International education and the pursuit of ‘western’ capitals: middle-class Nigerian fathers’ strategies of class reproduction

Ayling, Pere (2021) International education and the pursuit of ‘western’ capitals: middle-class Nigerian fathers’ strategies of class reproduction. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 42 (4). pp. 460-474. ISSN 0142-5692

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Abstract

Studies have shown the ways in which non-Western middle- and
upper-class families are seeking to educate their children in the West.
The rationale for this kind of social reproduction strategy is the acquisition of ‘valuable’ cultural and symbolic capitals which can be advantageous in the graduate job market of both their home country and internationally. Presenting a case study of four middle-class Nigerian fathers, the paper reveals the rationale behind these fathers’ decision to opt out of the Nigerian HE sectors. The paper focuses on three Western capitals – specifically institutional (a Canadian degree), embodied (high proficiency in English language) and symbolic (Canadian citizenship) – capitals which will position these parents’ children advantageously in the future. The paper concludes by presenting an argument that in seeking these Western capitals for their children, these parents become implicated in the Western hegemonic discourse of ‘West is best’.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: middle-class Nigerian fathers, social reproduction strategy, international education, class advantage, cultural and symbolic capital
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
L Education > L Education (General)
Divisions: Faculty of Arts, Business & Applied Social Science > Department of Arts & Humanities
Depositing User: Pere Ayling
Date Deposited: 08 Jul 2022 08:06
Last Modified: 08 Jul 2022 08:07
URI: https://oars.uos.ac.uk/id/eprint/2585

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