How do Britain’s private schools reproduce privilege?

It is no secret that the alumni of Britain’s elite schools remain disproportionately represented in positions of power and influence. But what is it about these institutions that gives their students such a lasting advantage? This event marks the launch of An Elite Education: How Privilege is Produced in a Private School by Emma Taylor.

Drawing on an in-depth ethnography of one of Britain’s most prestigious private schools, Taylor explores how these institutions cultivate the dispositions that propel students into elite universities and professions. Central to the book is the concept of audacity, a carefully nurtured sense of privilege that is often mistaken for merit. Beneath the formal façade of architecture, traditions and rituals lies a complex web of everyday interactions through which students learn to assert themselves without fear of consequence. Bringing together a panel of key scholars and activists in the field, this event will examine how such taken-for-granted dispositions continue to shape access to opportunity and the reproduction of privilege in Britain.