We blame the parents! A response to 'cultural capital as an explanation of variation in participation in higher education' by John Noble and Peter Davies (British Journal of Sociology of Education 30, no. 5)

Harrison, Neil; Waller, Richard

Abstract

This paper offers a response to a recent article where the authors argue cultural capital is the only determinant of the propensity of young people to seek to enter higher education, dismissing other indicators such as social class. This response questions the support the original authors draw from other literature and offers criticism of the sample used in their study, the survey tool employed, the analysis undertaken and their conclusions relating to the agenda of 'widening participation'. In reality, the wider literature suggests that social class, as represented by parental occupation, continues to have a role in explaining educational trajectories, even once other factors are controlled for. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.

Citation

Harrison, N., & Waller, R. (2010). We blame the parents! A response to 'cultural capital as an explanation of variation in participation in higher education' by John Noble and Peter Davies (British Journal of Sociology of Education 30, no. 5). British Journal of Sociology of Education, 31(4), 471-482. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2010.484922

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jul 7, 2010
• Deposit Date: Sep 20, 2010
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 25, 2016
• Journal: British Journal of Sociology of Education
• Print ISSN: 0142-5692
• Electronic ISSN: 1465-3346
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 471-482
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2010.484922
• Keywords: social class, higher education, widening participation, cultural capital, methodology
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/977513
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2010.484922
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This is an electronic version of an article published in "Harrison, N. and Waller, R. (2010) We blame the parents! A response to 'Cultural capital as an explanation of variation in participation in higher education' by John Noble and Peter Davies (British Journal of Sociology of Education 30, no. 5). British Journal of Sociology of Education, 31 (4). pp. 471-482". British Journal of Sociology of Education is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01425692.2010.484922