Class Differences in Achievement: External

Question 1

State what the research done by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies found out about children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Answer 1

Centre for Longitudinal Studies found that by the age of three, children from disadvantaged backgrounds were already up to one year behind those from more privileged homes and the gap widened with age.

Question 2

What does ‘cultural deprivation’ mean?

Answer 2

Cultural deprivation is when a person lacks the basic ‘cultural equipment’. Some sociologists argue that most of us begin to acquire basic values, attitudes and skills that are needed for educational actievement and cultural deprivation is the lack of these.

Question 3

What do cultural deprivation theorists say about working class parents on the socialisation of their children?

Answer 3

They say that many working-class families fail to socialise their children adequately, and these children grow ‘culturally deprived’.

Question 4

List the three main aspects of cultural deprivation.

Answer 4

• Language
• Parents’ education
• Working-class subculture.

Question 5

What did Leon Feinstein found out about language used by middle-class?

Answer 5

He found out that edudcated parents are more likely to use language to encourage their children to evaluate their understanding and abilities.
‘What do you think?’

Question 6

What did Leon Feinstain state about praise given to children?

Answer 6

Leon Feinstein said that educated parents are more likely to praise their children, and this encourages children to develop a sense of achievement.

Question 7

How does Bereiter and Engelmann describe the working-class language?

Answer 7

They claim that the language used by working class homes are deficient. They describe lower-class families as communicating with gestures, single words and disjointed phrases. As a result, the children grow up incapable of abstract thinking.

Question 8

Who identified the two differences between WC and MC language that influences achievement and claimed that working class language is deficient?

Answer 8

Basil Bernstein

Question 9

State the two different speech codes used by MC and WC. (Bernstein)

Answer 9

• The restricted code.

- The elaborated code.

Question 10

Who found out that working class parents tended to place less value on education?

Answer 10

Douglas

Question 11

According to Douglas’s research on the value placed on education by WC parents, what will their attitudes be towards education?

Answer 11

The working class parents will be less enthusiastic about education and they will also be less ambitious for their children, giving them less encouragement.

Question 12

Explain what the parenting style of middle class parents migt be.

Answer 12

Middle class parenting style emphasises consistent discipline and high expectations of children. This supports active learning and exploration.

Question 13

Explain what the parenting style of working class parents might be.

Answer 13

Working class parenting style is marked by harsh and inconsistent discipline that emphasises ‘doing as you’re told’. This prevents the child from learning independance and self control, leading to poorer motivation.

Question 14

What would be the educational behaviour of a middle class parent?

Answer 14

Reading to children
Teaching them letterrs
Taking them to museums
Painting and drawing
Helping with homework

Question 15

What did Bernstein and Young found about use of income?

Answer 15

They found out that middle class mothers were more likely to buy educational toys, books and activities that would stimulate intellectual development.

Question 16

What do cultural deprivation theorists say about working class subculture?

Answer 16

They say that lack of parental interest in their children’s education reflects the subcultural values of the working class.

Question 17

Barry Sugarman claims that there are four key features of working class subculture that act as a barrier to educational achievement. List them.

Answer 17

• Fatalism
• Collectivism
• Immediate gratification
• Present-time orientation.

Question 18

What does Barry Sugarman say about the reasons for the working class subculture?

Answer 18

Middle class jobs and positions are more secure.
Working class jobs are mixed and unpredictable.

Question 19

Give an example of compensatory education.

Answer 19

• Operation Headstart
• Sesame Street
• Sure Start

Question 20

How does Nell Keddie criticise cultural deprivation?

Answer 20

Nell Keddie escribes cultural deprivation as a ‘myth’ and sees it as victim-blaming. Working class children are not culturally deprived, but are culturally different.

Question 21

Who claims that there is a ‘speech hierarchy’ in schools?

Answer 21

Troyna and Williams.

Question 22

How do Blackstone and Mortimore criticise the cultural deprivation theory?

Answer 22

They say that fewer working class parents attent meetings, not because of a lack of interest but because of long work hours.

Question 23

How can inadequate housing cause children to underachieve?

Answer 23

• Overcrowding : Less room for educational activities.
• Disturbed sleep from sharing bedrooms.
• Lack of space and exploration
• Moving frequently interrupts education
• Greater risk of accidents.

Question 24

What does Marilyn Howard have to say on Diet and Health, in terms of material deprivation?

Answer 24

Marilyn Howard notes that young people from poorer homes have lower intakes of energy, vitamins and minerals which leads to underachivement.

Question 25

The lower the working class, the more likely you are to find hyperactivity, anxiety and conduct disorders.

Who claims this?

Answer 25

Wilkinson.

Question 26

What does Bull state about ‘free schooling’ and costs of education?

Answer 26

According to Bull, lack of financial support means children from poor families will have to do without equipment and miss out on educational experiences. He refers to this as ‘cost of free schooling’.

Question 27

School equipment puts a heavy strain on some poor households. Who said this?

Answer 27

Tanner et al.

Question 28

Children in poverty wake on jobs such as babysitting, cleaning and paper rounds so this has a negative impact on their schoolwork.

Who said this?

Answer 28

Ridge.

Question 29

What did Callender and Jackson say on financial situation of students?

Answer 29

Because working class people are afraid of debts, they won’t be going to university.

Question 30

According to UCAS, the number of UK applicants fell compared to the previous year. How much did it fall?

Answer 30

%8.6

Question 31

State the dropout rate of London Metropolitan, a university with a large working-class intake.

Answer 31

%16.6

Question 32

Both cultural and material factors contribute to educational achievement. Both are related. Who does say this?

Answer 32

Bourdieu

Question 33

List the three types of capital according to Bourdieu.

Answer 33

Economic capital
Educational capital (qualifications)
Cultural capital

Bourdieu says middle class has more of these.

Question 34

Middle class children have cultural capital, which helps at school. It ıncludes attitudes, knowledge, language and tastes. Who says this?

Answer 34

Bourdieu.

Question 35

Who criticises Bourdieu’s ‘cultural capital’ and how?

Answer 35

Alice Sullivan found that cultural capital only accounted for part of the class difference in achievement. Even though pupils had the same cultural capital, some middle class pupils did better, according to her survey of 465 people.