Class Differences In Achievement - External Factors

Question 1

What does differential educational achievement refer to?

Answer 1

Refers to differences in the level of educational qualifications achieved by social groups.

Question 2

What evidence shows inequalities in educational achievement by social class?

Answer 2

Youth Lifestyles Survey (2010) found that:

• 77% of high social-class students achieved A-Levels, but only 38% of the lowest social-class did.

Question 3

What are the 2 factors used to explain class differences?

Answer 3

1). Internal =

Factors within school, such as; interactions between teachers and pupils, and, inequalities between schools.

2). External =

Factors outside of school, such as; influences of home and background and wider society.

Question 4

What are the external factors that affect educational achievement?

Answer 4

1. Material deprivation.
2. Cultural deprivation.
3. Cultural capital.

Question 5

What are some examples of material/cultural deprivation?

Answer 5

1. Material =

Includes housing, diet and income.

2. Cultural =

Includes class differences in norms and values acquired through socialisation, attitudes to education and speech codes.

Question 6

Is material/cultural deprivation a theory or actual social facts?

Answer 6

A theory = they are trying to explain the social facts.

Question 7

What is material deprivation?

Answer 7

The lack of necessities that can be bought or owned.

Question 8

What percentage of failing schools are in deprived areas?

Answer 8

Nearly 90%.

Question 9

What evidence is there to suggest that poverty is closely related to educational underachievement?

Answer 9

Exclusion and truancy are more likely for poorer children –> excluded children are less likely to return and 1/3 of all persistent truants leave school with no qualifications.

Question 10

What are the 5 material factors that can affect pupils’ achievement?

Answer 10

1) . Nutrition/diet.
2) . Emotional/behavioural problems.
3) . The ‘cost of free schooling’.
4) . Stigma and part-time jobs.
5) . University fees = putting w/c off going.

Question 11

Who said poor nutrition can affect pupils’ achievement?

Answer 11

HOWARD = Young deprived children have lower intakes of energy, vitamins, and minerals –> health is affected; weakening their immune system and lowering energy levels.

• Leads to more absences due to illness.
• Difficult to concentrate in class.

Question 12

Who said behavioural issues can affect pupils’ achievement?

Answer 12

WILKINSON = Amongst 10 year olds, the lower the social class, the higher the rates of hyperactivity, anxiety and conduct disorders.

• All have a negative impact of the child’s education.

Question 13

Who said a lack of financial support can affect pupils’ achievement?

Answer 13

BULL (cost of free schooling) = Children from poorer families go without equipment and experiences that would enhance educational achievement.

• This can impair their performance, compared with someone whom has these necessities.

Question 14

Who said stigmatisation affects materially deprived children?

Answer 14

FLAHERTY = Fear of stigma can explain why 20% of children eligible for free-school meals don’t take up their entitlement.

Question 15

Who said taking on part-time jobs can affect pupils’ achievement?

Answer 15

RIDGE = Lack of funds leads to children taking on part-time jobs, such as; babysitting, cleaning and paper rounds. This often has a negative impact on schoolwork.

Question 16

Who said that a fear of university debt can affect pupils’ achievement?

Answer 16

CALLENDER + JACKSON = w/c students are more debt averse (saw more costs than benefits in going to uni), which means they are less likely to go.

• When at uni they receive less financial support from their families.

Question 17

What is cultural deprivation?

Answer 17

The lack of dominant norms, values, attitudes and skills acquired at a young age through primary socialisation.

Question 18

What are the 3 cultural factors affecting pupils’ achievement?

Answer 18

1) . Language = speech codes.
2) . Working-class subcultures = attitudes and beliefs.
3) . Parents’ education = parental involvement and primary socialisation.

Question 19

Who discusses language as influential in achievement?

Answer 19

BERNSTEIN = he discusses 2 types of speech codes;

1. Restricted = limited vocab; context bound, short grammatically simple sentences.
2. Elaborated = more complex sentences that are able to convey more abstract ideas.

Question 20

Who uses each speech code?

Answer 20

1. Restricted code =
   - w/c –> they are likely to feel more excluded and be less successful.
2. Elaborated code =
   - m/c pupils (use it without thinking about it), education; teachers, textbooks, exams, university interviews, etc.
   - gives m/c pupils an advantage as they feel ‘at home’ in school.

Question 21

Explain why textbooks use the elaborated code?

Answer 21

Because they don’t know who their readers are, so they have to spell out their meanings very explicitly in a way that will be understood universally.

Question 22

How is Bernstein criticised?

Answer 22

1. He describes w/c speech as inadequate, however, he says w/c fail because schools fail to teach them the elaborated code.
2. Labov =
   In Harlem, he found little to no differences between the classes in terms of speech - says Bernstein’s theory is an assumption of whole class.

Question 23

Who says the attitudes and values of w/c subcultures act as a barrier to educational achievement?

Answer 23

SUGARMAN = w/c internalise the values of their subculture, resulting in underachievement.

Question 24

What does Sugarman say the values of the w/c subcultures are?

Answer 24

1). Fatalism =

acceptance of the situation instead of trying to improve it.

2). Immediate gratification =

seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices for future rewards.

3). Present-time orientation =

seeking the present as more important than the future, so not having long-term goals.

4). Collectivism =

values on being part of a group rather than succeeding as an individual.

Question 25

Why do these differences in values exist, according to Sugarman?

Answer 25

Stems from m/c and w/c jobs;

• m/c jobs = secure and offer continuous gain in prospects and qualifications.
• w/c jobs = less secure with few opportunities.

Children adopt these values and parents’ careers influence their values.

Question 26

How is Sugarman criticised?

Answer 26

1) . Data is based off a questionnaire which contains its flaws.
2) . May be realistic rather than fatalistic.
3) . May defer gratification if they had the resources to.
4) . May make plans for the future if the opportunities were available.

Question 27

Who said parents’ attitudes to education affects pupils’ achievement?

Answer 27

JWB DOUGLAS = discusses parental involvement and primary socialisation as influential in a child’s educational achievement.

Question 28

How is parental involvement influential in educational achievement?

Answer 28

1. w/c parents placed less values on education, so;

less ambitious and encouraging for their children, took less interest and visited school less to discuss child’s progress.

2. However, educated m/c parents valued education, so;

frequent visits, more likely to want their children to stay on after the leaving age, parental interest grows with age.

Question 29

How is primary socialisation influential in educational achievement?

Answer 29

m/c children;

receive greater attention, encouragement to do their best. They are given an advantage in early years, ready for secondary education.

Question 30

How is JWB Douglas criticised?

Answer 30

1. Parents evenings =

w/c parents may not attend them so frequently because of their demands of work (shift work) and stigma (or fear of it).

2. Lack of knowledge =

w/c parents may want to help bu lack knowledge themselves –> just because they don’ help, it doesn’t mean they don’t want to.

Question 31

What is an example of a compensatory education programmes which helped with deprivation at home?

Answer 31

1). Operation Head Start (US, 1960s) =

set up to develop skills and instil motivation for achievement.

2) EAZ.
3) Sure Start.

Question 32

How is cultural deprivation theory labelled as a ‘myth’?

Answer 32

Keddie =

w/c fail because they are disadvantaged by education as it’s dominated by m/c values, and teachers are anti-w/c.

Question 33

Who developed the cultural capital theory?

Answer 33

BOURDIEU =

argues they m/c pupils are more successful because their parents possess more capital (wealth).

Question 34

What types of capital does Bourdieu identify?

Answer 34

1). Cultural capital =

the attitudes, values, skills, knowledge, etc of the m/c that is valued and rewarded highly by qualifications; giving them an advantage.

2). Economic capital =

the wealth that m/c families own, can give children an advantage as they can go to private schools.

Question 35

How does Bourdieu say material and cultural factors are linked to produce class inequality?

Answer 35

m/c parents use their wealth and attitudes to obtain educational capital –> qualifications.

• Having cultural capital equips pupils for school and wealth allows better tuition.

Question 36

How does Leech and Campos support educational capital?

Answer 36

m/c parents are more likely to be able to afford a house within a high achieving catchment area –> pushing house prices up and w/c out.

Question 37

How does Sullivan test Bourdieu’s ideas?

Answer 37

Conducted a questionnaire on 465 pupils and found those that read complex fiction and watched documentaries had higher cultural capital, and were children of graduates.

• More likely to be successful at GCSE’s.
• m/c still were better than those from other social classes with similar cultural capital as they have economic capital.