STUDENT VALUES AND PRESTIGE STRUCTURE WITHIN TWO SECONDARY SCHOOL SYSTEMS

Abstract

Two factors are hypothesized to underlie the prestige of students within secondary school systems: family background, and personal qualities of the student. In a survey of two school systems, this hypothesis was not supported. An additional hypothesis suggested that the content of student values should become more like those of the adult world as the students progress through high school; this was partially supported. The prestige values cited by student respondents are similar to those found in earlier studies by Coleman and Hollingshead. However, a new complex of anti-establishment values is also revealed in student responses.