1.1 Education - Social Class Differences In Achievement (External)

Question 1

What is cultural deprivation?

Answer 1

Cultural deprivation is when students lack the ‘cultural equipment’ to do well in school. This basic ‘cultural equipment’ includes things such as language, self-discipline and reasoning skills.

Question 2

By what age are working class children up to one year behind middle class children?

Answer 2

By the age of 3, working class children are up to one year behind middle class children.

Question 3

What is the first main aspect of cultural deprivation?

Answer 3

Language. Language is an essential part of the education process and the way in which parents communicate with children impacts their cognitive (intellectual) development.

Question 4

What are the two speech codes identified by Bernstein (1975)?

Answer 4

The restricted code and the elaborated code. The restricted code is typically used by the working-class, while the elaborated code is typically used by the middle-class.

Question 5

According to cultural deprivation theorists, who fails to socialize their children correctly?

Answer 5

Working class parents fail to socialize their children correctly, according to cultural deprivation theorists.

Question 6

What impact does the difference in speech codes have on school achievement?

Answer 6

The difference in speech codes gives middle-class children an advantage at school and puts the working-class at a disadvantage. The elaborated code is seen as the correct way to speak and write.

Question 7

What is the responsibility of schools according to Bernstein?

Answer 7

Unlike most cultural deprivation theorists, Bernstein does not blame home for not properly socializing children. Instead, he says it should be the school’s responsibility to teach students the elaborated code.

Question 8

What did an early study by DOUGLAS (1964) find about working-class parents?

Answer 8

They placed less value on education, were less ambitious for their own children, gave them less encouragement, took less interest, visited schools less, and were less likely to discuss their child’s progress with teachers.

Example sentence: The study by DOUGLAS (1964) highlighted the differences in parenting attitudes towards education based on social class.

Question 9

How do middle-class parents socialize their children towards education according to FEINSTEIN (2008)?

Answer 9

Middle-class parents tend to be better educated and socialize their children to be more positive toward education through consistent discipline, high expectations, engaging in behaviors such as reading, visiting educational places, fostering relationships with teachers, and using their higher incomes to promote their children’s educational success.

Additional information: Parenting style and educational behaviors play a significant role in shaping children’s attitudes towards education.

Question 10

What do cultural deprivation theorists argue about lack of parental interest in education?

Answer 10

They argue that it reflects the subcultural values of the working-class, SUGARMAN argues the working class have 4 key beliefs that act as barriers to educational success: fatalism, collectivism, immediate gratification, and present-time orientation.

Example sentence: Cultural deprivation theorists highlight the impact of subcultural values on educational outcomes.

Question 11

FATALISM

Answer 11

a belief in fate, whatever will be, will be and there is nothing you can do to change your status.

Example sentence: She had a fatalistic attitude towards her future.

Question 12

COLLECTIVISM

Answer 12

value being part of a group more than succeeding as an individual. This contrasts the middle-class view that an individual should not be held back by the group.

Additional information: Collectivism is often associated with communal societies.

Question 13

IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION

Answer 13

seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices in order to get rewarded. By contrast middle-class values emphasise deferred gratification; making sacrifices now for greater reward later.

Example sentence: His immediate gratification led to financial troubles.

Question 14

PRESENT-TIME ORIENTATION

Answer 14

seeing the present as more important than the future. Middle-class culture has future time orientation - they see planning for the future as important.

Additional information: Present-time orientation can lead to short-sighted decisions.

Question 15

What is the restricted code typically used by?

Answer 15

The restricted code is typically used by the working-class. It is limited vocab and based on the use of short often unfinished grammatically simple sentences. It is context bound - It assumes the listener shares the same set of experiences.

Example Sentence: He ident

Question 16

What is the elaborated code?

Answer 16

Typically used by the middle-class. It has wider vocab and is based on longer, grammatically more complex sentences. It is context free - the speaker does not assume the listener has shared the same experiences.

Example: The professor used elaborated code in his lecture to explain the complex theories.

Question 17

What is the elaborated code?

Answer 17

Typically used by the middle-class. It has wider vocab and is based on longer, grammatically more complex sentences. It is context free - the speaker does not assume the listener has shared the same experiences.

Example: The professor used elaborated code in his lecture to explain the complex theories.

Question 18

What is compensatory education?

Answer 18

Compensatory education programmes aim to tackle the problem of cultural deprivation by providing extra resources to schools and communities in deprived areas.

Question 19

What are some examples of compensatory education programmes?

Answer 19

Some well-known examples of compensatory education are: Operation Head Start in US, Sesame Street, Educational Priority Areas, Education Action Zones, and Sure Start.

Question 20

What is Operation Head Start?

Answer 20

Operation Head Start was introduced in the 1960s in the US aimed at deprived pre-school children to develop skills and instill motivation. It included parenting classes, setting up nursery classes, and home visits by educational psychologists.

Question 21

What is Sure Start?

Answer 21

Sure Start was a policy introduced by New Labour in 2010 in the UK. Centers were set up in deprived areas and provided integrated education, care, family support, health services, and support for parental employment.

Question 22

What has happened to Sure Start centers since 2011?

Answer 22

Since 2011, there have been significant cuts in funding and many Sure Start centers have closed.

Question 23

What does KEDDIE argue about Cultural Deprivation theory?

Answer 23

KEDDIE argues CD theory is a myth and it victim blames. She argues underachievement is not due to having a culturally deprived background. A child cannot be deprived of its own culture, instead children are not culturally deprived but culturally different.

Question 24

According to KEDDIE, whose responsibility should it be to cater to the needs of different children?

Answer 24

It should be the school’s responsibility to cater to the needs of different children - children fail because the school has middle class values.

Question 25

What is the criticism from BLACKSTONE AND MORTIMORE regarding working class parents’ involvement in their child’s education?

Answer 25

They attend less parents evenings because they work longer hours, have more children to look after. They are put off by the middle class atmosphere of the school. They want to help but lack the knowledge to do so. The schools also have less effective ways of contacting home for working class children.

Question 26

What is MATERIAL DEPRIVATION?

Answer 26

Material deprivation refers to poverty and a lack of material necessities such as housing and income. This is another reason why working-class children may underachieve at school as there is a close link between poverty and social class.

Question 27

What is the fraction of children that are eligible for free school meals that also achieve 5 or more GCSEs A*-C?

Answer 27

Barely 1/3 of pupils.

Question 28

Money problems can also contribute to what factor?

Answer 28

A child’s attendance.

Question 29

What class are more likely to get exclusions and truancy?

Answer 29

More likely for children from poorer families and the working class.

Question 30

What percentage of failing schools are in deprived areas?

Answer 30

90%

Question 31

What are the factors that affect a Child’s education - MATERIAL DEPRIVATION?

Answer 31

Housing, Diet and Health, Financial Support/Cost of education and Fear of Debt.

Question 32

What are the direct affects on a child’s education at school?

Answer 32

Direct:
Overcrowding- hard to study, less room for homework, disturbed sleep.
Development impaired for young children who don’t have space for play and exploration
Families in temporary housing - changes in schools and disruption.

Question 33

What are the indirect affects on a child’s education at school?

Answer 33

Indirect:
Poor housing can impact a Childs health and well being.
Children in crowded homes are at a greater risk of accidents.
Cold or damp can lead to illness.
Children in temporary housing suffer more psychological stress, infections and accidents.
All results in absences from school.

Question 34

What did HOWARD say about the impact of diet and health on a child’s education?

Answer 34

HOWARD - young people from poorer homes have lower intakes of energy, vitamins and minerals. Poor nutrition means weaker immune system leading to illness and absence from school. Also likely to have more emotional and behavioural problems; hyperactivity, anxiety and conduct disorders.

Question 35

What did TANNER say about the cost of education?

Answer 35

TANNER found the cost of transport, books, computers, calculators and sports, music and art equipment place a heavy burden on poor families. Poor children get hand me downs - can be stigmatised and bullied.

Question 36

What did FLAHERTY find about financial support and the cost of education?

Answer 36

He found that the fear of stigmatisation is the one of the main reasons why only 20% of those entitled to free school meals take them up.

Question 37

How does the cost of education also affect poorer children’s education?

Answer 37

Poverty acts as a barrier to learning in other ways such as being unable to afford private schooling or extra tuition, low income families could also have their children working for extra money which often has a negative impact on their education.

Question 38

Is it material or cultural factors that play a part in achievement?

Answer 38

Whist material factors do play a part they don’t explain why
some children from poor families do succeed, therefore material deprivation is only part of the explanation.
cultural, religious or political values may play a part in sustaining motivation despite poverty.
FEINSTEIN argues despite income level those parents who are better educated make a positive contribution to a child’s achievement.
But theorists argues tackling child poverty is the most effective wav to boost achievement.

Question 39

How does the fear of debt affect children’s education?

Answer 39

Going to university involves going into debt to cover tuition fees, books and living expenses this often puts off working class students.

Question 40

What did CALLENDAR AND JACKSON say about working class children going to university?

Answer 40

CALENDAR & JACKSON found working-class students are more debt averse - they saw it as negative and something to avoid. They saw more costs than benefits to going to university.
The more debt averse (usually working-class) were over 5 x less likely to apply to university
The increase in tuition fees in 2012 to £9,000 meant even more working-class students were put off from applying - UCAS said that the number of applicants in 2012 dropped by 8.6%

Question 41

What do we know about working class students at university?

Answer 41

Only 30% of Uni students are w/c
Working-class students were more likely to go to local universities to reduce costs but this gave them limited opportunity to go to high status universities.
Drop-out rates are also higher for universities with larger amounts of working-class students.

Question 42

Who is BOURDIEU and what does he argue? - CULTURAL CAPITAL

Answer 42

BOURDIEU, a Marxist, argues BOTH CULTURAL and MATERIAL factors contribute to educational achievement and are separated but interrelated. He uses the concept of capital and says there are three types of capital that the middle class possess more of:
* Economic Capital,
* Educational Capital
* Cultural Capital

Question 43

What does the term CULTURAL CAPITAL mean?

Answer 43

BOURDIEU, a Marxist, argues BOTH CULTURAL and MATERIAL factors contribute to educational achievement and are separated but interrelated. BOURDIEU uses the concept of capital and says there are three types of capital that the middle class possess more of:
* Economic Capital,
* Educational Capital
* Cultural Capital

Question 44

What does BERNSTEIN argue about CULTURAL CAPITAL?

Answer 44

Bernstein argues that through socialisation middle-class children acquire the ability to grasp, analyse and express abstract ideas. This gives middle-class children an advantage at school where such abilities and interests are highly valued. This is because the education system is not neutral but transmits the dominant middle-class culture.
Working-class children in contrast are seen as rough and inferior and as such their lack of cultural capital leads to exam failure.

Question 45

What is HABITUS?

Answer 45

Taken for granted ways of thinking being and acting that are shared by a particular social class. It includes tastes preferences and consumption. A groups HABITUS is a response to its class position.
Middle-class HABITUS influences education (cultural capital) and as such schools put higher values on middle-class tastes and see working- class culture as inferior.

Question 46

How can educational, economic and cultural capital be converted into one another according to BOURDIEU?

Answer 46

For example:
Middle-class children with cultural capital are better equipped to meet the demands of school and therefore possess more educational capital.
Similarly wealthier parents who possess more economic capital can convert that into educational capital by:
* Paying for extra tuition
* Sending their children to private school
* Middle-class parents are also more likely to be able to afford a house in the catchment area of good schools this has become known as ‘selection by mortgageFor example:
Middle-class children with cultural capital are better equipped to meet the demands of school and therefore possess more educational capital.
Similarly wealthier parents who possess more economic capital can convert that into educational capital by:
* Paying for extra tuition
* Sending their children to private school
* Middle-class parents are also more likely to be able to afford a house in the catchment area of good schools this has become known as ‘selection by mortgage

Question 47

Who put BOURDIEU’S ideas to the test?

Answer 47

SULLIVAN conducted a survey using questionnaires with 465 pupils in 4 schools. To assess their capital she asked them questions about reading and TV viewing habits, and whether they visited art galleries, museums and theatres, she also tested vocab and knowledge of cultural figures.

Question 48

What did SULLIVAN find when testing cultural capital?

Answer 48

Those who read complex fiction and watched serious TV documentaries had a more developed vocab and greater knowledge of cultural figures - indicating greater cultural capital.
The pupils with the greatest cultural capital were children of graduates and were more likely to do well at GCSE.
But SULLIVAN found cultural capital only accounted for part of class differences in achievement. Where pupils of different social classes had the same cultural capital middle class pupils still did better. Sullivan states that greater resources and aspirations of middle-class families explain the remainder of the class gap in achievement.