class differences in achievement - cultural deprivation

Question 1

Language

What did Hubbs Tait find about language?

Answer 1

found that where parents use language that challenges their children to evaluate their own understanding or abilities (e.g. ‘what do you think?’ ‘are you ready for the next step?’), cognitive performance
improves.

Question 2

Describe the two speach codes that Bernstein identifies

Answer 2

identifies differences between working-class and middle-class language that influences achievement, and he distinguishes between two types of speech code

Restricted speech code; w/c, s, consisting of limited vocabulary, and based on the use of short, often unfinished, grammatically simple sentences, assumes listener shares same set of experiences

Elaborated speech code; m/c, speech is more varied, grammatically complex and coveys abstract ideas - does not assume listener shares same experiences

Question 3

educational toys

What did Bernstein and Young find about middle class mothers?

Answer 3

found that middle-class mothers are more likely to buy educational toys, books and activities that stimulate intellectual development (because of their own education and better income than working-class
families).

Question 3

What are the 4 things Sugarman found about working class subcultures?

Answer 3

Fatalism: A belief in fate – ‘whatever will be, will be’ and there is nothing you can do to change your status. Unlike the middle-class, there is no belief that you can change your own status.

Collectivism: Valuing being part
of a group more than succeeding as an individual. Unlike the middle-class who believe that an individual should not be held back by group loyalties.

Immediate gratification: Seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices in order to get rewards in the future. Whereas the middle-class have the view that you make sacrifices now for greater rewards later, known as deferred
gratification.

Present-time orientation: Seeing the present as more important than the future and so not having long-term goals or plans. Whereas the middle-class culture has a future-time orientation that sees planning for the future as
important.

Question 3

How does parents interest cause their children to fail in school?

Answer 3

• Lack of parental interest in their children’s education reflects the subcultural values of the working class
• Large sections of the working-class have different goals, beliefs, attitudes and values from the rest of society
• this is why their children fail at school.

Question 3

Parents education (less ambitious)

What did Douglas find about parents’ education?

Answer 3

found that working-class parents placed less value on education. They were therefore less ambitious for their children, gave them less encouragement and took less interest in their education. They visited schools less
often and were less likely to discuss their child’s progress. Their children therefore had lower levels of motivation and achievement

Question 4

victim blaming explanation

How does Keddie criticise the cultural deprivation theory?

Answer 4

describes cultural
deprivation as a ‘myth’ and sees it as a victim blaming explanation. She dismisses the idea that failure at school can be blamed on a
culturally deprived home background. She points out that a child cannot be deprived of its
own culture and argues that working-class children are simply culturally different, not culturally deprived.They fail because they are put at a disadvantage by an education system that isdominated by middle-class values

Question 5

How do Blackstone and Mortimore criticise the cultural deprivation theory?

Answer 5

• reject the view that working-class parents are not interested in their children’s education
• They say they attend fewer parents’ evenings because they work longer hours or less regular hours
• even that they are put off by a school’s middle-class atmosphere, and not because they aren’t interested