Talking your way to the top a sociological examination of the role of elite education in the reproduction of privilege in Irish society

Despite generally being neglected in sociological research, the study of elite schooling provides valuable insights into how educational exclusion operates. The term ‘elite school’ in this paper refers to a small set of Ireland’s most exclusive fee-paying secondary schools. The predominance of the privately educated in key leadership positions highlights the extent to which these exclusive schools act as conduits of privilege, where they not alone determine a student’s academic learning, but also (and perhaps more importantly) “shape students lifestyles and life chances” (Persell & Cookson 1986, p.16). Elite schools provide their students with the necessary skills to enable them to convert valued cultural capital into social resources, and to use these resources to gain wealth, reputation, and power. Consequently, while the time spent in education is generally considered the best single predictor of occupational status and income, this paper argues that where one is educated is possibly of greater significance