Educational paradox

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The expression educational paradox (on) or qualification paradox (on) denotes the phenomenon that by increasing the level of education in a society, an increase in career opportunities that is aimed at, among other things, is not achieved, but traditionally existing privileges of better-off groups are retained and even strengthened.

Educational expansion

In this context, the term educational expansion describes the phenomenon that more children enjoy a longer education and are able to achieve higher educational qualifications than their parents were able to. This so-called educational expansion is observed in many countries. What is controversial is what causes and consequences it has. Among other things, the question arises as to how it relates to another effect, namely an increasing unequal distribution of career opportunities.

In 1994 Lothar Böhnisch defined the educational paradox as follows:

“In the social sciences, however, the fact that is known as the 'educational paradox' has been known for years that, in the crisis of the working society, school-leaving qualifications no longer guarantee appropriate professional opportunities, but that on the other hand, those who have to reckon with unemployment, professional dequalification and social decline who only have low educational qualifications. "

This also applies to certain university degrees (see over-academization ).

Country comparisons

Germany

Ulrich Beck pointed out in 1986 in his book Risk Society that the trend towards higher educational qualifications in post-war Germany did not lead to an increase in career opportunities for all social groups, but that the probability of access to higher status positions has deteriorated considerably.

France

It was observed here that the educational reform in France had improved the access of disadvantaged population groups to higher educational qualifications and that more people from these population groups achieved higher degrees, but that their career opportunities did not improve.

Explanatory theses

The sociologist Pierre Bourdieu explains the effect with the fact that the economically and culturally ruling classes have an interest in making access to success more difficult. For him, components of a so-called “inherited cultural capital ” such as taste , habit , style , etc. are more important.

The sociologist Ulrich Beck justifies the occurrence of an educational paradox with the fact that, due to the educational expansion, the educational system loses its status-distributing function. According to Beck, other criteria take on the function of distributing status: examples are personal appearance, relationships and networks , eloquence and loyalty . These criteria are also not evenly distributed and thus lead to the effect of the educational paradox.

The educationalist Rudolf Tippelt points out that "the cultural origin, the size of the parental household, the socio-economic conditions, the social network in family and acquaintances and the neighborhood, the living environment as well as gender-specific factors" influence the motivation for education and the educational requirements. In particular , social and family conditions have a major influence on informal education outside the school institution.

In addition, it has been assumed that the educational paradox only occurs if baby boomers are considered.

Education and qualifications as necessary conditions

In the discussion it was repeatedly pointed out that the educational paradox does not make educational qualifications superfluous. Their acquisition is no longer sufficient to achieve certain positions, but their “possession” becomes necessary for the holding of the respective position itself.

Educational paradox and equal opportunities

As a consequence of the educational paradox, it has been pointed out that equal opportunities (in the sense of equally distributed opportunities to achieve a certain educational qualification) do not automatically lead to equality (in the sense of equal professional success).

From his analyzes in this regard, Helmut Heid draws the conclusion that equal opportunities are a prerequisite for the creation of inequality and its legitimation. The idealistic demand for equal opportunities in connection with more higher educational qualifications is based on an ideal of equality that assimilates and ignores the necessity of inequality as a presupposed result of this very competition. He argues that as long as there are no more jobs, the higher the level of education, the lower the chances of getting a job that corresponds to the level of education.

See also

literature

  • Pierre Bourdieu: The hidden mechanisms of power. VSA, Hamburg 1997, ISBN 3-87975-605-8 .
  • Pierre Bourdieu, Jean Claude Passeron: The Illusion of Equal Opportunities. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1971.
  • Pierre Bourdieu: Homo academicus . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1992, ISBN 3-518-28602-1 .
  • Ulrich Beck: Risk Society. Towards a New Modernity. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt a. M. 1986.
  • Mechtild Gomolla, Frank-Olaf Radtke: Institutional Discrimination. The creation of ethnic difference in school. Leske + Budrich, Opladen 2002, ISBN 3-8100-1987-9 .
  • Andreas Hadjar, Rolf Becker (ed.): The educational expansion. Expected and unexpected consequences. Publishing house for social sciences, Wiesbaden 2006.
  • Helmut Heid: On the paradox of the educational policy demand for equal opportunities. In: Journal for Pedagogy . 1988, pp. 1-17.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ an overview of the discussion is provided e.g. B .: Andreas Hadjar / Rolf Becker (eds.): The educational expansion. Expected and unexpected consequences. Publishing house for social sciences, Wiesbaden 2006.
  2. ↑ Lothar Böhnisch: Split normality. Coping with life and social education at the limits of the welfare society. Weinheim / Munich: Juventa 1994, p. 79.
  3. ^ A b Ulrich Beck: Risk Society. Towards a New Modernity. Frankfurt a. M .: Suhrkamp 1986, p. 243
  4. ^ A b Serhat Karakayali: Paranoic Integrationism . In: Sabine Hess / Jana Binder / Johannes Moser: No integration?!: Cultural studies contributions to the integration debate in Europe . Bielefeld: transcript Verlag 2009, p. 98
  5. ^ Ulrich Beck: Risk Society. On the way to a different modern age . Frankfurt a. M .: Suhrkamp 1986, 139
  6. ^ Rudolf Tippelt: Education as a Social Concern . In: Werner Lindner / Werner Thole / Jochen Weber (eds.): Child and youth work as an educational project . Opladen: Leske & Budrich 2003, 39
  7. ^ Rudolf Tippelt: Education as a Social Concern . In: Werner Lindner / Werner Thole / Jochen Weber (eds.): Child and youth work as an educational project. Opladen: Leske & Budrich 2003, 40
  8. ↑ Frank Benseler / Wilhelm Heitmeyer / Dietrich Hoffmann (eds.) Risk youth: life, work and political culture . Votum 1988, 109
  9. ^ Ulrich Beck: Risk Society. On the way to a different modern age . Frankfurt a. M .: Suhrkamp 1986, p. 244 f.
  10. ^ Rudolf Tippelt: Education as a Social Concern. In: Werner Lindner, Werner Thole, Jochen Weber (eds.): Child and youth work as an educational project. Opladen: Leske & Budrich 2003, p. 39.
  11. ^ Serhat Karakayali: Paranoic Integrationism. In: Sabine Hess / Jana Binder / Johannes Moser: No integration?!: Cultural studies contributions to the integration debate in Europe. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag 2009, 99.
  12. ↑ Martin Greive: PISA or where is equal opportunity at home? Norderstedt: Grin 2008, 7.