Basil Bernstein

Pedagogy, Symbolic Control and Identity - Theory, Research and Critique

Part 1 Towards a Revised Theory of Pedagogy Chapter 2 Pedagogic Codes and their Modalities of Practice Chapter 3 The Pedagogic Device Chapter 4 Pedagogizing Knowledge: Studies in Recontextualizing Chapter 5 Official Knowledge and Pedagogic Identities: The Politics of Recontextualizing Chapter 6 The Divorce of Knowledge from the Knower Part 7 Theory and Research Chapter 8 Codes and Research Chapter 9 Research and Language of Description Part 10 Critique and Response Chapter 11 Sociolinguistics: A Personal View Chapter 12 Vertical and Horizontal Discourses: An Essay Chapter 13 Codes and their Positioning: A Case Study in Misrecognition Chapter 14 Bernstein Interviewed

Social Class, Linguistic Codes and Grammatical Elements

In a previous paper (Bernstein, 1962) two general types of linguistic code, elaborated and restricted, were proposed. These codes were regarded as functions of different forms of social relationships. The codes were thought to entail qualitatively different verbal planning orientations which control different modes of self-regulation and levels of cognitive behaviour. Social class differences in the use of these codes were expected. Speech samples were obtained and the hesitation phenomena analysed, from a discussion situation involving small groups of middle and working class subjects with varying I.Q. profiles. It was found that the middle-class groups used a shorter phrase length and a longer pause interval than the working-class group. These differences in the hesitation phenomena were sharper when working-class and middle-class groups, matched for intelligence on a group verbal and non-verbal test, were compared. It was considered that the members of the two class groups were oriented to qualitatively different levels of verbal planning which control lexicon and structural selections. The working-class groups were thought to be making selections from a lower level of the linguistic hierarchy; whilst the middle-class subjects irrespective of verbal I.Q. were oriented to making selections from a higher level of the hierarchy. This paper will report the analysis of the speech.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE, LANGUAGE AND LEARNING

(1961). SOCIAL STRUCTURE, LANGUAGE AND LEARNING. Educational Research: Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 163-176.

Codes, modalities, and the process of cultural reproduction: A model

“Class relations” will be taken to refer to inequalities in the distribution of power and in principles of control between social groups, which are realized in the creation, distribution, reproduction, and legitimation of physical and symbolic values that have their source in the social division of labor. In terms of the particular problems of the relationships between class and the process of its cultural reproduction, as developed in this thesis, what has to be shown is how class regulation of the distribution of power and of principles of control generates, distributes, reproduces, and legitimates dominating and dominated principles regulating the relationships within and between social groups and so forms of consciousness. What we are asking here is how the distribution of power and principles of control are transformed, at the level of the subject, into different, invidiously related, organizing principles, in such a way as both to position subjects and to create the possibility of change in such positioning. The broad answer given by this thesis is that class relations generate, distribute, reproduce, and legitimate distinctive forms of communication, which transmit dominating and dominated codes, and that subjects are differentially positioned by these codes in the process of their acquisition. “Positioning” is used here to refer to the establishing of a specific relation to other subjects and to the creating of specific relationships within subjects. In general , from this point of view, codes are culturally determined positioning devices. More specifically, class regulated codes position subjects with respect to dominating and dominated form of communication and to the relationships between them. Ideology is constituted through and in such positioning. From this perspective, ideology inheres in and regulates modes of relation . Ideology is not so much a content as a mode of relation for the realizing of contents .

Linguistic Codes, Hesitation Phenomena and Intelligence

Two linguistic codes have been proposed, elaborated and restricted. These codes are regarded as functions of different social structures. The codes are considered to entail qualitatively different verbal planning orientations which control different modes of self-regulation and levels of cognitive behaviour. Social class differences in the use of the codes were postulated and the hesitation phenomena associated with them predicted. Speech samples were obtained and the hesitation phenomena analysed from a discussion situation involving small groups of middle-class and working-class subjects with varying I.Q. profiles.

'Pedagogy, Identity and the Construction of a Theory of Symbolic Control': Basil Bernstein questioned by Joseph Solomon

In this interview, Basil Bernstein replies to Joseph Solomons questions concerning the concept of pedagogy, its role in his theory of symbolic control and cultural production, reproduction and change, and its capacities to deal with different modes of construction and regulation both inside and outside the context of formal education. Furthermore, the questions probe Bernsteins key concept of boundary, its relation to code and the production of social identities. The final issues discussed raise questions about Bernsteins methodology, and changes and weaknesses in the theory.

Ritual in education

Ritual in animals generally refers to a rigid pattern of motor acts which function as signals controlling behaviour between animals in specific situations. Ritual in humans generally refers to a relatively rigid pattern of acts specific to a situation which construct a framework of meaning over and beyond the specific situational meanings. Here, the symbolic function of ritual is to relate the individual through ritualistic acts to a social order, to heighten respect for that order, to revivify that order within the individual and, in particular, to deepen acceptance of the procedures used to maintain continuity, order and boundary and which control ambivalence towards the social order. Ritual will be considered as an expression in action as distinct from thought of man’s active attitudes towards these non-empirical aspects of their reality, which are expressive of ultimate values. First, we shall examine these notions as they relate to a school as a social form and, secondly, we shall examine the effect of changes in the function of the school on ritualizing processes.

Code Theory and its Positioning: a case study in misrecognition

This paper is a response to Harker & May 1987 which rejects as inaccurate and misleading their ‘exposition’ of the theory, the analysis of the place of rules in the theory, the analysis of what is taken to be its structuralist base, and shows how forms of the practical sense may be realised in, and described by, the theory.

CLASES SOCIALES, LENGUAJE Y SOCIALIZACION

Puede ser util explicitar los fundamentos teoricos de la tesis que he desarrollado durante estos diez ultimos anos. A pesar de que el objeto inicial de mis investigaciones lo haya constituido el problema de las diferencias en el aprendizaje escolar, la cuestion mas general que lo ha inspirado ha sido la de las relaciones entre “los ordenes simbolicos y la estructura social”. De esta manera, la reflexion sobre el problema teorico de la estructura profunda de la transmision cultural y de sus cambios ha inspirado la aproximacion, al inicialmente estrecho, pero importante, problema empirico.

HACIA UNA TEORIA DEL DISCURSO PEDAGOGICO

SOBRE EL DISCURSOEn esta seccion consideraremos un conjunto de presupuestos provisionales sobre el discurso, los cuales usaremos como el fundamento subyacente para nuestras consideraciones presentadas en los siguientes capitulos con respecto a aquellos discursos legitimados que definen las condiciones de ejercicio de las practicas de reproduccion (a traves de la transmision, adquisicion) dentro del sistema educativo.