(30 marks) Evaluate sociologial explainations of differences in educational achievement between ethnic groups

Question 1

Evaluate sociologial explainations of differences in educational achievement between ethnic groups (30 marks)

Answer 1

Home and family life, external factors
Promoting educational achievement
Material deprivation
Internal factors
Ethnocentric curriculum

Question 2

Home and family life, external factors
+

Answer 2

Murray, the underclass. They rely on benefits. Says its predominantly the white working class and afro-carribeans.

Different norms and values (anti-edu)

Matrifocal, no male role
Sewell expants. They join subcultures, street gangs as their male role models.
Gangs discouage achievement.

Question 3

Home and family life, external factors
Neg

Answer 3

Criticised for victim balming due to Murray saying its them relying on benefits,

Marxists argue it fails to recognise the reason for them relying on benefits, such as capitalism

Underclass = social class is causing difference in achievement. Why are some ethnicities are likely to be in the under class?

Question 4

Promoting educational achievement

Answer 4

Indian and chinese families are arge, siblings can help each other to achieve.
- Parental ambitions, stricter when it comes to education + emphasis in the importance

Compared to Roma-Gysp’s discourage educational achievement completely causing low achievement.

Question 5

Material deprivation
+

Answer 5

Afro-Caribbeans and Pakistani’s are statistically more likely to be materially deprivaed than any other ethnicity.
Causes underachievement due to lack of resources, tuition, and even working to help the family which decreases study time

Other ethnic groups like Indians are mre likely to be middle class and be able to afford resources and have more study time as they do not have to work.

Question 6

Material deprivation
Neg

Answer 6

How ever this again links the idea that it is social class that is the defining cause of difference in achievement.

Question 7

Internal factors
+

Answer 7

Interactionalists say teachers have stereotypes, ‘‘the myth of black challenge’’
resulting in labelling.

Internal label, the self fulfilling prophecy

Labels can be positibe, Asian as smart helping them achieve more

Question 8

Internal factors
Neg

Answer 8

Too deterministic
Mizra, black girls study, although black girls were socially stereotyped and labelled negatively, they responded with a SFP wanting to provve teacher wrong and reverse the label

Negative labelling does not always result in underachievement

Question 9

Ethnocentric curriculum
+

Answer 9

Curriculum is based on british history, language and chritistian holidays.

Puts non-British certain groups such as Islamic groups at a disadvantage as they are deprived of cultural norms

Question 10

Ethnocentric curriculum
Neg

Answer 10

Asian and Indian students overperforming. this means the ethnocentric curriculum cannot have that much of an impact if some ethnicities are affected and others are not