class difference in achivement Flashcards
2 patterns in achievement
internal and external or home background factors
how can home background be grouped into two things
cultural and material factors
what are cultural factors?
class difference in norms and values acquired through socialisation, attitudes to education, speech codes etc.
what are material factors?
physical necessities of life, such as adequate housing, diet and income
what is cultural deprivation theory?
the main cultural explanation for class differences in achievement
what does culture refer to?
all norms, values and beliefs and knowledge that a society or group regard important. Transferred through socialisation
according to cultural deprivation theory, what do some w/c parents fail to do?
transmit the appropriate norms, values, attitudes, knowledge, skills etc - that is the ‘right’ culture needed for educational success
what do cultural deprivation theorists see 3 factors as responsible for w/c underachievement?
language, parent’s education and working class subculture
intellectual stimulation
w/c parents are less likely to give their children educational toys and activities that will stimulate their thinking and reasoning - this affects their intectual development
what two language codes does Bernstein (1975) distinguish between?
Restricted code - w/c
Elaborated code - m/c
What does Feinstein (2008) argue?
that parents education is the most important factor affecting children’s achievement. since m/c parents tend to be better educated, their children gain an advantage
what 4 factors does Feinstein consider?
parenting style, parents’ educational behaviours, language, use of income
what does cultural deprivation theorist identify as three aspects if w/c subculture contributing to under achievement - sugarman
immediate gratification, fatalism and low value on education
criticisms of cultural deprivation theory
- ignores the importance of material factors such as poverty
- ignores the impact of school factors e.g. negative labelling
- victim blaming - w/c are not culturally deprived just different
what factors can cause material deprivation?
poor housing and poor diet caused by low income
Callender and Jackson (2005)
found w/c students more debt averse - saw more costs than benefits of going to uni and this influenced their decisions - less financial support
what does Bourdieu argue?
cultural capital theory - m/c pupils are more successful that w/c bc of their parents possess more capital or assets
what does Bourdieu say capitals 2 forms are?
economic capital and cultural capital
what is educational capital?
m/c use their greater economic and cultural capital to give their children an advantage by using it to obtain educational capital - qualification. Allow children to get m/c jobs and more economic capital - reproducing advantages of m/c
school factors and under achievement
labelling, self fulfilling prophecy, streaming and pupil subcultures
Lacey (1970) - streaming
differentiation - a way of separating the sheep from the goats and then education them differently
what does streaming often create?
self fulfilling prophecy
what is streaming?
extreme and institutionalised form of labelling - putting all pupils of similar ability together into the same class or stream for all subjects
what is anti school subcultures?
usually formed by those in lower streams - reject the schools values and often invert them
pro school subcultures
usually formed by pupils in higher streams - accept schools values and goals of hard work, regular attendance, respect for teachers .
