class differences in achievement - external factors - material deprivation

Question 1

what is material deprivation?

Answer 1

poverty and the lack of material necessities such as adequate housing and income

Question 2

key factors

Answer 2

housing

health and nutrition

financial support

fear of debt

Question 3

poor housing - direct effects

Answer 3

overcrowding makes it harder for the child to study

overcrowding means less room for educational activities, nowhere to do homework, disturbed sleep from sharing beds or bedrooms and so on

for young children especially, development can be impaired through lack of space for safe play and exploration.

families living in temporary accommodation find themselves having to move frequently - constant changes of school and disrupted education.

children in crowded homes run a greater risk of accidents.

cold or damp housing can also cause ill health. families in temporary accommodation suffer more psychological distress, infections and accidents

Question 4

diet and health

Answer 4

howard (2001) - young people from poorer homes have lower intakes of energy vitamins and minerals. which weakens the immune system and lowering children’s energy levels - results in more absences from school due to illness, and difficulties concentrating in class.

wilkinson (1996) - lower social classes have higher rates of hyperactivity, anxiety and conduct disorders, which have a negative effect on a child’s education

blanden and machin (2007) - children from low income families were more likely to engage in ‘externalising’ behaviour (such as fighting and temper tantrums) which are likely to disrupt their schooling

Question 5

fear of debt

Answer 5

debt may deter working-class students from going to university, and saw more costs than benefits in going to university.

working class students were over 5 times less likely to apply than the most students

ucas - tuition fees of up to £9,250 per year may mean that the debt burden will deter working-class students from applying to university - when fees were raised to £9,000 per year in 2012, the number of UK applicants fell by 8.6%

working-class students who do go to university are likely to receive less financial support from their families.

a national union of students (2010) - online survey of students found that 81% of those from the highest social class received help from home, only 43% of those from the lowest class

dropout rates are also higher for universities with a large proportion of poor students for example, 18.6% drop out at london metropolitan, but only 1.2% at oxford, where nearly half the students come from private schools