Student transformations through sociology-related social sciences: a Bernsteinian

analysis of (in)equalities.  

Funded by:

Andrea Abbas, Paul Ashwin and Monica McLean

ESRC: RES-062-23-1438

… one of our primary tasks is to enable our students to achieve a rich operational understanding of and commitment to the relevant epistemic values. We are trying to teach our students how to become participants in disciplined inquiry. This involves their learning and becoming committed to the grammar of inquiry in some field – epistemological access requires that they come to understand and care about the relevant epistemic values. (Morrow 2009 p. 38)

Overview

The project (aims and methods) The Bernsteinian approach enabled a cross

institutional analysis which found More similarity across institutions than league tables

would suggest (e.g. Specialised sociological identity) Pedagogic rights provides useful insight\ framework for

understanding value (use value) A complex view of inequality which is being developed

through deeper analysis

Pedagogic Quality and Inequality in University First Degrees:

Origins: challenge to ‘quality’ and league tables

Aim: to theorise ‘just’ teaching and learning

Objectives: 1) to evaluate the comparative quality of teaching and learning in first

degrees in sociology and allied subjects in four distinctively different universities.

2) to apply Bernstein's concepts to teaching and learning in university departments to ascertain how far it can throw light on the question of the quality of teaching and learning.

3) to generate debate among students, higher education teachers and managers, policy makers and quality assurance agencies.

The Universities

Three Year study of sociology related social science degree courses in four universities:

Prestige and Selective regularly rated in the top third of university league tables; Community and Diversity regularly rated in the bottom third.

Data Sets and analysis (languages of description)

98 life grids and interviews with first year students; 31 student case studies longitudinal Interviews with seminar tutors and lecturers (16); 12 (3x4) videos of seminars; Students’ work each year (+focus group); Curricula, Departmental and Institutional Documents Statistical data Analysis of relevant policy documents Survey of over 750 students;

Why we chose Bernstein

The concept of the code and inequalities (reproduction and interruption of inequalities)

Cultural\historical specificity of valued codes (Douglas, Languages of description)

Interest in equality (pedagogic rights) Importance of knowledge (via pedagogic processes) Pilot Studies (curricula documents and interviews

with teachers)

Illustrative findings: Specialised sociological identity

Draws upon Bernstein’s pedagogic identities Core to understanding student

transformations Engagement with “sociological” knowledge is

key Evidence from analysis of range of data sets

Interviews (teachers and students) Videos of Seminars (3 types of knowledge) Marking Exercise Focus Group (similar valuing of

specific forms of realisation)

Specialised sociological identity: disciplinary

“the most interesting sort of areas ... you are being most critical about. So I have a module at the minute .. (it) is quite an interesting module because (it) is all about the prison service. Ideas of justice and what constitutes justice” (Mark, Community, Year 3)

queer theory ... it’s kind of suggesting that we kind of break down categories completely. I mean we were discussing in the seminar that it’s such a paradox because if you kind of suggest that we break down a certain group of categories based on gender, then there’s going to be other categories created in their place and can we really live without categories? If we did, we’d all be in our own world, we wouldn’t be able to interact, we were taking it way too deep (Fiona, Prestige, Year 3)

Specialised sociological identity: personal/social,

One of my mates just won’t watch the news because it is so depressing (laughter). But then I kind of look at it and think ‘why’ and ‘ what has happened’ and ‘what can I do to change it’. Yes it is thought provoking. (Mary, Community Year 3)

It’s made me more aware of how we construct ourselves and how we construct other people as well, like for example, ... sometimes my mum might say .. sit straight, don’t open your legs, sit cross-legged or something like that and it made me see that these little things that are embedded in our social structure actually form the idea of being feminine and these little things actually do make a big impact on our lives. (Lisha, Diversity, Year 3)

Specialised Sociological identity: performative.

some of the concepts that I’m having to deal with in that module are pretty basic, but I’ve never studied them before ... like an optional module from a different subject, even though it’s closely aligned, it’s very different for me. So yeah, I’m finding that pretty difficult to deal with, but I feel like through writing essays for criminology and sociology I know how to digest information and use it, so it’s just applying it to a different subject matter, so yeah. (Ethan, Prestige, Year 3)

Access to specialised sociological identity across all institutions

Examples of successful acquisition in all (Johnston et al 2009 – criticality achieved at different levels)

Specialised sociological identity not straightforwardly and hierarchically shaped by background (Qualitative data and survey).

Relationship between Institutional hierarchies are complex

Pedagogic Rights

Right Level The right to: Capability Enhancement Individual ‘the means of critical

understanding and to new possibilities.’ (2000,p.xx)

Confidence

Inclusion Social ‘be included socially, intellectually, culturally and personally.’ (ibid)

‘Communitas’

Participation Political ‘to participate in the construction, maintenance and transformation of order’ (ibid. p.xxi)

Civic discussion & action

The complexities of quality: processes

(*Institutions in Red have scores that are significantly higher than those in Blue)

Scale Ranking of universities

Engagement with academic knowledge

Selective, Diversity, Prestige, Community

Interest in subject Diversity, Selective, Prestige, Community

Good Teaching Diversity, Community, Selective, Prestige

Interrogating complexity (external language of description): Going part-time

Elizabeth Selective Low to medium turbulent life

before university Pre-university education stable Pregnancy in second year and

birth of child – financial difficulties

Passed second year modules Extreme poverty Tutors unaware of situation

and no special relationships More abstract relationship with

knowledge (career and other focused)

Lucia Diversity Highly turbulent life ongoing Undiagnosed dyslexia Ongoing difficulties with

disabled son and finance led to failed modules – un-submitted work

Part-time in third year to complete second year modules

Well supported and good relationships with tutors (aware of situation)

Engaged relationship with knowledge (self and ‘p’olitically focused)

Elizabeth

And how the media portrays it (crime) as one particular way whereas the government portray it in a different way and … gender, how people, well just aspects of gender, how women are seen in like the criminal justice system …

There’s a student support officer I could particularly go to. I haven’t actually gone to her this year and I think the one that I went to last year, I don’t know what happened to her… It’s a new student support officer who I haven’t spoken to, but it’s mainly financial issues that I’m struggling with this year really.

Elizabeth

I still want to do more criminology work in the future…And hopefully maybe working at the Home Office or something like that….Just, maybe, just office work really, maybe like a manager of a section

Lucia

through sociology research methods I’ve also learnt how to access …databases… so I’ve used that get more insight in to my sons disability and …put that forward in these meetings… and bring up limitations and, and question …and ..for sociology (of education) one of my modules …I used erm (.) the topic of special educational needs… and I really found it really useful to help me in my every day life and …my academic life

 Erm (..) tutors (.) and regular meetings, my tutors keeping them informed of what’s been happening in my life… and them believing in me, they believe in me even I’ve come to (.) at some point I did actually loose faith in myself and think god I’m not university material and they said no you know, you are, you can do it, you can actually do it…

Lucia

when I started university I wanted to originally become a social worker… but after personally experiencing ... social workers …I felt that you’re tired with policy and legislation and …guidelines and you’re limited how much you can help people and I probably want to work in the community in a different sector…

Erm (.) well work in the community erm helping, helping those who need help who are less advantaged because you know I see myself as one of those who are at a disadvantage…

Examples of Bernsteinian inspired Questions

1) Does the importance of horizontal knowledge mean that ‘framing’ by past life plays a role?

2) Does the acceptance of ‘traditional’ classifications of university\non-university relevant support hinder ability to seek and gain help?

3) What role does a successful sociological transformation play in securing employment?

4) To what extent does the integration of horizontal and vertical knowledge carry on after university?