Zafar, so good. Middle class students, school habitus and secondary schooling in the city of Buenos Aires

MEO, ANALIA

University of York, York, Reino Unido

Otro; Seminar Series of the Centre for Research on Education and Social Justice, University of York, Reino Unido; 2009

Centre for Research on Education and Social Justice (University of York)

This presentation examines how middle class students from the ?loser? sections of the middle class dealt with the game of secondary schooling in a good state school in the City of Buenos Aires (Argentina). It critically engages with Bourdieu?s theory of social practice and, in particular with its concepts of game, habitus and cultural capital. It argues that middle class students embody a school habitus, which I call zafar. Zafar (a Spanish slang word) refers to students´ dispositions, practices and strategies towards social and educational demands of teachers and their school. Zafar propels middle class students to be just ?good enough? students, and promote an instrumental approach to schooling and learning. Although this presentation offers an account within which the reproduction of relative educational advantage of a group of middle class students takes place, it also poses questions about their future educational and occupational opportunities.