1 Class Differences In Achievement

Question 1

Cultural factors?

Answer 1

Language
Parents education
Subcultures

Question 2

Language

Answer 2

Working class -> restricted code (limited and simple)

Middle class -> Elaborated code (Wider vocabulary and complex sentences)

Elaborated code -> Used in education, teachers, exams, textbooks

Question 3

Parents Education

Answer 3

Feinstein -> Most important factor

Parenting style: Educated -> Discipline, high expectations and active learning

Behaviours -> Educated -> More aware of child’s progress

Question 4

Parents Education 2 (Not style or behaviour)

Answer 4

Language -> Communication affects cognitive development

Income -> Educated -> Promote children’s development

Question 5

Working class subculture

Answer 5

Immediate gratification -> Wanting rewards rather than make the sacrifice

Fatalism-> ‘Whatever will be, will be’

Low value on education-> Hyman argues that the working class don't value education
Douglas argues that working class parents show less interest

Question 6

Criticism of Cultural Deprevation Theory

Answer 6

Ignores importance of material factors of poverty

Ignores impact of school factors

Blames victim for their failure

Question 7

Material Deprivation

Answer 7

Poor Housing -> Overcrowding means pupils have nowhere to do homework

Poor diet -> Lead to illness -> Absence from school and lack of concentration

Low income -> Problems are caused by low income

Question 8

Cultural Capital Theory

Answer 8

Marxists (Bourdieu) -> Middle pupils are more successful due to parents having more capital

Economic capital: Wealth MC own

Cultural capital: Attitudes, values, knowledge of MC

Educational capital: MC use capitals as an advantage to obtain the educational capital

Question 9

Labelling

Answer 9

Labels are meaning to attach to someone to make sense of them.

Becker -> Middle class -> Bright, motivated, cooperative, ideal pupil

Underlies many of processes within schools causing underachievement

Question 10

Self fulfilling prophecy

Answer 10

Prediction made about someone that comes true because it has been made

‘What teachers believe, pupils achieve’

Question 11

Streaming

Answer 11

Extreme and institutionalised form of labelling

IQ of pupils labelled as less abled and placed actual fell over time

Lower streams maybe denied access into the same curriculum

Question 12

Pupil Subcultures

Answer 12

Pro-school subcultures -> formed by pupils in higher streams

Anti-school subcultures -> Reject school values and invert them (opposite of pro school culture)

Status and subcultures -> Lacey argues pupils join because school deprives them of status by labelling them as failures

Question 13

Habitus

Answer 13

Archer -> Habitus to understand relationship between WC and underachievement

Habitus -> Social class way of thinking, being and acting

Question 14

Identities and achievement

Answer 14

Symbolic capital and violence -> Commits symbolic violence by devaluing WC’s habitus

Nike identities-> Violence leads pupils to creat alternative class identities and gain symbolic capital through branded goods

Losing yourself -> Succeeding at school means being inauthentic and changing yourself to fit in

Question 15

Ingram

Answer 15

‘Fitting in’ -> problem for WC boys

Faced being judged worthless at school for wearing street clothes or worthless for not doing so

Question 16

Evans (2009)

Answer 16

Self exclusion from success

Successful girls face hidden barriers

Strong attachment to their families and intend to remain at home at study