Class assessment flashcards
Douglas -WC parents
found that working class parents placed less value on education. , they were less ambitious for their children, gave them less encouragement As a result their children had lower levels of motivation and achievement
Bernstein
He distinguishes between two types of speech code :
- the restricted code= working class. It has limited vocabulary and simple sentences
- the elaborated code= used by middle class. wider vocabulary, longer more grammatically complex sentences
Bereiter and engelmann- language
Claim language used in lower class homes in deficient. describe lower class families as communicating by gestures, single words or disjointed phrases. As a result kids fail to develop necessary language skills.
What is meant by cultural deprivation
children are no effectively socialised and lack cultural equipment
Explain one criticism of cultural deprivation try deprivation Theory
Keddie believes it is just victim blaming and a myth. She points out that children cannot be deprived of its own culture and argues that working class children are simply culturally different not deprived
Name two programs which help tack cultural education
Compensatory education- aim to tackle CD in deprived areas by providing extra resources to school + communities
Operation head start: it’s aim to improve deprived children’s environment to develop skills and instil achievement motivation
Sesame Street- included transmitting values, attitudes and skills
What does material deprivation mean
Means a lack of those physical necessities that are essential for normal life
what are the three main aspects of cultural deprivation
language
parents education
subculture
A03 for language (cultural deprivation)
+ Bernstein recognises both home and school fail wc pupils
Douglas- parents ed
working class parents place less value on education
fernstein - parents ed
parents ed effects children achievement. MC educated so have advantage on how to socialise kids
Bernstein and young - parents
MC mothers buy educational toys which encourages reasoning skills
how does parents education impact cultural deprivation
- educated parents = consistent discipline and high expectations
- less educated parents = harsh inconsistent discipline
- educated parents use income to improve educational sucess
what does sugarman argue about subculture
4 barriers to educational achievement
fatalism: nothing can be done to change status
collectivism: value being part of a group
immediate gratification: seeking pleasure now rather than later
present time orientation: see present as more important, no long term goals
how does this differ to MC
A03 for cultural deprivation
- keddie argues that it is a myth, sees it as victim blaming. Not culturally deprived but culturally different
what is compensatory ed
aims to tackle cultural deprivation in deprived areas by providing resources to schools + communities
eg operation head start in the US, included improving parenting skills + setting up nursery classes
eg well known sesame street included transmitting values, attitudes and skills
key facts for introduction about material deprivation
poverty is closely linked to underachievement
- 1/3 of FSM pupils achieve 5 A-C at GCSE
- those in poverty more likely to have poor attendance
- more likely to be excludes
- 90% of failing schools in deprived areas
what material factors affect children’s education
housing, fear of debt and diet and health
how does housing impact children’s education
directly: overcrowding = less space for educational activities + development // no room for soft play activities
families in temp housing constantly moving = changing schools + disrupted learning
indirect effect= cold/damp can cause ill health means absences from school
how does fear of debt impact education
increases in tuition fees to 9,000.
found WC children are less likely to go to uni due to fear of debt also impacts where they choose to go - want to save travel costs ,miss out on high status uni
how does diet and health impact education
pupils from poorer houses have lower intakes of energy, vitamins + minerals. Poor nutrition affects health by weakening the immune system - absences from school
(Howard)
A03 for material deprivation
+ Other sociologists agree that material inequalities have a bigger effect on achievement
- only part of the explanation as poor families do succeed. Other factors may be influential eg religious views
Bourdieu
he uses capital to explain why MC are more successful. capital = wealth
he combines cultural + material factors to explain ed achievement
what is cultural capital
values, language, abilities of MC. More luxury to develop understanding + analyse - benefitting in schoo,
- more likely to develop intellectual interests
- understand ed system
- school devalues mc culture as ‘rough’ leads to exam failure
what is educational and economic capital
wealthier parents can convert their economic capital into educational capital by sending kids to private schools and extra tuitions
A03 for capital
Sullivan found that cultural capital only accounted for part of the class difference in achievement
what does labelling mean
when you attach a label to someone
Interactionist - labelling
Number of studies have been carried out by interactionist sociologists as they want to know how people attach a meanings + the effect it has on those labelled. They study small scale interactions
Becker (1971)- ideal pupil
based interviews on 60 Chicago high school teachers. judged pupils to how closely they fit the idea pupil. Wc pupils were furthest away from this. Mc seen as ideal
Hempel - Jorgensen (2009)
notions of idea pupil vary according to the social class makeup of the school
- WC school: ideal pupil was quiet + obedient
- Middle class: few discipline problems, ideal pupil defined by personality
what is streaming
separating students into different ability of groups
how does streaming impact achievement
Once streamed it is difficult to move up to a higher stream - locked into teachers expectations of them. creates self fulfilling prophecy. MC students benefit from streaming - more likely placed in higher streams reflecting teachers view of them as ideal pupil
extra mini study of streaming
Douglas found children placed in a higher stream at 8 had improved IQ score by 11
Gillborn and youdell (2001)
teachers use stereotypical notions to stream pupils. Teachers were likely to see WC + black pupils as having ability. So more likely to placed in lower streams + entered lower their GCSE
can explain exclusion rates
what the A-C economy
teachers focus time, effort and resources on pupils they see as getting 5 grades Cs + boosting league table position
what is the ‘educational triage’
process of A-C economy AKA sorting
3 groups: those who will pass anyways, hopeless cases + targeted for extra help.
how does the educational triage impact achievement
Teachers have a stereotypical notion of WC + black pupils as hopeless cases. This produces self fulfilling prophecy
The need to gain good league tables position drives educational triage which creates basis for streaming
extra study of labelling
Rist (1970)
teacher in primary school used kids background information to place them in different groups
Tigers = MC, seated closer to teacher
Cardinals + clowns= WC, seated further, given lower level books
what is the self fulfilling prophecy
prediction comes true by virtue of being made
process of self fulfilling prophecy
- firstly teacher labels student
- teacher treats student according to label as if its true
- pupil internalises teachers expectations, becomes self image, predictions is fulfilled
Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968)
study in Primary school (California)
researchers told teachers certain students would spurt (not true, chosen at random). 47% of spurters made progress. Shows the power of labelling students - teachers conveyed belief of this is how they treated ‘spurters’
what does Rosethal and Jacobson study show
Demonstrates self fulfilling prophecy. Teachers accepted prediction and made it come about
can also produce underachievement for those the teachers did believe in
what are pupil subcultures
Group of pupils who share similar values and behaviour patterns
Emerge as a response to labelling
lacey (1970)
concepts to explain how subcultures develop
differentiation: process of teachers categorising pupils on how they see their ability, behaviour and attitudes eg streaming
polarisation: how pupils respond to streaming by moving towards to one or two opposite poles eg Lacey found streaming polarised boys into pro school and anti school subculture
what is the difference between proschool and anti school subculture
pro- placed in higher streams + committed to school gain status through academic success values of the school (MC)
anti- placed in lower streams (WC) suffer low esteem due to having inferior status. Failure so gain other ways of status, turn value of school upside down.
Willis + lads - turn values of the school upside down formed own subculture
Ball (1981)
when banding (type of streaming) was abolished, basis for the pupils to polarise was removed + influence of anti school was abolished declined. Although polarisation disappeared, differentiation continued. Teachers categorised students differently + still labelled MC as cooperative
criticism of the labelling theory
- deterministic: assumes pupils have no choice to fulfil fulfilling and fail
- Marxist: labelling theory ignores wider power structures
- Marxist also argue that labels are not teachers individual prejudices but come from teachers in system that produce’s class division
acronyms for exam
RRHAQ - read, reread, highlight, annotate, quick plan
PEEALC-point,explain,evidence,annalyse,criticse
introduction
Context- definitions eg religion
content- what are you going to write about
debate- ie sociolgists disagree amongst themselves on whether internal/external is the true role of class achievement, not soley in school factors
add trends - 90% of failing schools are in deprived areas + 1/3 of FSM students achieve 5 A-C grades
conclusion
To conclude - state overview
but - which is more true + contrasting beliefs
therefore - which one most likley impacts education
