Since the 'education market' was created by the 1988 Education Reform Act, sociologists have become intrigued in the effects of parental choices that the Act introduced. ‘Has greater parental choice of school benefited one social class morethan the other?’ Sharon Gewirtz (1995) examined this question when doing a study on class differences in parental choice. The study consisted of 14 school teachers and parents being interviewed. She used Bourdieu’s ideas to help her to find her findings. Through doing this she found that the differences in economic and cultural capital may lead to the class differences in how far parents may exercise the choice of secondary school. She identifies three different types of parents:
· Privileged-skilled choosers: Middle class parents who use economic and cultural capital to gain educational capital for their children. They have full advantage of the choices open to them. They understand the importance of putting schools as their first choice and meeting deadlines. Their economic capital meant that they were able to afford to move their children around the education system so that they could get the best deal out of it, such as travelling costs to get their child into the best school.
· Disconnected local choosers: Working class parents who were restricted by their lack of economic and cultural capital. It was difficult to understand school admission procedures. Looked at safety and facilities rather than league tables. No money to travel to a school of their choice.
· Semi-skilled choosers: Also working class but were ambitious for their child but didn't have cultural capital and found it hard to understand the education market and relied on people’s opinions about schools.
She concluded her theory by saying that middle class families that posses cultural and economic capital are more advantaged when it comes to the opportunities that are available to them. Although the education market may give everyone a greater choice, the ones that posses cultural capital are the ones that have a better choice than others.
· Privileged-skilled choosers: Middle class parents who use economic and cultural capital to gain educational capital for their children. They have full advantage of the choices open to them. They understand the importance of putting schools as their first choice and meeting deadlines. Their economic capital meant that they were able to afford to move their children around the education system so that they could get the best deal out of it, such as travelling costs to get their child into the best school.
· Disconnected local choosers: Working class parents who were restricted by their lack of economic and cultural capital. It was difficult to understand school admission procedures. Looked at safety and facilities rather than league tables. No money to travel to a school of their choice.
· Semi-skilled choosers: Also working class but were ambitious for their child but didn't have cultural capital and found it hard to understand the education market and relied on people’s opinions about schools.
She concluded her theory by saying that middle class families that posses cultural and economic capital are more advantaged when it comes to the opportunities that are available to them. Although the education market may give everyone a greater choice, the ones that posses cultural capital are the ones that have a better choice than others.