(40) social class factors Flashcards
Becker - social class inside of school factors (Interactionist)
Middle class pupils as closest to the “ideal pupil” in terms of performance, conduct, appearance and attitude.
The levels applied by teachers to pupils shape the nature and quality of the interaction between pupil and teacher. Pupils will react positively or negatively to teacher judgements and have ‘self fulfilling prophecy’. Therefore, working class students may be labelled as non-achievers or deviant which then may lead to their lack of achievement.
Willis - social class inside of school factors (Pupil subcultures / labelling)
‘Learning to labour’. Lads formed counter-school subculture as they showed little interest in academic work and always had ‘a laff’, as they looked up to ‘role model’ fathers, and their manual labour work - Adopted laddish anti-school attitude - As a result not encouraged by teachers who negatively labelled them).
Althusser - social class inside of school factors (Marxist)
Education is one of the ‘Ideological State Apparatus’ (how the institutions are used by the ruling class to help pass on their ideologies), and is used to manipulate and ‘ideologically control’ us - Prepares working classes to be unquestioning and exploited.
Education performs 2 roles: passing on necessary skills to create a workforce, and passing on ruling class ideologies to ensure the working class conform.
Davis and Moore - social class inside of school factors (Functionalist)
Education helps to sifts and sorts based on work and ability - It is meritocratic.
Education also performs role allocation and helps to sift sort and grade students. The best people will fill the most important roles.
Smith and Noble - social class outside of school factors (Material)
Working class face ‘financial barriers to learning’ due to their parents low income. Can’t afford travel and resources, less likely to have a computer or desk, there are better schools in richer areas and pupils more likely to work part time.
Raey et al - social class outside of school factors (Material)
Economic capital is needed to pay into cultural capital - Meaning working class miss out on this.
Working class students are more likely to have part time jobs and work longer hours, reducing chances of attaining a high grade.
Over 25% of private school students have extra tuition compared to only 10% of state school students.
Callendar and Jackson - social class outside of school factors (Material)
Fear of Debt at HE highest amongst working class - Puts them off going. Those afraid of debt were four times less likely to apply for university.
Bourdieu - social class outside of school factors (Material / Marxist)
The education system is biased in the favour of the culture of the dominant social classes, devaluing the norms, values and knowledge of the working class. Middle class have more cultural capital - Can contextualise their learning (linked to economic capital as well as cultural capital).
Douglas - social class outside of school factors (Cultural)
He argues that the most significant factor was home and parental interest. Middle class people were more likely to encourage attainment and progression, this they believed was indicated by more frequent visits to the school to discuss children’s progress.
Feinstein - social class outside of school factors (Cultural)
Class differences existed in terms of support from parents. He measured parent’s interest by asking for teacher’s assessment of how much interest they showed in their children’s education.
This is criticised as a lot of working class parents’ will work more than one job or potentially shift work, meaning attendance at school is not due to a ‘lack of interest’.
Bernstein - social class outside of school factors (Cultural)
Suggests that the language students use or are able to access effects their ability to get on in education and achieve. Working class = Restricted code (used in informal situations, lacks depth). Middle class = Elaborate code (used in formal situations, range of vocab, wider descriptions).
Sugarman - social class outside of school factors (Cultural)
Working class subcultures characterised by:
Fatalism - futures of manual labour jobs mapped out.
Immediate Gratification - aim of going into work for financial reasons to get money.
Present Time Orientation - get involved in whats happening at time, not the future and progressing.
Collectivism - peer group in anti school subcultures, loyal to peer group.
