Class and education

Question 1

What does Ball argue about streaming?

Answer 1

Pupils in top streams tend to be from higher social class backgrounds

Question 2

According to Woods, how do working class pupils deal with labelling and frustration?

Answer 2

By forming anti-school subcultures

Question 3

Why do working class pupils suffer from negative teacher labelling, according to Becker?

Answer 3

Because teachers evaluate pupils in comparison to an ideal student, by looking at their class (and appearance, speech etc)

Question 4

What are the two external factors that can affect achievement and why?

Answer 4

Material deprivation:

1. Halsey says lack of financial support is main reason for working class not doing A Levels
2. Douglas found children in bad living conditions did poorly (health problems so absent from school)
3. low income means less money for books, internet and trips

Cultural deprivation:

1. Douglas says parental interest is most important factors limiting achievement
2. less knowledge and values
3. lack of museum visits, internet access limits students

Question 5

What does Barry Sugarman argue about working class attitudes to education?

Answer 5

Working class seek immediate gratification (apprenticeship or job rather than uni) and are fatalistic

Question 6

What is Burnstein’s theory?

Answer 6

Restricted and elaborated codes

Question 7

What is Bourdieu’s theory?

Answer 7

middle class pupils have an advantage because they have more cultural capital