8. Cultural Differences As A Cause Of Under-attainment Flashcards
What do the different theories say about the impact of cultural differences in relation to under-attainment
- Functionalists suggest that the poor fail for reason to do with their own cultural values and lack of ambitions, suggesting that the working-class are culturally deprived
- Marxists state that the culture required for educational success is middle-class culture therefore, the working-class isnt deprived but is just different and not as highly valued
- Interactionists suggest that teachers favour those who resemble the teachers in terms of class and culture
what is the working-class culture viewed as
Sociologists view it as a major contributory factor to under attainment due to inappropriate norms and values and linguistic deprivation
How do Norms and Values contribute to under-attainment
It's suggested the working class dont support the development of education EG: their homes tend to have fewer books with parents less willing to read to them due to a lack of time with working This already causes a gap in education.
This is an argument developed by Oscar Lewis- He studied poor people in Mexico and identified a ‘culture of poverty’. His studies concluded that theyd a fatalistic approach to life (what happens is outside of their control)
This view allows them to come to terms with poverty but also keeps them in poverty.
Children develop these values and repeat these norms
Current government thinking suggests failure is due to parental inability to support their children
Why is Oscar Lewis study controversial
- The poor were seen as responsible for their failures ‘blame the victim’
- Parents were seen as offering poor socialisation
- Policymakers could argue that interventions to help the poor eg: education were of no value
- Its influenced new right policy makers who claimed that culture of the working-class created crime and social problems
How does linguistic deprivation contribute to under-attainment
Bernstein suggested there is restricted code and elaborated code.
Working-class families rely on restricted code whereas the middle class don’t. He suggested that the working-class children couldn’t access information in schools as teachers use elaborated code.
Therefore, the working-class are limited on exploration and expression of abstract ideas whereas the middle-class have access to this
Who criticised Bernstein’s theory
Labov studied language patterns among Black Americans and said that language doesnt limit thought and causes the implication that the working-class are to blame for under attainment
What is restricted code
this is a shortened type of speech using short sentences causing limited vocabulary
What is elaborated code
This is a type of speech that is more explicit and is less dependent on context and has a wider vocabulary.
What is the cultural difference theory
Wilis in the 1970s suggested that the working-class boys werent interested in education.
In reaction to the Functionalist view that the working-class culture is inferior; Marxists denied that the culture of the working class causes failure.
Keddie claimed that the working-class culture isnt inferior its just different but the response by teacher is the problem. Others such as Rose and Bauman pointed out that by looking at cultural failings the government can ignore issues of funding.
How does cultural capital contribute to under-attainment
the government and the education system decide what knowledge is worth having and form the curriculum on this;
Marxists see this control as a form of social control and causes inequality. Those who are able to navigate this knowledge lead to higher rewards.
Bourdieu pointed out that some children have access to this knowledge while others dont.
this theory was supported by Gillies in 2005 who found parents with high knowledge were able to influence to benefit their children. Gillies discovered that middle-class parents taught their children how to get ahead while working-class taught them how to cope with disadvantage and bullying
How to the culture of masculinity link to under-attainment
Mitsos and Browne suggested that boys are less inclined to be conscientious in schools
Mac and Ghaill said that masculinity was no longer clear for boys as girls girls have challenged their assumptions that its better to be male; this causes change in the workplace and causes a crisis of masculinity and boys dont know what it is to be a man.
This causes boys to reject femininity and therefore, success in school as its seen to be feminine.
Ruddock found that boys tend to have a different approach to work which causes them to work last minute
Carolyn Jackson refers to laddishness and the tendency of boys to be more disruptive in class due to feeling stressed about exams.
