other students of different social classes? The curriculum is the same, but it’s not the same education, it is taught differently depending on the schools overall social class. The “hidden curriculum” depicted by Anyon’s title is students learning things they would need to know for the jobs along their economic class. The Curriculum of the social classes in the schools is less defined as it rises in the social food chain. The curriculum of liberal education that Delbanco wants back in colleges is similar to that of schools with that of the higher social classes Anyon describes. The only way liberal and economical agendas can co-exist is if all these social classes were viewed the same and treated equal; using a little bit of each social class to make an all-across fair education. Education shouldn’t be used to train children into jobs of their social class, but be taught to make something of themselves; they should be given the same education as any other schools economic. Education is and should be used as a tool to open the minds of the children so as they go through the different grades they can be open to the different opportunities they can have in their adult lives. The different social classes broken down by Anyon are: the working class schools, middle class school, affluent professional school, and the executive elite school. In the working class schools “the procedure is usually mechanical, involving...
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