Education, Class Fractions and the Local Rules of Spatial Relations

Abstract

This paper develops previous analyses of data from an ESRC-funded study of middleclass parents' choices of childcare in two London locations (Battersea and Stoke Newington). It tentatively explores differences between the educational choices made in the two localities and connections which occur between educational and spatial preferences and practices. These connections within the two class fraction samples are presented using Basil Bernstein's arguments concerning the relations between pedagogical practices and social class. The argument is that the class fractions identified here use space differently and concomitantly engage in different kinds of social relations.

Deregulation, privatisation and marketisation of Nordic comprehensive education: social changes reflected in schooling

“…School choice can generally be defined as a policy whereby schools may select some or all of their pupils and families may choose the school or an educational track for their children. Internationally, school choice has been found to be strongly related to family background (Ball, 2003;Ball & Vincent, 2007). In the Nordic countries, school choice has been found to cause significant between-school and within-school differences and promote options for social distinction (for cases in Sweden, see Böhlmark, Holmlund, & Lindahl, 2015;Gustafsson et al, 2016; for cases in Finland, including in a public market, see Kosunen, 2016;Seppänen, 2003Seppänen, , 2006.…”

Class, capital, and school culture: Parental involvement in public schools with specialised music programmes

“…In proposing that class and culture should not be considered separate categories, Erdreich and Golden (2017, 61) suggest that they be seen as 'social processes' for a better 'understanding of how parental involvement is shaped' . Since the social and cultural history of a particular school may influence how parents are differently engaged (Cucchiara and Horvat 2009;Lareau and Lopez Muñoz 2012), parental behaviour may also be conditioned by a school's culture (Ball and Vincent 2007;Bernstein 2000;Power et al 2003). Specialised arts programmes themselves vary considerably from school to school depending on the social context, just as different schools attribute different meanings to the concept of specialisation (Gaztambide-Fernández, VanderDussen, and Cairns 2014).…”

“…Second, since different school cultures may be 'open' or 'closed' to varying degrees, these structural differences must be taken into account to understand why parents associations behave in different ways (Power et al 2003). Bernstein's (1975Bernstein's ( , 1990Bernstein's ( , 2000 conceptual toolkit, principally based on the strength of social relations in education (classification and framing), can complement Bourdieu's framework in allowing one to systematically analyse interrelations between social class, parental involvement, and school culture (Ball and Vincent 2007;Power et al 2003). The Bernsteinian concept of a school's expressive order reminds one of what Reay et al define as institutional habitus, that is, the impact of a school's disposition and organisation as determined by its historical, social, and cultural background (Reay, Crozier, and Clayton 2010;Reay, David, and Ball 2001).…”

Estimation of bedload transport in headwater streams using a numerical model (Moravskoslezké Beskydy Mts, Czech Republic)

“…Secondly, urban school patterns are created not only by the above-mentioned broader interconnections between state school policy, the interest of individual schools, students, and parents, but also by other factors involved in urban land use and development policy (Basu 2007;Ball, Vincent 2007). For example, the spatial expansion of new residential developments (e.g., apartment building complexes) influences the distribution of schools, as areas with higher population densities should not be without basic public facilities.…”