A Comparative Study of Elite-English-Medium Schools, Public Schools, and Islamic Madaris in Contemporary Pakistan: The Use of Pierre Bourdieu's Theory to Understand 'Inequalities in Educational and Occupational Opportunities'

This thesis has attempted to understand the role of mainstream schools: elite English-medium schools, public schools and Islamic madaris in reproducing various social classes in Pakistan. Bourdieu's theory of social reproduction serves as a major conceptual framework in this study, and it has been complemented by Anyon's thesis about social class and school knowledge.;My study suggests that an unequal availability of capital resources, agents' class-habitus, and the type of their "cultural currency" act as selection mechanisms that clearly favour some social groups over others. This consolidates existing social-class hierarchy. The ruling classes ensure the transfer of their power and privilege to their children by providing them quality education in elite schools. The disadvantaged classes have no other option than to educate their children either in public schools or Islamic madaris. The new non-elite private schools have blatantly made education a commodity. This has contributed towards educational apartheid in the country. My study underscores that the working-class parents possess cultural capital which they transmit through building efficient learning environments in family settings. Yet, their class-habitus plays a causal role in keeping aspirations low.;The three types of schools constitute distinct fields of education and provide a fairly different schooling experience to their students. For instance, these schools have different standards of material/human resources that are likely to instill a hierarchical view of the world among students. Likewise, differing curricular, pedagogical, and student evaluation practices emphasize different cognitive and behavioural skills. These differences can become central features for the reproduction of the division of labour at work and in society between those who plan and manage and those in the work force whose jobs primarily entail carrying out policies made by others. Public school knowledge has some exchange value in the marketplace, but it legitimates the ideology of production for consumption. I recommend that an integrated and equitable system of "national education" is vital for nation building. For future research, I suggest both considering different components of cultural capital other than exposure to high culture and exploring a wide range of dispositions to better understand how they influence one's actions.