1.2 Class internal factors

Question 1

Becker - labeling

Answer 1

• Becker judges pupils on how closely they fit the image of an ideal pupil

Question 2

Ameila Hempel Jorgenson - labeling

Answer 2

• found wc discipline was a problem and the ideal pupil was defined as quiet, passive and obedient
• in largely mc schools the ideal pupil was defined in terms of personality and academic ability

Question 3

Dunne and Gazeley - labeling

Answer 3

• found schools persistently produce wc underachievement due to labels by teachers
• they found most teacher normalized the underachievement of wc, seemed unconcerned by it and felt they could do little
• in turn they were entered for easier exams

Question 4

Criticisms of labeling theory

Answer 4

• accused of determinism which assumes labelled pupils have no choice but to fulfill the prophecy
• Marxists criticize it for ignoring wider structures of power within which labeling takes place
• They blame teachers for labeling but fails to explain why and Marxists claim it is because they work in a system that reproduces class division.

Question 5

Hargreaves - subculture

Answer 5

• Hargreaves found pupils who were labelled and streamed formed delinquent subcultures to give themselves status.

Question 6

Polarization

Answer 6

• Polarization - the process in which students respond to streaming by moving towards one of two extremes (poles).
• In Lacey’s study of high town boy’s grammar school he found streaming polarized boys into pro or anti school subcultures.

Question 7

self fulfilling prophecy

Answer 7

-Teachers label a pupil and on the basis of this label
make predictions about them eg: intelligent one will make outstanding progress

• Teachers treat pupils accordingly acting as if predictions are already true eg: by giving them more attention and expecting a higher standard of work
• The pupil internalized teachers expectations which becomes part of their self concept/self image so becomes the kind of pupil the teacher believed them to be in the first place. They gain confidence, tries harder and is successful.

Question 8

Rosenthal and Jacobson - self fulfilling prophecy

Answer 8

Rosenthal and Jacobson suggest teacher’s beliefs about pupils has been influenced by supposed test results.

Teachers then conveyed these beliefs to the pupils through the way they interacted with them eg: body language, amount of attention and encouragement they gave them.

This demonstrated self fulfilling prophecy by accepting the prediction that some children would spurt ahead , the teachers brought it about.

Researchers picked 20% of all pupils at random and falsely told the school the test identified them as spurters. On returning a year later found almost half (47%) identified as spurters indeed made significant progress - the effect was greater on younger children.

Question 9

Douglas - streaming

Answer 9

• Streaming is separating children into different ability groups or classes
• Douglas found children placed in a lower stream at age 8 had suffered a decline in their IQ by age 11.

Question 10

Gillborn and Youdell - streaming

Answer 10

Gillborn and Youdell links streaming to the policy of publishing exam league tables. They rank school according to exam performance, a higher ranks means more pupils and funding.

The ‘A to C economy’ is where schools focus their time , effort and resources on pupils they see having potential to get 5 grades A* to C so it boosts league table position
They argue the A to C economy produces an educational triage.

Question 11

Ball - polorisation and streaming

Answer 11

Ball found when schools abolished bandings the basis for pupils to polarise into subcultures was largely removed and the influence of anti school subculture declined. Pupil polarisation disappeared but
differentiation continues.

Question 12

Bourdieu - pupil class identity

Answer 12

Bourdieu’s concept of habitus being dispositions or learned ways of thinking and acting shared by a particular social class. This includes their tastes , preferences about lifestyle and consumption such as fashion and leisure pursuits.

Question 13

Symbolic capital and violence

Answer 13

Symbolic capital - status and recognition from the school and are deemed to have worth or value

Symbolic violence - withholding symbolic capital - wc class tastes and lifestyle as inferior - reproduces class structure and keeps the lower classes in their place

Question 14

Archer - pupil class identity

Answer 14

Archer argues wc pupils believe to be educationally successful, they would have to change how they talked and presented themselves. They see it as the process of losing yourself and ‘not for the likes of us’

Question 15

Callum and Ingram’s study - pupil class identity

Answer 15

Callum and Ingram’s study shows there may be conflict between wc and mc habitus.
They argue that they have a choice of unworthiness at school (wearing tracksuits) for wearing certain clothes or worthlessness at home.
The symbolic violence forced them to abandon wc identity if they want to succeed.

Question 16

Nike identities

Answer 16

Wc pupils are conscious that society and schools looked down on them. This symbolic violence led to them to seek other ways of creating self worth and status by investing heavily in style e.g Nike.

This creates conflict in schools as not conforming was social suicide and the right appearance brought saftey from bullying.

Question 17

Archer - higher education

Answer 17

Archer argues some wc people reject the idea of higher education as they view it as unrealistic (not for ppl like us, unaffordable and risky investment) and undesirable (would not suit their preferred lifestyle and habitus)

Question 18

Evans study - barriers to success

Answer 18

Class, wc identity and habitus of higher education is a barrier to success but partly due to the process of self exclusion.

Evans studies groups of 21 wc girls and found they had a strong attachment to locality . only 4/21 intended to move away.

Question 19

Reay et al - self exclusion

Answer 19

Reay et al points out self exclusion from elite or distant universities narrows options for many and limits their success.

This feeling comes from the wc habitus ‘not for the likes of us’ and includes beliefs about what opportunities really exist for them and whether they would fit in.