class differences in achievement (external factors)

Question 1

external factors

Answer 1

these are factors outside the educational system, such as the influence of home and family background and wider society

Question 2

what are cultural deprivation theories?

Answer 2

• theories that suggest the working class children lack the necessary economic capital and views, attitude and support that is needed to succeed within education - due to the middle class being dominant social group and get to dictate what is needed for educational success.
• the basic ‘cultural equipment’ includes things such as language, self discipline and reasoning skills
• according to cultural deprivation theorists, many working class families fail to socialise their children adequately. therefore they grow up socially deprived

Question 3

language

Answer 3

• language is am essential part of the process of education and was in which parents communicate with their children affects their intellectual development
• feinstine 2008 found that educated parents are more likely to use language that challenges their children to evaluate their own understanding of ability
• by contrast, less educated parents tend to use language in ways that only require children to make simple descriptive statements which results in lower performance
• Feinstein’s also found that educated parents are more likely to use praise - this encourages their children to develop a sense of their own competence

Question 4

Language - bereiter and engelmann

Answer 4

• claims that the language used in lower class homes is deficient. As a result their children fail to develop the necessary language skills.
• they grow up incapable of abstract thinking and unable to use language to explain, describe, enquire or compare. Because of this, they are unable to take advantage of the opportunities that schools offer

Question 5

Speech codes - Bernstein

Answer 5

• Bernstein also identifies differences between working class and middle class language - language that influences achievement
• distinguishes two types of speech codes :
  1. The restrictive code
  2. The elaborated code

Question 6

The restrictive code

Answer 6

• typically used by the working class
• limited vocabulary
• short, often unfinished, grammatically simple sentences
• predictable and many involve only a single word or even just a gesture
• context bound - the speaker assumes that the listener shares the same set of experiences

Question 7

The elaborated code

Answer 7

• typically used by the middle class
• wider vocabulary and is based on longer, grammatically and more complete sentences
• speech is more varied and communicates abstract ideas
• context free - the speaker does not assume that the listener shares the same experiences , so they use language to spell out their meanings

Question 8

The differences in speech codes in school

Answer 8

• these differences in speech codes give middle class children an advantage at school and put working class at a disadvantage.
• because the elaborated code is the language used by teachers, textbooks and exams
• early socialisation into the elaborated code means middle class children are already fluent users of the code when they start school
• in contracts, working class children, lacking the code in which school uses, are likely to feel excluded and be less successful.
• critics argue that Bernstein is a cultural deprivation theorists because he describes working class speech as inadequate
• however, Bernstein recognises that school and not just the home influences children’s achievement
• he argues that working class pupils fail not because they are culturally deprived, but because schools fail to teach them how to use the elaborated code

Question 9

Evaluation of language codes

Answer 9

• victim blaming exercise
• schools are bale to accommodate all kinds of language codes
• students can switch between restricted and elaborated code
• advantage to be able to switch - able to understand everyone

Question 10

Parents educations

Answer 10

• cultural deprivation theorists argue that parents attitudes to education are a key factor affecting children’s achievement
• Douglass study - working class parents placed less value on education as a result, they were 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 children’s progress with teachers. Leading to children having lower levels of motivation and achievement.
• Feinstein - reachers a similar conclusion.
• he argues parents own education is the most important factors affecting children’s achievement and since middle class parents tend to be better educated, they are able to give their children an advantage by hoe to socialise in a number of ways

Question 11

Factors affecting Parents

Answer 11

1. Parenting style
2. Parents educational behaviours
3. Use of income
4. Class, income and parental education

Question 12

1. Parenting style

Answer 12

• educated parents parenting style emphasises consistent discipline and high expectations of their children, and it’s supports achievement by encouraging active learning and exportation
• by contrast, less educated parents parenting style is marked by harsh or inconsistent discipline that emphasises ‘doing what your told’ or ‘behaving yourself’. This prevents the children from learning independence and self control, leading to poorer motivation at school and problems interacting with teachers

Question 13

2. Parents educational behaviours

Answer 13

• educated parents are more aware of what is needed to assist their children’s educational progress. As a result, they engage in behaviours such as:
• reading to children
• teaching them letters, numbers, songs, poems and nursery rhymes
• painting and drawing
• helping with homework and being actively involved in their schooling
• educated parents are also better able to get expert advice on childrearing, more successful in establishing good relationships with teachers and better at guiding children’s interactions with school
• these parents also recognise the educational value of activities such as visits to museums and libraries

Question 14

3. Use of income

Answer 14

• better educated parents tend to have higher incomes, they also spend their incomes in ways that promote their children’s success
• berstien and young found, middle class mothers are more likely to buy educational toys, books and activities that encourage reasoning skills and stimulate intellectual development
• working class homes are more likely to lack these resources and this mean children fro such homes stat school without the intellectual skills needed for progress
• educated parents also have a better understanding of nutrition and its importance in child development and a higher income with which to buy more nutritious food

Question 15

4. Class income and parental education

Answer 15

• while better paid, middle class parents tend to be better educated tan lower paid, working class parents, Feinstein notes that parental education has an influence on children’s achievement in its own right, regardless of class or income
• even within a given social class, better educated parents tend to have children who are more successful at school. This may help to explain why not all children of working class parents do equally badly, and why not all children from middle class families are equally successful

Question 16

Working class subculture

Answer 16

• cultural deprivation theorists argue that lack of parental interest in their children’s education reflect the subcultural values of the working class
• subculture = a group whose attitudes and values differ from those of the mainstream culture.
• according to cultural deprivation theorists, large sections of the working class have different goals, beliefs, attitudes and values from the rest of society and this is why their children fail at school

Question 17

Sugarmann (1970) - working class subculture

Answer 17

• sugarmann argues that working class subculture has four key features that act as a barrier to educational achievement:
  1. Fatalism
  2. Collectivism
  3. Immediate gratification
  4. Present time orientation
• working class children internalise the beliefs and values of their subculture through the socialisation process and this results in them underachieving at school
• sugarmann argues that these differences in values stem from the fact that middle class jobs are secure careers offering prospects for continuous individual advancement. This encourages ambition, long term planning and a willingness to invest time and effort in galant qualifications
• in contrast, working class jobs are less secure and have no career structure through which individuals can advance

Question 18

1. Fatalism

Answer 18

• is a belief in fate and that ‘whatever will be will be’ and there is nothing you can do to change your status.
• this contrast with middle class values, which emphasise that your can change your positions through your own efforts

Question 19

2. Collectivism

Answer 19

• valuing being part of a group more that succeeding as an individual.
• this contrasts with the middle class view that the individual should not be held back by group loyalties

Question 20

3. Immediate gratification

Answer 20

• seeking pleasure now rather than later than making any sacrifices in order to get rewards in the future
• by contrast, middle class values emphasis deferred gratification, making sacrifices now for greater rewards later

Question 21

4. Present time orientation

Answer 21

• seeing the present as more important than the future and so not having long term goals or plans.
• by contrast, middle class culture has a future time orientation that sees planning for the future as important

Question 22

Compensatory education

Answer 22

• compensatory educations programmes aim to tackle the problem of cultural deprivation by providing extra resources to schools and communities in deprived areas
• they intervene early in the socialisation processes to compensate children fro the deprivation they experience at home
• the best know example is ‘operation head start’ in the US, a multi billon dollar scheme of pre school children’s environment to develop skills and instil achievement motivation. It included improving parenting skills, setting up nursery classes and home visits by educational psychologists
• in Britain there have been many compensatory education programmes such as sure start, a nation wide programme aimed at pre school children and their parents

Question 23

The myth of cultural deprivation

Answer 23

• cultural deprivation has been widely criticised as an explanation of class differences in achievement
• keddie (1973) describes cultural deprivation as a ‘myth’ and sees it as victim blaming explanation
• she dismisses the idea that failure at school can be blamed on 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 the education system that is dominated by the middle class
• keddie argues that rather than seeing the working class culture as deficient schools should recognise and build on its strengths and should challah be teachers anti working class prejudices

Question 24

The myth of cultural deprivation - Troyna and Williams (1986)

Answer 24

• troyna and Williams argue that the problem is not the child’s language nut the schools attitudes towards it
• teachers have a ‘speech hierarchy’ - they label middle class speech highest, followed by working class speech and finally black speech

Question 25

The myth of cultural deprivation - Blackstone and Mortimore (1994)

Answer 25

• other critics reject the view that working class parents are not invested in their children’s education. According to black tone and mortimore, they attended fewer parents evenings not because of a lack of interest, but because they work longer to less regular hours or are put off by the schools middle class atmosphere
• they may want to help their child progress but they lack the knowledge and education to do so.
• there is also evidence that schools with mainly working class pupils have less effective systems of parent school contacts. This makes it harder to keep in touch about their children’s progress

Question 26

What is Material deprivation?

Answer 26

Refers to poverty and a lack of material necessities such as adequate housing and income

Question 27

Material deprivation and the link to educational underachievement

Answer 27

• poverty is closely linked to the educational underachievement e.g,
• according to the department for education (2012), barley a third of pupils eligible for free school meals, achieve five or more GCSES at a*-c including English and maths, against nearly two thirds of other people
• according to Flaherty (2004), money problems in the family are a significant factor in younger children’s non attendance at school
• exclusion and truancy are more likely for children from poorer families. Children excluded from school are unlikely to return to mainstream education
• nearly 90% of ‘failing’ schools are located in deprived areas

Question 28

The close links between poverty and social class

Answer 28

• there is a close link between poverty and social class. Working class families are much more likely to have lower incomes or inadequate housing. Factors such as these can affect their children’s education in several ways

Question 29

1. Housing

Answer 29

• poor housing can affect pupils achievement both directly and indirectly, e.g overcrowding can have a direct effect making 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 etc
• for young children especially, development can be impaired through lack of space for safe play and exploration
• families living in temporary accommodation mat find themselves having to move frequently, resulting in constant changes of school and disturbed education.
• poor housing can also have indirect effects, notably on the child’s health and welfare, e.g children in crowed 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, such health problems mean more absences from school

Question 30

2. Diet and health

Answer 30

• Howard (2001) notes that young people from poorer homes have lower intakes of eagerly, vitamins and minerals
• poor nutrition affects health, e.g by weakening the immune system and lowering children’s energy levels. Thus may result in more absences from school due to illness, and difficulties concentrating in class
• children from poorer homes are also more likely to have emotional or behavioural problems
• according to Wilkinson (1996), among ten year, the lower the social class the higher the rate of hyperactivity, anxiety and conduct disorders, of all which are likely to have a negative effect on Childs education.
• blanden and machin (2007) found that children from low income families were more likely to engage in ‘externalising’ behaviour such as fighting and temper tantrums, which are likely to disturb their schooling

Question 31

3. Financial support and the costs of education

Answer 31

• lack of financial support means that children from poor families have to do without equipment and miss out on experiences that would enhance their educational achievement
• bull (1980) refers to this as the ‘’cost of free schooling’ - a study by tanner et al (2003) found that this cost of items such as transport, uniforms, books, computers, calculators and sports, music and art equipments places a heavy burden on poor families
• as a result, poor children may have to make do with hand me downs and cheaper but unfashionable equipment. This may lead to them being isolated, stigmatised or bullied by peers
• for many children suitable clothes are essential for self esteem and ‘fitting in’
• according to Flaherty, fear of stigmatisation may also help to explain why 20% of those eligible for free school meals do not take up their entitlement
  -smith and noble (1995) add that poverty acts as a barrier to learning other ways, such as inability to afford private schooling or tuition, and poorer quality local schools
• lack of funds also means that children from low income households often need to work - ridge found that children in poverty take jobs such as babysitting, cleaning and paper round, this often has a negative effect on their schoolwork

Question 32

What is Cultural capital - bourdieu

Answer 32

• bourdieu uses the term cultural capital to refer to the knowledge, attitudes, values, language, taste and abilities of middle class
• he sees middle class culture as a type of capital because, like wealth, it gives an advantage to those that possess it.
• like Bernstein, he argues that through their socialisation, middle class children acquire the ability to grasp, analyse and express abstract ideas. They are more likely to develop intellectual interests and an understanding of what the education system requires for success
• this gives the middle class children an advantage in school, where there abilities and interests are highly values and rewarded with qualifications.
• this is because the education system is not neutral, but favours and transmits the dominant middle class
• in contrast, working class children find that school devalues their culture as ‘rough’ and inferior. There lack of cultural capital leads to exam failure.
• many working class pupils also ‘get the message’ that education is not meant for them and respond by taunting, early leaving or just not trying

Question 33

Bourdieu - three types of capital

Answer 33

• Bourdieu (1984) argues that both cultural and material factors contribute to educational achievement and are not separate but interrelated
• he uses the concept of ‘capital’ to explain why the middle class are more successful
• the term capital usually refers to wealth nut in addiction to this economic capital bourdieu identifies two further types. ‘Educational capitlal’ or qualifications and, ‘cultural capital’
• he argues that the middle class generally posses more of three types

Question 34

Educational and economic capital

Answer 34

• Bourdieu argues that educational, economic and cultural capital can be converted into one another
  E.g, middle class children with cultural capital are better equipped to meet the demands of the school curriculum and gain qualifications
  Similarly, wealthier parents cam convert their economic capital into educational capital by sending their child to private schools and paying for extra tuition
• leech and campos (2003) study shows, middle class parents are more likely to be bale to afford a house in the catchment area of a school that is highly placed in exam league tables. This has come known as ‘selection by mortgage’, because it drives up the cost of houses near to successful schools and excludes working class families

Question 35

A test of bourdieus ideas

Answer 35

• Sullivan (2001) used questionnaires to conduct a survey of 465 pupils in four schools to asses their cultural capital, she asked the, about a range of activities, such as reading and to habits, and whether they visited art galleries, museums and theatres
• she found that those who reads complex fiction and watched serious to documentaries developed a wider vocabulary and greater cultural knowledge, indicating greater cultural capital the pupils with the greatest cultural capital were children graduates - these pupils were more likely to be successful at GCSE.
• although successful pupils with greater cultural capital were more likely to be middle class, Sullivan found that cultural capital only accounted fro part of the class difference in achievement
• pupils of different classes has the same level of cultural capital, middle class pupil’s still did better
• Sullivan concludes that the greater respired and aspiration of middle class families explain the remainder of the class gap in achievement