The Roots of Aspiration
On the outsized influence of social relationships on boys' values, sense of identity and vision for their future.
‘If you hang around with two drinkers, you'll become the third. If you hang around with two smokers, you'll become the third. If you hang around two people who want to do well in life, you'll become the third.’
This is the wisdom that Jay shares at the start of our fourth and final episode of Boys v School.
It introduces another vital piece of the puzzle that we’ve been trying to put together – of why working class boys are falling behind in school and what we can do about it.
In The Roots of Aspiration we look at how boys’ closest social relationships shape their values, identity and vision for the future.
Along the way, we hear the experiences and perspective of David Magill, a youth worker and mentor at Dreamscheme Northern Ireland. David grew up in Belvoir estate, but was one of the boys who engaged in education right the way through from school. He now supports boys every week and adds a lot of value to our investigation.
You can listen to episode 4 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts:
I hope Boys v School adds a unique Northern Irish perspective to the wider conversation about working class boys and education. If you have found the series helpful, please do share it onwards!
In my next post, I’ll share a full reflection on the series, including what I’ve learned, what themes still need to be developed, and other insights from my research interviews that didn’t make the final cut of the documentary.
Until then – thanks for listening, and to all the new subscribers, welcome!
Stephen