Keddie’s research on the school curriculum shows how dominant groups have the power to define what counts as high status knowledge. She calls this the ‘stratification of knowledge’.

High status knowledge tends to be theoretical rather than practical knowledge and based on competition and individual achievement rather than cooperative group activities.

Working in pairs, identify which activities in the table are high or low status and add two more example of your own.

Explain why some are higher status than others,
comparing your answers with the rest of the class.

The History of Art
Painting and drawing
Essay on Shakespeare
Group project on rap music
Motor vehicle maintenance
Physics
Childcare
Developmental psychology