Five Families and the formation of learner identities
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Stephen Gorard
Abstract
In this chapter, we consider the early-life experiences of each individual that help form a lifelong ‘learner identity’ that itself appears to become a determinant of their future patterns of participation. The first of these is family background, and the second is initial schooling.
Family background, assessed in terms of income, parents’ education, or parents’ occupation, is a key predictor of lifelong participation in education or training, as it is of success at school (Gorard et al, 1999c). In some periods and regions, it may be the characteristics of the father that are dominant (Cervero and Kirkpatrick, 1990), and in others those of the mother (Bynner and Parsons, 1997). In this study, the father’s occupation, the mother’s education and place of birth predominate, and there is no agreement with the finding of Gambetta (1987) that the significance of parental education varies by occupational class. There is little evidence from this study that the UK is moving towards a ‘classless’ society in terms of learning, or that cycles of advantage and disadvantage are reducing. Social reproduction is still a key factor, and the link between household of origin and later occupational status may have actually strengthened since 1945 (Gershuny and Marsh, 1994).
Several previous studies have examined educational attainment and occupation (for example, Halsey et al, 1980), while there is a smaller body of literature that considers participation in education or training as its primary variable, and an even smaller body that relates the participation of generations within the same families. In compulsory education, traditions of similar educational routes (or initial educational trajectories) within families are quite common.
Abstract
In this chapter, we consider the early-life experiences of each individual that help form a lifelong ‘learner identity’ that itself appears to become a determinant of their future patterns of participation. The first of these is family background, and the second is initial schooling.
Family background, assessed in terms of income, parents’ education, or parents’ occupation, is a key predictor of lifelong participation in education or training, as it is of success at school (Gorard et al, 1999c). In some periods and regions, it may be the characteristics of the father that are dominant (Cervero and Kirkpatrick, 1990), and in others those of the mother (Bynner and Parsons, 1997). In this study, the father’s occupation, the mother’s education and place of birth predominate, and there is no agreement with the finding of Gambetta (1987) that the significance of parental education varies by occupational class. There is little evidence from this study that the UK is moving towards a ‘classless’ society in terms of learning, or that cycles of advantage and disadvantage are reducing. Social reproduction is still a key factor, and the link between household of origin and later occupational status may have actually strengthened since 1945 (Gershuny and Marsh, 1994).
Several previous studies have examined educational attainment and occupation (for example, Halsey et al, 1980), while there is a smaller body of literature that considers participation in education or training as its primary variable, and an even smaller body that relates the participation of generations within the same families. In compulsory education, traditions of similar educational routes (or initial educational trajectories) within families are quite common.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of tables and figures iv
- Acknowledgements vi
- Preface vii
- Contemporary policies for a learning society 1
- Lifelong learning trajectories 15
- History, place and the learning society: the case of South Wales 31
- Patterns of individual participation in adult learning 43
- Families and the formation of learner identities 65
- Lifelong learning trajectories and the two dimensions of change over time 87
- The role of informal learning 105
- The learning society and the economic imperative 121
- The impact of policies to widen participation 135
- The prospects for a learning society 145
- References 157
- The research sites 179
- Index 185
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of tables and figures iv
- Acknowledgements vi
- Preface vii
- Contemporary policies for a learning society 1
- Lifelong learning trajectories 15
- History, place and the learning society: the case of South Wales 31
- Patterns of individual participation in adult learning 43
- Families and the formation of learner identities 65
- Lifelong learning trajectories and the two dimensions of change over time 87
- The role of informal learning 105
- The learning society and the economic imperative 121
- The impact of policies to widen participation 135
- The prospects for a learning society 145
- References 157
- The research sites 179
- Index 185
