Lecture notes (and some tutorial notes) from course Education & Work at UvA in September and October 2023. I GOT 8.5 FROM THE EXAM. Perfect to help you prepare for the exam. I recommend checking my reading summaries as well. Then you gonna slay for sure!
Education & Work
Week 1: From origin to education across countries
1, 2, 3: how your social background influence your education attainment
1. Inequality: outcome vs. opportunity
● outcome: difference in potential, effort gives us different results; we observe
that for many kinds of characteristics → some people earn more, get more,
know more
● opportunity: despite the same ability (e.g. to run) we get different
opportunities and support to show them (e.g. different running shoes); does
everyone have the same opportunity to achieve success (e.g. to get specific
training to get better at a skill)?
● Meritocracy:
○ we tend to accept inequality of outcome = different potential as ready
explanation
○ meritocratic ideal: talent + effort = success
○ Some people are doing better than others, but to what extent is that
caused by the opportunity that was given to them?
Inequality of educational opportunity: social background affects educational outcomes
● Your family wealth helps with your access to a university degree
● Inequality in test scores: social background, parental income (advantaged &
privileged vs disadvantaged & unprivileged) - e.g. research shows that your chances
of doing well on math test are higher if you come from a privileged background
● Children of parents with lower education and income:
○ score lower on tests
○ have lower attainment (e.g. completion of tertiary degree)
, 2. Primary vs. secondary effects of social background on education
● PRIMARY: achievement (test scores, grades)
○ differences in preschool cognitive development: (e.g. how many words
parents use with their children → children know more words and can express
themselves better)
○ inequality in (cognitive) skills due to different home environment
○ explanations: different ‘habits’: reading books, extra-curricular activities;
motivation, role modelling; tutoring, ‘shadow education’, the resources of
the parents
● SECONDARY
○ choice given achievement (track placement, continuation in education)
○ differential educational decision-making
Expectations & frame of reference:
Relative Risk Aversion
● Rational action approach to educational decision making: students/parents take
decisions to optimize outcomes relative to parents’ position
● Universal goal: avoiding downward mobility, achieving at least equal status to
parents
○ Less investment by lower educated parents
○ More investment by higher educated parents (maintaining social position
requires more education and more time to achieve university degree)
○ Going higher than your parents comes with the price and additional risks:
drop out and alienation
Primary vs. secondary effect: which one is stronger?
Erikson et al. (2005): primary effects ~3x stronger than secondary (England/Wales)
● But ratio might depend on educational system: choice-based or achievement based,
age of selection
Why is it important to disentangle?
● Different mechanisms: improve achievement of students with lower social
background OR intervene in choices?
, ● Institutional context:
● Countries differ in how:
○ Education is organized – children & schools
○ Parental leave policies – children & parents
● The context in which individuals find themselves, impacts the choices they can
make
○ e.g. how many tracks are there in upper secondary education
● Tasks of education:
● Providing skills & preparing for the labour market
○ Cognitive skill development
● Raising active citizens
○ Social-emotional development
Children enter schools with different levels of development, depending on their social
background
● Countries differ in:
● Starting age of compulsory schooling
● Length of school day & year
● Content of curriculum & standardization
● Organisational structure: who decides on curriculum & exit qualifications
● Age of selection
● Number and types of tracks
● Mobility between tracks
Educational system: consequences for social inequality
Schools create a field for the construction and legitimation of social inequality
Standardization → tends to reduce inequality
● Curriculum
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller juliaradzieta. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.37. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
