Book Chapter

Assured optimism in a Scottish girls' school: habitus and the (re)production of global privilege

Details

Citation

Forbes J & Lingard B (2017) Assured optimism in a Scottish girls' school: habitus and the (re)production of global privilege. In: Kenway J & Koh A (eds.) New Sociologies of Elite Schooling. London: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/New-Sociologies-of-Elite-Schooling/Kenway-Koh/p/book/9781138700666

Abstract
This paper examines how high levels of social–cultural connectedness and academic excellence, inflected by gender and social class, constitute a particular school habitus of ‘assured optimism’ at an elite Scottish girls’ school. In Bourdieuian terms, Dalrymple is a ‘forcing ground’ for the ‘intense cultivation’ of a particular privileging habitus. The paper analyses the ‘institutional’ habitus of this particular private girls’ school, drawing on headteacher interviews and student survey and focus group data, and relevant documents. The school is currently re-positioning itself to educate girls for global professional futures through the production of a desired habitus and certain spatio-temporalities.

StatusPublished
Publication date31/12/2017
PublisherRoutledge
Publisher URLhttps://www.routledge.com/…ok/9781138700666
Place of publicationLondon
ISBN9781138700666

People (1)

Professor Joan Forbes

Professor Joan Forbes

Honorary Professor, Education