ERIC Number: EJ1050633
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-764X
EISSN: N/A
How Bourdieu Bites Back: Recognising Misrecognition in Education and Educational Research
James, David
Cambridge Journal of Education, v45 n1 p97-112 2015
Having noted that some use of Bourdieusian concepts in educational research is superficial, this paper offers a view of the distinctiveness of Bourdieu's concepts via the example of misrecognition, which is differentiated from the concept with the same name in Fraser's work. An account is given of a recent research project on white middle-class identity and school choice, which suggests that whilst parents avoided a common misrecognition (regarding school quality), they were nevertheless reliant on other forms of misrecognition (regarding the qualities of their children) that are equally important in the relationship between social class and educational inequalities. Finally, the paper suggests that educational understandings, including some educational research, are predisposed to misrecognise Bourdieusian concepts, and four areas of tension are identified. The paper argues against "light usage" of Bourdieu whilst acknowledging that the approach can produce a pessimistic account that is at odds with some educational values.
Descriptors: Social Capital, Educational Research, Whites, Middle Class, Self Concept, School Choice, Correlation, Equal Education, Social Class, Parent Attitudes, Misconceptions, Interviews, Advantaged, Power Structure, Secondary Schools, Foreign Countries, Social Bias
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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 (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A