It is changed beyond all recognition

Exploring the evolving habitus of assistants in special schools

Bibliographic Data

ID21723154
AuthorsUna O'Connor (0000-0002-9430-347X, University of Ulster, corresponding author), Felicity Hasson (0000-0002-8200-9732, University of Ulster), Christine McKeever (University of Ulster), Jayne Finlay (0000-0002-4679-0365, University of Ulster)
Year2021
Volume21
Issue2
Pages146-155
Publication date2021-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Research in Special Educational Needs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1471-3802 • E-ISSN: 1471-3802
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1471-3802.12506
OpenAlexW3112063200
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited35

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

Cultural capital · Focus group · Habitus · Hierarchy · Pedagogy · Political science · Public relations · Social capital · Social science · Sociology · Workforce · Collaborative Teaching and Inclusion · Parental Involvement in Education · Psychology · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

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