Distinction in Doctoral Education: Using Bourdieu's Tools to Assess the Socialization of Doctoral Students

Abstract

This conceptual article uses the tools of Pierre Bourdieu (1977, 1986, 1990) to examine the socialization of doctoral students by suggesting that the processes of doctoral study highlight inequities among students. Using Young's (1990) social justice approach as a framework to complement the ideas of Bourdieu, I demonstrate how aspects of academic work, which tend to socialize doctoral students, also operate as mechanisms to create or maintain inequities within doctoral education. I conclude by suggesting specific strategies that contribute to a more diversified conception of socialization and achievement in doctoral education.

Bryan Gopaul is a Ph.D. candidate in the Higher Education program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto (OISE/UT). His research interests include doctoral education, critical pedagogy, social justice, and the public good of higher education.