Bildungschancen und soziale Ungleichheit. Zur Bedeutung der Statusstruktur der Herkunftsfamilie für den Bildungsstatus der Kinder.

Samenvatting

To examine how social inequality is reproduced among the younger generation & how the family's social background influences the distribution of key material & nonmaterial resources, questionnaire data were obtained from students (N = 201, ages 13-15) in Bielefeld, Germany, in 1986, concerning educational achievment, career goals, & family background. Analysis using the concept of status sets proposed by Robert K. Merton (see SA 7:3/596037) shows that a difference in the career status of a child's parents often has a positive effect on the child's choice of profession as measured by status. Results imply that the educational system reproduces social inequality, although the basic causes for this lie outside the educational system. 2 Tables. Adapted from the source document.