Dewey and Bourdieu: Experience, Habit, and a New Direction for Education Reform

Abstract

This paper examines John Dewey’s theory of experience and interaction along with Pierre Bourdieu’s educational theory about social stratification, and argues that combined, these theories should be reconsidered to forge a new path in the wake of negative educative experiences rendered by the impact of the modern educational reform movement, which is driven by neo-liberal aims that focus on practical skills, standardized testing, and school choice. Through the transmission of cultural capital to students and taking into consideration the impact of social stratification, the school can be used as a place where students can seek their purpose in life through positive experiences and interactions that provide the conditions necessary to attain the goals and hopes that they deserve.