Parental social class and GCSE attainment Re reading the role of cultural capital.pdf (1.58 MB)
Parental social class and GCSE attainment: re-reading the role of ‘cultural capital’
Version 2 2023-06-12, 07:42
Version 1 2023-06-10, 02:44
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 07:42 authored by Sarah Stopforth, Vernon GayleThis paper examines the roles of parental social class and cultural capital in inequalities in English school qualifications. The analytical focus is the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). Integral to Bourdieu’s theory of cultural reproduction is the conception that inequalities in cultural capital explain the unequal scholastic achievements of pupils from different social class backgrounds. This paper is a novel investigation using data from Understanding Society and linked administrative education records from the National Pupil Database. The central empirical findings do not support the Bourdiuesian position, and there is no evidence that the substantial parental social class inequalities that are observed in school GCSE outcomes can be explained by inequalities in cultural capital. Engagement in reading related activities are mildly influential, but engagement in highbrow cultural activities are not influential. This is an important finding as the concept of cultural capital has become more prominent in Government education policy.
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Publication status
- Published
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- Published version
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British Journal of Sociology of EducationISSN
0142-5692Publisher
Taylor & FrancisExternal DOI
Page range
1-20Department affiliated with
- Social Work and Social Care Publications
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- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2022-02-28First Open Access (FOA) Date
2022-04-11First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2022-02-28Usage metrics
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