Capital Punishment – An Investigation into the impact of Capital on the Closing the Gap Initiative

Abstract

This research examines the role of varying forms of Pierre Bourdieu’s capital (cultural, social, economic, and symbolic) on the current UK government’s Closing the Gap initiative, exploring the impact of these different forms on the progress of children in the UK’s school system. It examines the link between Bourdieu’s notions of capital, habitus and social reproduction and relates these concepts to Michel Foucault’s ideas about power and power knowledge. The research is underpinned by two forms of incompatible storytelling. The first explores the idea of educational equality, which is promoted by educational policy and practice in the UK, the second is my autoethnographic experience of education. Throughout this research, there is consideration of my current context as I explore my autoethnographic experiences as a teacher, mapping my thoughts against UK education narratives to trace students’ likely educational and experiential trajectories. The research reveals the power of the promise of education and, despite my attempt to depict the claim’s emptiness, there is a sense of irony that sees me unable to completely renounce this promise, as the very nature of it is what led to the completion of this thesis that you currently hold in your hands.