Class differences in Achievement

Question 1

External factors - Name the ideas to do with Cultural Deprivation

Answer 1

• Bernstein - Speech Codes / WC students are at a disadvantage as they haven’t been taught elaborated code that MC pupils have -> Gaine & George say this is an exaggeration

• Douglas - Parents education / WC parents have less value on education and don’t push their children / lack of ambition

• Sugarmann - working class subcultures
1) Fatalism - nothing can change status
2) Collectivism - valuing being part of a group rather than individual
3) Immediate gratification - pleasure now instead of making sacrifices for rewards in the future
4) Present time orientation - lack of long-term goals

Question 2

External factors - Name the ideas to do with Material Deprivation

Answer 2

• Howard, Diet and health - Poor nutrition affects health , e.g, by weakening immune system / resulting in absences from school

• Housing - lack of room for educational activities / disturbed education as family may need to move frequently / high chance of illness due to overcrowded home

Question 3

External factors - Name the idea to do with Cultural Capital

Answer 3

• Bourdieu - MC children with cultural capital are better equipped to meet the demands on the school curriculum / Parents can convert it into economic capital, e.g, send their children to private schools

Question 4

Internal factors - Name the ideas to do with Labelling

Answer 4

• Becker - ‘ideal pupil’ / white, MC, female / teachers will defer their time and are unwilling to help those who don’t fit this criteria

• Rosenthal & Jacobson - SFP / students given a positive label are motivated to work hard & improve grades , negative labels create less motivation and a belief of failure

• Gillborn & Youdell - Streaming / teachers labelled WC pupils as unintelligent and were placed in lower streams and sets

Question 5

Internal factors - Name the ideas to do with Pupil subcultures and identities

Answer 5

• Lacey - subcultures
1) Polarisation / response to streaming varies / results in either pro or anti-school behaviour
2) Differentiation / form of streaming, those in higher streams gain a higher status

• Archer et al - Nike identity / WC pupils self-exclusion from education / viewing it as unrealistic / MC should pursue instead / undesirable as it doesn’t fit WC habitus

• Bourdieu - Symbolic capital, symbolic violence & habitus