Widening Participation through Alternative Public Schools: A Canadian Example

Cole Etherington

Sociological Research Online, 2013, vol. 18, issue 2, 59-71

Abstract: In recent years, the development of the global knowledge economy has rendered post-secondary education necessary for employment and earning potential, with manual labour no longer as prevalent or secure as it once was. Yet, access to post-secondary institutions continues to be stratified based on social class. To support working-class students in obtaining a post-secondary education, some countries have opened alternative public schools geared toward this purpose. This article draws on a Canadian case study of a school for working-class students whose parents do not have any post-secondary education to investigate the discourse surrounding these institutions and their goals. Using a content analysis of newspaper articles and policy documents, I find that while alternative schools certainly have the potential to increase educational attainment amongst working-class students, they may pose significant challenges to working-class identities.

Keywords: Alternative Schools; Working Class; Sociology of Education; Widening Participation; Academic Achievement; Post-Secondary; Cultural Capital; Symbolic Violence; Content Analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socres:v:18:y:2013:i:2:p:59-71

DOI: 10.5153/sro.2926

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