Schooling and cultural values in Africa: building cultural capital?

This peer-reviewed conference paper reports on a major Norwegian-funded research project ‘Schooling and Cultural Values in Africa’ (2001-2004 £180K) (RA5) led by Professor Stephens. The research investigated relationships between traditional and modern values and schooling in urban and rural communities in Western and Eastern Cape in South Africa. An original feature of the research is the employment of culture as a frame of reference and specifically the application of Bourdieu’s concept of ‘cultural capital’ in a global South context. Research findings pose a number of important issues to be addressed by South African policy makers, notably around questions of language of instruction, curriculum content, and the extent to which South Africa can develop a quality education system for the most disadvantaged areas. The research has contributed significantly to Development discourses generally and specifically concerning the transfer of educational models from North to South.