ERIC Number: EJ763396
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Feb
Pages: 16
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0141-1926
EISSN: N/A
British South Asians and Pathways into Selective Schooling: Social Class, Culture and Ethnicity
Abbas, Tahir
British Educational Research Journal, v33 n1 p75-90 Feb 2007
This article is a theoretical and empirical study of the ways in which different South Asian groups, Bangladeshi, Indian, and Pakistani, achieve entry into the selective education system, taking into consideration the factors of social class, ethnicity and culture. In-depth interviews with 42 South Asian school pupils from three single-sex selective schools (one independent and two grammar), 47 South Asian school pupils from three secondary modern schools, and 25 South Asian parents are used to interpret perceptions, attitudes towards, and experiences of selective school entry. It is found that that certain working-class South Asian parents possess strong middle-class attitudes towards selective education, irrespective of their ability to facilitate it as a function of their financial, cultural, or social capital. Middle-class South Asians were not only highly motivated but also possessed the economic, social and cultural capital to ensure successful selective school entry. In general, social class status was the strongest factor in the likelihood of gaining entry into selective schools. This research contributes to the literature on selective education as well as on the intricacies of the British South Asian educational experience. (Contains 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Social Class, Social Capital, Ethnicity, Educational Experience, Selective Admission, Secondary School Students, Minority Groups, Non Western Civilization, Interviews, Parent Attitudes, Social Status, Student Placement, Role of Education, Social Mobility, Parent Student Relationship, Social Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (Great Britain)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A