Explain And Briefly Evaluate The View That Educati

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Education is considered a prominent agent in socialisation, as it socialises children at all the important and formative stages in development, and so in shaping class identity. However, there are many other agents of socialisation that contribute to shaping class identity; such as the family, media, etc. Education is integral in shaping class identity. It is an important part of a child’s development and consequently has a major role in the formation of social class identity. The hidden curriculum plays a major role here. Those educated in private schools for example, are immersed in multiple cultural signals which display a higher social position. In these schools, things like trips, school crests or the sports played (like Rugby and Polo) have an impact on social class. Just being in this environment will influence social class identity. The formal curriculum plays a major role in this too, with those who are taught Latin or Classics will have a different understanding of the world and society than those who are taught subjects lower in cultural capital, like vocational courses such as Health and Social Care. Power et. al. found a link between middle-class children, achievement at public schools and gaining places at the elite universities. She found that these schools encouraged more applications to elite universities, as such applications are a measure of their success. Bourdieu (1990) found that working-class students going to university feel like ‘fish out of water’, as it can be a very daunting, alienating and isolating experience. However, this is not the only agent in forming social identity and there are many more important agents such as the media. The media if often considered a major agent in shaping class identity. The media offers many representations of the different social classes via many different mediums. The working class for example, is
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