Explain What Role Does Social Class Play In The Socialisation Of Children Through Education

What Role does Social Class Play in the Socialisation of Children Through Education?

Sociology is a domain that, among other things, seeks to understand choice making in the context of society (Ball 2016). Choice making depends on numerous factors, most of which are influenced by one’s socialisation, that is, by the ongoing process through which social structures and institutions shape individuals. Social class undoubtedly affects this process and although there are individual differences within social classes (Zigler 1970), the way socialisation occurs tends to be different across classes. Much of these differences are explained by child rearing practices and the differences in constraints placed on parents (Zigler 1970), such as whether

Indeed, social class is a social concept referring to one’s position in the hierarchy of socio-economic status levels (Zigler 1970). This involves individuals’ levels of income, specific occupation and level of education. Social class thoroughly impacts children’s home experiences (Lareau 1987) as well as factors that influence their parent’s decisions about important matters such as choice of school. Notably, it affects them in terms of what outcome is prioritized and the level of involvement they can afford to have. Social class also affects children’s behaviour in school via their social interaction and approach to activities. However, in terms of educational outcomes, there doesn’t seem to be a significant correlation between social class and grades or a difference in academic achievement between children attending private and public

Frequently, members of a group will readily be aware and conscious of whether or not there are social class inequalities amongst them (Slattery Walker & Webster 2016). Furthermore, even in cases where there is no obvious hierarchy of class, interactions will often bring inequalities to light based on differences on individual’s habitus (Slattery Walker & Webster 2016). Indeed, in the context of a classroom, teachers and other students sometimes form performance expectations derived from social inequalities rather than actual observations of abilities (Slattery Walker & Webster 2016). Often times this occurs because they reward behaviours more likely to be present in the habitus of middle and upper class students (Roksa & Robinson 2017). For instance, while teachers may have had lesser expectations from student of subordinate groups, such as for African-American students in the past (arguably in the present as well), there were no relevant differences in competence levels between them and the other children (Ogbu, 1979). Rather, children from working-class families displayed different competences, which the teachers often failed to identify (Ogbu, 1979). This process is called status generalization and it affects children’s interactions in such a way that they are lead to conform and