Papers by Marios Vryonides
Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2014
International Journal of Educational Research, 2012
Parents' aspirations about their children's future prospects are of great importance as these pro... more Parents' aspirations about their children's future prospects are of great importance as these prospects can potentially influence directly and, perhaps more importantly, indirectly the way parents get involved with their children's schooling at various levels and at several instances. A distinction that is crucial, in analytical as well as in practical terms, needs to be made from the start; that between 'aspirations' and 'expectations'. Gottfredson (1996, 2002) distinguishes between 'realistic aspirations' or 'expectations' on the one hand, and 'ideal aspirations' on the other, with the former denoting a clear knowledge of the opportunities and barriers concerning the possibility of realisation of a desired outcome (in educational or occupational terms), whereas the latter refers to wishful desires. At a more empirical level, Janssen (1982) studied parental aspirations and expectations, regarding their offspring's educational and occupational trajectories, and distinguished between 'aspirations', which reflect the desired level of educational qualifications or professional development, and 'expectations', which denotes the highest possible level that a student/adolescent/young adult is expected to reach, given the interplay of a number of factors, such as abilities, motivation, opportunities and financial resources available at his or her disposal. In this paper, we adopt Gottfredson's operationalisation of the term 'aspirations', by referring to the 'realistic aspirations' or 'expectations' as our main analytical variable. One can safely assume that high aspirations can produce active involvement and engagement with
This paper examines the socio-historic roots of social capital in Cyprus. Social capital is seen ... more This paper examines the socio-historic roots of social capital in Cyprus. Social capital is seen as a major resource that can explain the unequal pattern of choices regarding post secondary school destinations. The application of social capital to accomplish social goals ('mesa' in Greek) is an 'institution' that has historically developed in Cyprus since the Ottoman era. This development has cultivated an 'ethos' of legitimacy in practices involving the utilisation of social connections and networks to achieve social aims among contemporary Cypriots. The above takes place within the context of a 'modernising' society where traditional and modern perspectives of how social relations are perceived co-exist and often are sources of social tension. The data presented are drawn from an empirical investigation, which used a mixed method approach combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies in a complimentary manner. The findings of the empirical study indicate that social capital appears to act as a hidden mechanism of social selection in modern Cyprus allowing some students, to make far reaching and daring decisions, whereas at the same time 'forcing' others, to make 'pragmatic' choices, which often mean making compromises in their ambitions to achieve social success.
XVIII ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 13-19, 2014), Jul 17, 2014
ABSTRACT The current economic crisis in many Southern European countries has inevitably affected ... more ABSTRACT The current economic crisis in many Southern European countries has inevitably affected the number of students (male and female) progressing to higher education. The way young individuals and their families make their choices for the future is connected to the new social realities that this crisis has created. New inequalities are expected to take shape; such inequalities for example seem to arise from the unequal horizons for choice making. Middle class students and their families engage in choice-making in higher education with broader options while lower classes have restricted horizons often stemming from mechanisms of self-selection and self-exclusion. These eventually produce stratification in the educational system due to factors that are not always educationally related or connected to individual characteristics. The decision making process needs to be located in macro sociological factors that relate to the structure of available opportunities on offer.
Doctoral thesis, Institute of Education, University of London., 2003
This study investigates the choices that students coming from different social backgrounds and fr... more This study investigates the choices that students coming from different social backgrounds and from the full range of secondary schools in Cyprus make regarding their post school destinations. It is based on a theory, which regards the family as a central agency in the reproduction of inequalities. This study argues that apart from making the most of their financial capital, Cypriot families utillse intentionally or in an unintended manner the non-monetary capitals they may have available such as their cultural capital and more importantly their social capital to produce social 'profits' for the education of their offspring. Social capital is seen as a major factor that can explain the unequal pattern of educational choices made by the growing ranks of students coming from-different social origins regarding their post school destinations. Different families adopt various strategies to cope with the lack of that resource and it appears that some families have more options to consider than others. The differential ability to cope with the lack of social capital constitutes a source of social differentiation. The mobilisation of various resources is examined in a social environment whereby for the past three or four decades went through a process of modermsation. This rapid transition has led to the coexistence of traditional and modernist perspectives of how social relations and gender issues are perceived. Adherence to one or another perspective affects the strategies that families employ for their children's educational prospects. This research used a multiple or mixed method approach combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies in a complimentary manner. A stratified sample of 404 students graduating from all kinds of secondary schools and their parents completed questionnaires. A selected sample of 24 parents was interviewed. The findings of the study indicate that choice making varies across social class and is influenced by gender. Of the non-monetary resources investigated social capital appears to act as a hidden mechanism of social selection in modem Cyprus particularly because it allows for the creation of a certain habitus that allows some privileged families and students mostly from middle class backgrounds to make far reaching and daring decisions which offer them the possibility for social success in a competitive and 4close' labour market whereas at the same time it makes others from lower social class backgrounds to make 'pragmatic' choices which often mean making compromises in their ambitions to achieve social success.
1. Introduction Christos Kassimeris and Marios Vryonides 2. Politics and Education Christos Kassi... more 1. Introduction Christos Kassimeris and Marios Vryonides 2. Politics and Education Christos Kassimeris and Marios Vryonides 3 . The Politics of Education: Challenging Racial Discrimination and Disadvantage in Education in the British Context Gill Crozier 4. Combating Ethnic Educational Disadvantage in the Netherlands: An Analysis of Policies and Effects Geert Driessen 5. The Expanded Federal Role in U.S. Public Schools: The Structural Forces of Globalization, Immigration and Demographic Change A. Gary Dworkin and Pamela F. Tobe 6. Building the Nation at School: Spain's Tables Turned Mariano Fernandez Enguita 7. The Politics of Education in Post-War Germany: From Europeanized Nationhood to Multicultural Citizenship? Daniel Faas 8. Multicultural Education in Canada Neil Guppy and Katherine Lyon 9. Educational Politics and Cultural Diversity in Greece Gitsa Kontogiannopoulou-Polydorides 10. An Ecological Approach to Understanding the Development of Racism in Schools: A Case-study of a Belgian Secondary School Peter Stevens 11. Conclusion Christos Kassimeris and Marios Vryonides
Gender and Education, 2007
... Marios Vryonides a * pages 93-107. ... In fact, this is not just a perception but is reflecte... more ... Marios Vryonides a * pages 93-107. ... In fact, this is not just a perception but is reflected in the earnings of British university graduates, which, according to Demetriades (19937. Demetriades, EI 1993. The returns to education and applications for educational investment. ...
British Journal of Sociology of Education, 2005
... Clientelism involves 'a reciprocal relationship between two persons or groups of persons... more ... Clientelism involves 'a reciprocal relationship between two persons or groups of persons of ... Figure 1. Typology of ethics of doing mesa: educational choice-making in Greek-Cypriot society ... 2000) within the extended family, community, trade union, political party, and so on, and ...
Current Sociology, Jul 1, 2010
This special issue of Current Sociology brings together a group of sociologists who examine issue... more This special issue of Current Sociology brings together a group of sociologists who examine issues relating to current trends in education amid influ-ences from so-called neoliberal ideologies in a globalized world. These ideologies have become increasingly influential worldwide ...
XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018), Jul 17, 2018
XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018), Jul 17, 2018
The Second ISA Forum of Sociology (August 1-4, 2012), Aug 3, 2012
XVIII ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 13-19, 2014), Jul 14, 2014
XVIII ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 13-19, 2014), Jul 14, 2014
Palgrave Macmillan eBooks, Jan 24, 2014
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Papers by Marios Vryonides