Class Choreographies

"This book is truly a virtuoso performance by Kenway and colleagues. I loved it. Empirically rich, methodologically imaginative and beautifully crafted, Class Choreographies, Elite Schools and Globalisation delivers genuinely original insights into the ongoing work of making and performing class through elite schools as they navigate global processes. Without doubt this book will be a marker for all future work in this area." (Susan L. Robertson, Professor, Sociology of Education, University of Cambridge, UK) "Class Choreographies, Elite Schools and Globalization is a truly brilliant volume. Focusing on how global processes have continued to shape historically elite schools in Australia, Barbados, England, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, and South Africa, the authors dig deeply into as yet uncharted territory while setting the stage for future longitudinal work. The volume represents a critically important contribution to research on social class construction amidst new global circumstances. It is a must-read for all who are interested in new forms of globally-situated class, race/ethnic and gender intersectionality." (Lois Weis, State University of New York Distinguished Professor, University at Buffalo, USA) "When is an investigation into a minority an enquiry into the state of the world? When the minority are an influential elite, when the world is one of global flows, when the investigators are sensitive and skilled observers. Scholarly books are not usually page-turners, but this is exceptional. A completely absorbing account of cultural finesse at a key moment of social reproduction: formal education." (Marilyn Strathern, Social Anthropology, Cambridge University, UK)

Awarded Best Book prize by CIES Globalization and Education SIG
Awarded 2nd Prize in the Society of Educational Studies Annual Book Prize

Elite schools have always been social choreographers par excellence.Awarded Best Book prize by CIES Globalization and Education SIG
Awarded 2nd Prize in the Society of Educational Studies Annual Book Prize

Elite schools have always been social choreographers par excellence. The world over, they put together highly dexterous performances as they stage and restage changing relations of ruling. They are adept at aligning their social choreographies to shifting historical conditions and cultural tastes. In multiple theatres, they now regularly rehearse the irregular art of being global. Elite schools around the world are positioned at the intersecting pinnacles of various scales, systems and regimes of social, cultural, political and economic power. They have much in common but are also diverse. They illustrate how various modalities of power are enjoyed and put to work and how educational and social inequalities are shaped and shifted. They, thus, speak to the social zeitgeist. Thisbook dissects this intricate choreography.