Bildungsexpansion, soziale Klasse und die Wahl von Latein als Strategie der Distinktion

In times of educational expansion, privileged families are looking for new strategies of distinction. Referring to Pierre Bourdieu���s theory of distinction, we argue that choosing Latin at school ��� a language that is no longer spoken and therefore has no direct value ��� is one of the strategies of privileged families to set themselves apart from less privileged families. Based on two surveys we conducted at German schools, the paper analyzes the relationship between parents��� educational background and the probability that their child will learn Latin. Results indicate that historically academic families have the strongest tendency towards learning Latin, followed by new academic famil…