Does Social Class Matter

Yes, social class does matter but does it have to? Are we not now in a position in society to adopt a better notion of equity and inclusion? Do we not all want the same in life? What can be done to change things?
Government
Meritocracy is based purely on achievement. It was a government’s way to level social classes, as students of wavering backgrounds have the potential to succeed by performing well in school and demonstrating their capabilities through good performance. This often happens in the private sector with the use of entrance tests. However issues occur when these schools are often only accessible to the higher social status and result in the inequality of opportunity (Lim, 1998). So is this really a way to maximise inclusion?
Many
The government uses the use of free school meals as a means of assessing social class without considering other indicators of disadvantage such as the proportion of parents with a lack of educational qualifications (Joseph Rountee Foundation 2007). Whilst many believe that at the heart of social class lies economic resources, it is also the cultural and social relations that help create and reproduce inequality (Kirk, 1993). Growing up I would have considered my family middle class with a six-bedroom house with a gym yet a dramatic divorce left us with nothing. Permitted free school meals if we chose but now we’re a completely different class? Are we talking about class or are we just focusing on economic
“The good parent must be equipped and willing to intact responsibilities for their child through their engagement with the market” (Penney, 2008). It’s important as teachers we educate parents about the benefits of PE and Sport and that as much as class may be an issue today, it doesn’t have to be.
Conclusion
Social class has the potential to be detrimental in sport if we allow it to. Not everyone in states schools are rubbish at sport and not everyone in the private schools are great at sport. We need to stop stereotyping and treat children as individuals. The more we try to group people, the more people will get left out and the less inclusive we’ll become. Much research has been conducted around this area, some more recent than others. In order to continue to try and make a difference its important more recent research is conducted.
The purpose of this essay was to identify and critique the main claims of the literature surrounding social class and Physical Education and Sport. Looking specifically at how the differences in participation therefore linked to performance as well as the difference in sport habitus between the two classes in terms of equity and