Social Capital In Education Essay

Social capital forms connections with likeminded people in repeated and reciprocated social exchanges, these exchanges form similar sets of goals, values and aspirations (Shoji 2014). Geographical location and experiences also contribute to the reinforcement of social capital forms. This capital keeps people together and makes them feel a part of something bigger such as a community. Often the students that are a part of this low social capital or the working-class feel they don’t fit in at school and therefore often do not succeed in an educational setting. Education settings expect students to conform to a different set of social rules, often middle class (Connell et al 2013) this creates tension and causes the students to take control of the situation in their own way (Anyon 1981).

Factors that contribute to a student’s success at school are the philosophy of the school, teachers, and parents. It is not simply that students from low social

Working-class children often experience a mismatch or disconnection between their family’s practices and the practices valued by schools (Mayo & Siraj 2015 and Hennessy-Himmerelheber, 2015). Student’s families often feel that they are not connected to schools and have little to offer their children in regards to support.

Schools that actively promote a sense of group membership and belonging of such families become the bridges of social capital. School communities appear to encourage social capital and the adoption of school values. This exposes the family to the schools value system, the staff and other families thus giving a sense of belonging and improving the experience of students (Shoji 2014). The perceived walls between parents and teachers are broken down and both parties feel the better communication between them is highly beneficial for all involved (Shoji