Education, Aspiration and Upward Social Mobility

This book explores the career aspirations, achievements and consequent social mobility of a group of British Pakistani women. It uses Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital to analyse how these women, living in a segregated Pakistani community located in a deprived northern town in the UK with poor employment opportunities, acquired the resources to pursue further and higher education, obtain qualifications and enter professional careers. The author discusses and analyses how cultural capital features in homes, schools and workplaces, as well as how the women navigate and modify intersecting gender, ethnic and class identities in order to create specific career trajectories. Illuminating the rich intersections of biography, history and society, the author captures important qualitative data which acts as a microcosm for contemporary discussions on social mobility, multiculturalism, Muslim communities, race, and gender in Britain.

Uses a Bourdieusian framework to analyse how British Pakistani women achieve social mobility Analyses the navigation of intersecting identities to see how career trajectories are created Captures stories within the community that reflect important trends and ways of thinking on a wider level

Autorentext

Aqsa Saeed is a UK-based scholar. After graduating from the University of Cambridge, teaching English in a secondary school and then in a pupil referral unit, she completed her PhD at the Open University. Her current academic interests are in educational research.

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. Educational Inequalities in the Uk.- 3. Explaining Educational Inequalities.- 4. Methodology.- 5. Career Aspirations and Trajectories.- 6. Familial and Local Influences on Aspirations and Careers.- 7. School and College Influences on Career Development.- 8. Career Building and Cultural Navigation.- 9. Conclusion.