class differences in achievement -external factors Flashcards
nationwide study by the centre of longitudinal studies (2007)
by the age of 3 children from disadvantaged home are one year behind the privileged
gap widens with age
statistics of those attending private school and then attending Oxbridge
7% - private school
almost half of oxbridge students
Sutton trust (2011)
over 3 years 1,300 state schools send 0 pupils to Oxbridge
Eton alone sent 211 to Oxbridge
what is cultural equipment
language, self-discipline +reasoning skills
what is Hubbs - Tait et al view on language and cognitive development
(Feinstein + educated)parents use language that challenges an evaluation of own understanding - cognitive performance increases
Bereiter and Englemann view of the quality of WC language
WC lang = deficient, ungrammatical, communication is in gestures
WC children fail to take advantage of opportunities bcs cannot explain + analyse adequately
speech codes
elaborated + restricted code
berstein
why is early socialisation of elaborated code an advantaged to the MC
when MC enter school, they feel at ‘home’ whereas WC feel excluded
elaborated code - textbooks, teacher language, exam Qs
= misunderstanding
what does Bernstein recognise between the school its influence of developing WC achievement
unlike cultural deprivation theorists Bernstein recognises school, not just home affect achievement. WC fail not because culturally deprived but because school fails to teach elaborated code
what does Douglas state about WC parents and their involvement in school, what is the effect?
WC parent = place less value on education, less encouragement. attended less parent meetings
WC children then lack ambition + motivation
Feinstein’s 4 advantages of how educated parents better socialise
- parenting style = (MC) constant discipline + high discipline. (WC) harsh, ‘doing as told’ leads to problems of interacting with teachers
- parents educational behaviours - more learning, teaching letter, rhymes,
- use of income - buy educational toys that build reasoning skills + nutrition
parents own education - even if WC , educated parents can socialise children in the MC culture they learned at school.
what did Bernstein and Young find about MC parents and how they use their income
MC more likely to buy educational books toys, activities that stimulate intellectual development
who talks about subcultures and what are the aspects on WC subcultures
Sugarman
fatalism - negative
collectivism - family is more important
immediate gratification - seeking pleasure rather than making sacrifices
present - time orientation - present more important than future. avoid long term goals
why do WC subcultures exist
MC jobs are secure offering prospects for individual advancement, encourages ambition + willingness to invest time
WC - jobs have no structure, no advancement so less willingness to invest time (fatalism they believe they are getting a low WC job)
how are WC class subcultures passed on
through primary socialisation
what is a subculture
a group whose attitudes and values differ from the mainstream culture
what does compensatory education tackle and do
intervene in early socialisation process to compensate for the deprivation they experience at home
-operation head start 1960’s - includes parenting skills, home visits by educational psychologists, nursey class
what does this sociologist say about cultural deprivation being a victim - blaming explanation
Keddie - dismisses failure from being culturally deprived
you cannot be culturally deprived, only culturally different, fail due to domination of MC values
what sociologists criticize Beretier and Engelmanns view of WC language being the problem
Troyna + Williams - problem is not WC lang but teachers attitudes to it
teachers create a hierarchy from MC, WC + black speech
criticism of Douglas of WC parents being disinterested
Mortimore + Blackstone - WC parents attend less parents meetings + lack of interest because days are dominated by low paid labour
they cannot make time for childs education
department for education (2012) FSM achievement
1/3 eligible for FSM gained 5 A* - C grades, against 2/3 of other pupils not FSM
deprived schools locations
90% of deprived schools in deprived areas
Flaherty on young children’s attendance
money problems significant in younger children’s attendance
how does poor housing affect education of WC (4)
- overcrowding - homework, studying + lack of sleep from sharing bedrooms
- lack of space leads to lack of exploration + play for young children
- temporary accommodation - leads to moving frequently so a disrupted education
-poor housing - health affected by mold + accidents = absences
what sociologist is concerned about the nutrition uptake of WC families
Howard - poorer houses = poorer energy uptake of energy + vitamins, weakening immune systems = absences
what does this sociologist say about the relationship of mental disorders and class
Wilkinson - the lower the social class, the higher the rate of hyperactivity, anxiety + conduct disorders
A sociologist who is concerned about the costs of free schooling
Bull - WC do not have equipment + experiences that would enhance their educational achievement - the costs of free schooling
what study shows that poverty leads to bullying due to lack of materials
tanner et al - costs of transport, uniforms place financial burden.
so WC families do with hand-me-downs, cheaper, unfashionable equipment
leads to stigmatisation
what sociologist explanation why WC eligible for FSM do not take up entitlement
Flaherty - fear of stigmatisation explains why 20% dont take up entitlement
quote in Ridge (2002) - fear of stigmatisation of being a FSM person
” i realised when I was in year 7 that the people who got FSM were teased…. I couldn’t handle that as I was already getting teased enough, so I didn’t get FSM
what sociologist talks about the impact of having to work for an additional income
ridge - WC children have to work jobs like babysitting, cleaning…. - leads to negative impact on schoolwork
what did the coalition government abolish that lead to a negative impact on working class + year
abolished in 2011 education maintenance allowances
using nationwide questionnaire survey what did sociologists find about the correlation between class and fear of debt
callender + jackson - WC are more debt adverse + debt should be avoided
how much times are working class likely to not apply to university because of fear of debt
WC 5x less likely to apply than most debt tolerant people (MC)
what change university since 2012 made a disadvantage to the working class
increase in fees of 9,000 per year. UCAS - applicant rates dropped by 8.6% compared to previous year
statistics in difference in help received from home between middle and working class
national union of students (2010) survey of 3,863 students
MC = 81% received help
WC = 43% received help
explains why 30% are WC but WC accounts for 1/2 of population
what can serve as a barrier when deciding what unis to apply to , what sociologist said this
Reay - WC have to apply to local unis, so they can live at home + save travel costs
this is less opportunity to go to high status unis
why are cultural factors more important that material factors in sustaining motivation and ambition
cultural, religious, political values of families important in sustaining motivation, despite poverty - Feinstein educated parents make a positive contribution to a child achievement regardless of income
who argues that material factors are more detrimental to achievement
Mortimore and Whitty - material inequalities have the greatest affect on achievement
so Robinson argues tackling child poverty is the most effective ay to boost achievement
what are Bourdieu’s three types of capital ; cultural capital
- cultural capital is the attitudes, ,languages, values. MC culture is a capital because like wealth it gives advantages to those who possess it. like Bernstein, he argues through socialisation MC acquire ability to analyse and explain abstract ideas
these abilities are valued in school so they are rewarded with qualifications
what are Bourdieu’s three types of capital; educational capital and economic capital
educational capital - Bourdieu thinks that these capitals can all be converted into one another
MC with economic capita can convert it into educational capital by affording private schooling
MC better equipped to meet demands of school curriculum + gain qualifications
what is a study that supports that whealthy parents can use wconomic capital to convert it into educatinal capital
Leech + Campos study of Coventry. MC parents more likely to afford a house in a catchment area of a school with a high rank in league tables - selection by mortgage
describe Sullivans study and findings of testing Bourdieu’s theory that MC have greater cultural capital
Sullivan - questionnaires to conduct a survey 465 pupils in 4 schools
assess cultural capital she asked about activities e.g reading, TV viewing, museums + tested vocab, + knowledge of cultural figures
those who read complex fiction + TV documentaries had greater cultural knowledge
those with greater cultural capital were children of graduates - most successful
even though some Middle and working class students had the same amount of Cultural capital why do the MC sill achieve more
Sullivan - cultural capital only accounts for a part of difference in achievement because even if they had same level of culture, they still do better
greater resources + aspirations of MC families explain remainder of class gap in achievement
