Pierre Bourdieu's Lack Of Inequalities In Education

Introduction

“Ignorance and prejudice are the handmaidens of propaganda. Our mission, therefore, is to confront ignorance with knowledge, bigotry with tolerance, and isolation with the outstretched hand of generosity. Racism can, will, and must be defeated.” (Kofi Annan, n.d.)

“Real education should educate us out of self into something far finer - into selflessness which links us to all humanity.” (Nancy Astor, n.d.)

Australia is a multicultural country and consequently, educators are highly likely to teach students from a wide range of cultures. In Australia, 44 percent of the population was either born or has parents who were born in a foreign country (Lawrence, Brooker, & Goodnow, 2012, p. 75). In 2013, 230,000 people migrated to Australia

Sociologist, Pierre Bourdieu described this valued knowledge as ‘cultural capital’. Bourdieu believed that inequalities in education often stem from the differentiation between the cultural values of student’s and the prioritised educational standards of schools (Thomson, 2002, p. 4 – 5; Siraj-Blatchford, 2004, p. 22 – 23). Educators can combat the inequalities caused by ‘cultural capital’, by continuously strengthening their understanding of the cultural identities of students, with a view to inform the way they interpret and enact curricula (Thomson, 2002, p. 8). Furthermore, it is essential for educators to comprehend that the curriculum is more than just a predetermined set of guidelines for education. The curriculum is comprised of all planned and unplanned teaching and learning experiences (Blaise, 2011, p. 82).Therefore, it is imperative that educators do not allow opportunities to increase cultural understandings fall into the hidden or null curriculum. On the contrary, educators need to plan for and bring attention to multicultural learning opportunities, in order to challenge stereotypical assumptions and provide a meaningful education that benefits all students (Blaise, 2011, p. 90 - 92; Siraj-Blatchford, 2004, p 26

Some children have spent the majority of their life in refugee camps where murder rape and theft are common occurrences (DECS SA, p.1; Brown, 2008, p. 110). The impact of trauma on a child’s ability to learn may be extensive and has the potential to create unique complications for educators. Trauma can present in children as anxiety, flashbacks, shame, diminished sense of self-worth, withdrawal, disconnection from others and attachment anxiety (Australian, Department of Social Services, 2014, p. 30; Brown, 2008, p. 111). Moreover, students of refugee experience may also struggle with learning because prolonged exposure to trauma has the ability to impact on cognitive development. Mental mechanisms used by the brain to process experiences can break down when attempting to compartmentalise complex traumatic memories, which in turn may affect concentration and ability to learn (Trauma and Grief Network, n.d. p. 3; Perry, 2003, p. 5; National Child Traumatic Stress Network, n.d.). In addition, the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, (2008, p. 8) has claimed that “low levels of education amongst young people from refugee backgrounds typically correlate with long-term exposure to traumatic experiences”. Therefore, it is crucial that educators of students with refugee experience consider the effects of trauma