It Is Changed beyond All Recognition: Exploring the Evolving Habitus of Assistants in Special Schools

Autor/inn/en	O'Connor, Una; Hasson, Felicity; McKeever, Christine; Finlay, Jayne
Titel	It Is Changed beyond All Recognition: Exploring the Evolving Habitus of Assistants in Special Schools
Quelle	In: Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 21 (2021) 2, S.146-155 (10 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (O'Connor, Una) ORCID (Hasson, Felicity)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1471-3802
DOI	10.1111/1471-3802.12506
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Special Schools; Teaching Assistants; Supply and Demand; Social Capital; Cultural Capital; United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Special school; Sonderschule; Bedarfsplanung; Sozialkapital
Abstract	The assistant workforce is a constituent presence in all schools. Progressive reconfiguration of the role has resulted in a hybrid position, with assistants customarily navigating power relationships in the hierarchy of the school. This paper employs Bourdieu's theory of social fields, in particular, his system of relations, as a means to consider the intersection of habitus and capital amongst assistants in special schools in Northern Ireland. Using this analytic approach, focus group interviews with Classroom Assistants and Health Assistants explored their current deployment, their interaction with each other and with teachers. Data was collected from 47 participants across 7 special schools, with interviews transcribed and thematically analysed. Findings revealed assistants as a workforce in transition, whose conventional habitus has been steadily disrupted by a supply and demand culture often at variance with the origins of the post. Whilst such divergence has the potential to create a site of struggle, the burgeoning social and cultural capital held by assistants has, instead, re-configured their perceived position within the special school environment, creating more porous professional boundaries and an increasingly fluid professional identity. These explanatory insights offer a fresh perspective for further research into this pivotal yet under-researched group in Northern Ireland. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01