Illuminating systemic inequality in education: Using Bourdieu in critical qualitative data analysis

Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social reproduction is appropriate for understanding persistent inequality in the American education system. It provides a deeper consideration of the larger social inequalities and potential for reproduction of these inequalities that may influence outcomes, actions, and experiences. This chapter describes the theoretical concepts in Bourdieu’s social reproduction theory and outlines a technique that includes the ways one might apply that theory in qualitative data analysis. I do this as a way to better connect the data to larger social issues—in this case, to show inequality between schools.