Inequalities in Australian Schooling: Sociocultural Factors in terms of Cultural Capital, Habitus and Social Reproduction
There is a common, underlying perception that students from particular cultural and linguistic backgrounds – what is generally referred to as ethnicity - have a predisposition towards educational success in Australian schools (Watkins, 2013). Students from Anglo backgrounds, for example, are often seen as having a cultural advantage whilst others, such as Middle Eastern students, are perceived as culturally prone to underachievement. These claims confine ethnicity to fixed and bound stereotypes, and see educational achievement as a result of the inherent qualities of these groups (Watkins, 2013). However, ethnicity cannot be held solely responsible for the inequalities in Australian education. A densely interwoven fabric of socio-cultural factors, for instance, geographical location and socioeconomic status, is evident in the disparities between students' academic achievements. It is within fabric that it can be established that students from minority groups are educationally disadvantaged due to their ethnicities, geographical locations and socioeconomic statuses, incidentally influencing their chances of educational success in Australian schools (Groundwater-Smith, 2009).
Bourdieu (1997) develops his notion of cultural capital, the learned competence in the valued way of doing things, as a way of explaining this unequal educational performance of students. Those with cultural capital not suited to Australia’s Western educational approaches are less likely to succeed than students with a predetermined skill set ideally suited to Australian education systems. That is to say, the students from minority groups a...
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Whether they are positive or negative, our habits are an integral part of our lives. Because of this, when Professor James VanderMey addressed the 33rd annual Honors Convocation at Mid Michigan Community College, he decided to speak on the topic of habit. In his speech, entitled “Remarks on Habit,” VanderMey (argues against Sartre’s point of view by) discusses the advantages of having good habits, especially the habits represented by the Diploma Qualification Profile, a series of proficiencies that students learn as they are educated at Mid Michigan Community College. First, he shows that good habits lead to creative problem solving. Then, he argues that our habits make us who we are. Finally, he shows how good habits may grow and multiply. Habits, especially DQP habits, are positive and useful, because they allow one to think creatively, become a better person, and find innovative ways of doing.
Over the last two decades the Australian population has faced a number of economic instabilities that has seen the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ increase. To determine who the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ are an in-depth investigation will be performed examining the circumstances under which the gap can be manipulated. The economic wellbeing of individuals is largely determined by their command over economic resources (ABS, 2009). The wellbeing of individuals who are classified as ‘haves’ are usually people who are asset rich, contain bonds, shares and are fairly affluent. The wellbeing of individuals who are classified as ‘have nots’ are usually the working poor, who have little assets and little investments i.e. bonds. These individuals are usually middle income earners which are categorised as being in relative poverty. Relative poverty as defined by L. Kirkwood, I. Searle, T. Cronk, D. Cave and J. Swiericzuk as the situation of people whose income and lifestyle has fallen below, by more than a certain degree, the average income and lifestyle enjoyed by the rest of society.
School on the surface is considered to most Australians as an accessible place for students to learn and grow. When examined below surface level socio-cultural factors have an effect on getting an education, success in education and inclusion at school. These factors include, but are not limited to socioeconomic status, cultural capital, cultural preferences, geographical location, ethnic background, gender and sexual orientation. Social justice has not been achieved for education in Australia. Examining the above factors and how they have shaped school practices, teaching styles, curriculum and the outcomes of disadvantaged students will illustrate the status of social justice in Australia.
Community forces comprises of four factors which include symbolic beliefs about schooling (e.g., whether the cultural and language identity of minorities will be threatened by learning), minority school comparison frame, relational interpretations of schooling (e.g., level of trust and confidence in the educational system), and instrumental value of schooling (e.g., whether or not school credentials are necessary for getting ahead in life) (Ogbu, 1978; Ogbu & Simmons, 1998). These forces are products of sociocultural adaptations within the minority communities. Over the years, in more current literature, cultural barriers have been adapted to also include community and social barriers such as behavioral characteristics, attitudinal factors and socioeconomic status which are significant predictors of school performance in minority students (Ainsworth-Darnell & Downey, 1998; Fordham, Signithia, & Ogbu, 1986; McLoyd, 1998). Duncan and Magnuson (2005) found that socioeconomic status accounts for more than half of the initial academic achievement gap that exists between minority and majority populations. Poverty and culture conflicts significantly contribute to why minorities achieve poorly in school performances (Smith, Brooks-Gunn, & Klebanov, 1997). Ogbu and Simmons (1998) suggest that cultural and language differences can also cause learning
The inequality in Australian education can be attributed to a history of low expectations and discrimination placed on Indigenous people by the government and society. Aboriginal children were denied the right to education until the 1970s due to the discrimitory views of the government and society. The Indigenous population were the sub-standard race of humanity with little to no chance of succeeding in life and these attitudes affected the educational choices offered to them (Ray & Poonwassie, 1992). As the superior race, the Anglo-Celtic Australians, considered themselves both intellectually and socio-culturally more advanced than their inferior Aboriginal neighbours (Foley, 2013). As a consequence of these racially and culturally motivated preconceptions, children of Aboriginal descent were considered unskilled outside of their own and were deemed incapable of excelling in ‘civilised’ white society (Foley, 2013). As a result, the Australian Government, in an effort to civilise and nurture politeness within the Aboriginal people, constructed “structured” (p 139) education training institutions in 1814. However, these problems only provided sufficient schooling for menial work: Aboriginal male children were prepared for agricultural employment, while girls were trained for domesticated services (Foley, 2013). Thus, as a direct consequence of low expectation for life success, Aboriginal children were offered minimal schooling ‘consistent with the perception about the limitations inherent in their race and their expected station in life at the lowest rung of white society’ (Beresford & Partington, 2003, p43). According to Foley (2013) this combination of low expectations and poor academic grounding meant that Indigenous children we...
This discriminate behaviour causes children to feel like they do not belong; there for withdrawing themselves from their school and learning. It is up to us as teachers, to further our learning and educate ourselves on the diverse world we live and teach in. The gender, culture, skin colour, dress and appearance of a child does not change who they are inside and their capability to learn. Teachers must not have preconceived ideas of a child. When children have strong relationships between home and school their learning and development is best supported (Hedges, Cullen & Jorden 2011). When teachers are interpreting the curriculum it is important they include practices that that link the home, family and community experiences. With a positive and supportive school environment, children can learn to feel and show acceptance for all people no matter of age, sex, race, culture and socio economics. Children can learn to value and respect themselves and each other. Australia has a diverse range of culture and ethnicities in schools and majority of schools are using effective methods to cater and enrich a child’s learning experience. Schools must support the ongoing professional development of teachers in gaining better knowledge of different cultures and the links between educational outcomes. Every child has the right to enjoy school, and it is up to us as
The first difference you see between the middle and working class in education is the selection of primary schools as for some it is the first time they are going to enter into the academic world. At this point the family as a whole are entering into “unfamiliar worlds” (Jackson and Marsden, 1966, page 99) in the process of selecting and applying for schools. The middle class aim is to have their children go to a successful school with a good Ofsted report just like the working class. However it is harder for the working class to get into these schools due to a range of factors. Some of these restricting factors are their knowledge of the system and economic status or wealth; they may not have the facilities for tra...
As I look back, we started our class with the module “the flat world”. This week’s reading addressed the issues of educational inequality. This module taught me how the score discrepancy is increasing between white and other ethnically diverse population. This is an alarming situation in the era of standardized testing. The article by Duffy (2013) from this week’s reading explores mental models and their ability to block or support school improvement. A mental model is a thought process that is completed entirely in the head. Mental model is a variation of what it represents. The thinker believes that it is true based on factual data. Each person’s experiences, knowledge base, and perceptions play a role in the formation of a mental model. The author provides sixteen strategies for unlearning and learning new models and also makes a point clear that teachers and administrators attitude really impact school improvement. The article points out the difference between compliance and commitment of educators and strategies to embrace new mental models for a better change. Compliance happens when the educator has a negative attitude about the new mental model and only behaves as expected when being observed. The goal is for educators to develop positive attitudes about the mental model so that they are committed and long-lasting change happens. I absolutely agree with this point that compliance and commitment are two different concepts, when we have commitment as educators; we are able to work as change agents. Compliance can only promote average professionals.
Previously in class we had a lecture about education in our society. This lecture stressed the education gaps between students. These gaps were explained in the lecture by the social background of the children’s families. The article from Calarco also tries to explain these gaps by looking at the cultural background. In this paper she referred to the background differences as the cultural capital of the child. This article was very easy to relate to not only because of my own experiences going through the school system but because of the background knowledge from our class lectures.
...ange still has to happen. There are numerous stereotypes existing which need to be addressed in order for the same schooling experience, achievement and curriculum are experienced by each individual student regardless of their ‘Race’, Gender or Social Class. The media is a huge contributing factor in what people perceive to be the norm. Therefore, a conscious effort should be made by parents to protect their children from the huge influence that the media may have on their children at such a young age. From this essay I hope that is has been made evident that education is infused with the complexities of cultural contexts where issues such as race, gender and social class are important actors in the educational possibilities of people but also that there is a lot of room for improvement so that children can all enjoy their schooling experiences together as a whole.
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Socioeconomic status can be defined in terms of family wealth and assets as well as educational background. For this reason, many comparisons can be made between socioeconomic status and education. Furthermore, academic achievement and the level of education reached by an individual, is determined by socioeconomic status. Research has shown that environmental circumstances and family issues greatly influence a child's future because the impact of the socioeconomic status depends on the level to which an individual becomes successful in life. Research also shows that family conditions can impact a child’s education and their quality of life. For example, being raised in a high-economic culture increases the chances that a child will attend