Class differences in achievement-Internal

Question 1

Define Labelling

Answer 1

process of defining a group or person positively or negatively, based on perceived characteristics.
To label someone is to attach meaning/definition to them

Question 2

Outline all Labelling Theorists and what they advocate?

Answer 2

> Becker (Ideal Pupil)
Rist (Primary School Tables)
Dunne and Glazeley (Labelling in Secondary Schools)
Jacobson and Rosenthal (IQ Test)

Question 3

Explain Becker’s Idea of the Ideal Pupil

Answer 3

> Teachers form opinion of pupil based on how close pupils fit ideal pupil.
Pupils from MC viewed as closest to ideal
WC furthest as they were seen as badly behaved.
These labels can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy
Pupils work, attitude, appearance key factors influencing teachers’ judgements

Question 4

Outline Labelling in secondary schools
Dunne and Gazley

Answer 4

argue Schools produced WC underachievement due to labels they were given

> teachers Normalised’ and unconcerned about under achievement of WC

> But believed they could overcome under achievement of MC.

Question 5

Explain how teachers viewed pupils from different classes in Dunne & Glazely Study of Labelling in Secondary Schools

Answer 5

> Saw WC uninterested in education and MC as supportive e.g. attending parents evenings etc.

> Lead to differences in how they helped MC setting them extension work but entered WC pupils for foundation exams.

> Underestimated WC kids potential - those who did well were seen as overachieving.

ways teachers explained underachievement constructed class differences and level of attainment

Question 6

Explain Rist Study of Labelling within Primary Schools

Answer 6

> Teacher used home background & appearance place kids in separate groups
Those teachers saw as clever and treated better were called tigers, seen as neat, MC & clean appearance

> Slow learners, labelled as ‘clowns’ and WC sat further away and neglected.

Question 7

Explain Rosenthal & Jacobson’s study SFP

Answer 7

> IQ Test given to students. Random 20% of children identified as (bloomers) to teachers

> Went back a year later, finding children labelled as bloomers made more progress than others.

Question 8

What is the SFP

Answer 8

A prediction that comes true

Interactionists argue labeling affect pupils’ achievement by creating a self-fulfilling prophecy

Step one- teacher labels tpupil (e.g. us being very intelligent) and makes predictions about him (he will make outstanding academic progress)

Step 2- teacher treats pupil accordingly to prediction (e.g. giving more attention & expecting higher standard of work)

Step 3- pupil internalize his teachers’ expectations which becomes part of his self-concept or self-image, so he becomes pupil the teacher believed him to be, -prediction fulfilled

Question 9

Explain how Fuller sees the idea of teacher Labelling as too deterministic in relation to criticisms of Labelling Theory?

Answer 9

Black girls she studied were labelled as low achievers.
- Their aim was to channel their anger of being labelled into educational sucess - study hard to prove their teachers wrong,

Question 10

A03

Explain how Marxists criticise Labelling Theory?

Answer 10

Ignore wider structure of power within which labelling takes place, labeling theory blames teachers for labelling pupils but fails to explain why

Marxist say labels not always result of teachers individual prejudices but stem from fact teachers work in a system, reproducing class divisions.

Question 11

Outline the Impact of Setting & Streaming Theorists Setting and what they advocate?

Answer 11

> Gilbourn and Youdell (A-C Economy)

Question 12

Define Setting

Answer 12

Placing kids in groups based on ability in individual subjects.

Question 13

Define Streaming

Answer 13

Placing kids in groups based on overall ability in all subjects.

Question 14

What process is likely to occur when students are streamed?

Answer 14

Self-fulfilling prophecy likely to occur when kids are streamed.

Question 15

What is the negative consequence of Streaming?

Answer 15

When streamed it’s hard to move up, entered for lower tiers, students internalize message they’re ‘no-hopers’ not having potential do well.

Question 16

Explain Douglas study on the Impact of Setting and Streaming?

Answer 16

Children placed in lower stream at 8 suffered decline in IQ score by age 11, opposite for children in top streams.

Question 17

Explain Gilbourn and Youdell’s idea of the A-C Economy?

Answer 17

> Link streaming to publishing league tables.

> Creating an ‘A-C economy in schools’ - schools focus time, and resources on kids they see as having potential to get 5 C’s to boost position on league table.

Question 18

Explain what process do Schools use to assess which students are most likely to get them C’s and what occurs in this?

Answer 18

Educational Triage
> Those who’ll pass anyway - left to get on with it
Those with potential - targeted intervention to help get C.
Hopeless cases - No chance of passing - doomed to fail.

Question 19

Explain the Criticisms of Sociologists view on Streaming

Answer 19

Allows higher ability children to be challenged and lower ability students to be supported, so can lead to higher achievement

Question 20

Subculture Theorists and what they advocate?

Answer 20

LACEY-(Differentiation & Polarisation)
Hargreaves( Anti school Subculture)
Ball ( Abolishing streaming)
Woods ( 4 responses)
Furlong ( not fully in one response)

Question 21

Pupils subculture

Answer 21

> A pupils subculture is a group of pupils who share similar values & behaviour patterns> Pupil subcuktures Emerge as response to way pupils been labelled and as reaction to streaming

Question 22

Pubil subcultures

Explain Differentiation in relation to Lacey’s Explanation for the development of Pupil Subcultures?

Answer 22

Where teachers group students, based on ability, attitude, and behaviour.
Streaming is form of differentiation, as it categorises pupils into different classes.
Those school see ‘more able’ given higher status & placed in higher streams
less able placed in lower streams

Question 23

Explain Polarisation in relation to Lacey’s Explanation for the development of Pupil Subcultures?

Answer 23

Where children respond to streaming by moving to pro-school subculture or an anti-school subculture.

Question 24

Pro-school subculture

Answer 24

Pupils placed in higher stream(MC)
Committed to school’s values of hard work, respect for authority etc.
Gain approval/status from academic success
they form pro school subculture

Question 25

Anti-school subculture

Answer 25

Pupils placed in lower streams(WC)-suffer low self esteem
school has undermined their self worth by placing them in lower streams
labelling them as failure
- Reject school values & form anti school subculture by gaining status from peers by e.g. truanting, disruption, not doing homework etc.

Question 26

Why do Pupils in Low Streams Join Anti-School Subcultures?

Answer 26

> As school deprives them of status, labelling them as failures.

> So create own status hierarchy, gaining status from peers, rebel against values of school

Question 27

Explain the Impact of Subcultures?

Answer 27

> Joining anti school subculture Often lead to self-fulfilling prophecy.
Those in pro-school subculture work hard so succeed
Those in anti-school subculture faff about and fail.

Question 28

Explain Hargreaves Study in relation to Anti-School Subcultures?

Answer 28

> Boys in secondary who’d failed 11+ exams was put in low-streams, and labelled worthless by school.

> In response formed ASS to get high status, going against school rules.

> Forming delinquent subculture, guaranteeing their academic failure.

Question 29

Explain Ball’s Study on the Impact of Abolishing Streaming

Answer 29

> When schools abolished streaming, polarisation and anti-school subcultures declined.

> But differentiation remained as teachers continued to categorise pupils

> Likely to label middle class as cooperative and able.

> Positive labelling resulted in better exam results where self-fulfilling prophecy happened.

Question 30

Woods found that students didn’t always join anti or pro school subcultures, but there were 4 other responses, what were these?

Answer 30

Ingratiation – Pupils who’re eager to please teachers, having favourable attitude towards school. (Teacher’s Pet)
Ritualism - Going through motions, (don’t take an interest) staying out of trouble.
Retreatism - Faff about and daydream in class but not challenging authority of school.
Rebellion - Troublemakers, firmly reject everything school stands for - challenging authority.

Question 31

What was Furlong’s view on the 4 responses?

Answer 31

Students may not be fully in 1 response, moving between them acting differently with different lessons and teachers.

Question 32

Outline Class Identity Theorists and what they outline?

Answer 32

> Bourdieu (Habitus)
Archer (Nike Identities)
Evans (WC Girls - Self Exclusion for Success)

Question 33

Define Habitus

Answer 33

> Learned ways of thinking, being or acting shared by a social class

> Including tastes, outlook on life, expectations and what’s normal or realistic for people ‘like us’

Question 34

Explain how the Education System works in favour of middle class habitus compared to working class habitus?

Answer 34

MC have power to impose their habitus on the education system, system so school holds MC values, placing higher value on their tastes and preferences, see WC habitus as inferior.

Question 35

Define Symbolic Capital

Answer 35

Those who’ve been socialised with MC habitus gain ‘symbolic capital’- status and recognition from school, deemed to be valuable.

Question 36

Define Symbolic Violence

Answer 36

> Where school rejects WC habitus and WC tastes are deemed worthless.

> Reproduces class structure and keeping WC ‘in their place’

Question 37

Explain the Impact of symbolic violence on WC students

Answer 37

> WC see world of education as alien and unnatural

> WC felt they have to change/lose themselves to be successful.

Question 38

Explain Archer’s Findings on Nike Identities?

Answer 38

> Symbolic violence leads WC students to find alternatives to creating self-worth, status and value.

> Done by investing heavily in ‘styles’ like Nike, to gain status from peers

> Styles were heavily policed by peer groups not conforming was ‘social suicide’

> This conflicted with the school’s dress code and conflict with their MC habitus.

Question 39

A03

Explain how Postmodernists criticise Class Identities?

Answer 39

> Postmodernists say class, no longer has as much impact on students identity, due to pick n mix culture.