class differences in achievements

Question 1

who identifies the two codes, the restricted code and the elaborate code.
what do they mean?
what code does the school use and who is at a disadvantage?

Answer 1

Basil Bernstein (1975)
the restricted code(working class):limited vocabulary & context-bound 
the elaborate code(middle class): wider vocabulary & context-free
the elaborate code is used in education giving middle-class children an advantage when they start school(fluent users in the language)

Question 2

who argues that parents own education is the most important factor?
and what the three factors?

Answer 2

Leon Feinstein(2008)
Parenting style: Educated parents emphasise consistent discipline, uneducated-parents is the opposite
Parent’ educational behaviours: form good relationship with teachers and see the value of children’s cognitive development
Use of income: buyeducation toys

Question 3

Who argues the 4 key features of Working-class subculture and what are they?

Answer 3

Barry Sugarman(1970)
immediate gratification: wanting rewards now rather than being willing to make sacrifices and working hard for future rewards
Fatalism: A belief that ‘whatever will be, will be’
Collectivism: valuing being part of a group rather than succeeding as an individual
Present-time orientation: no long term goals

Question 4

Criticism of the Cultural Deprivation

Answer 4

• Nell Keddie(1973) describe it as a ‘myth’, they are simply culturally different. they fail cos edu is dominated by middle-class values.
• Others critics reject the idea w-c parents aren’t interested in children’s education(parents meeting)

Question 5

Who argues the 4 key features of Working-class subculture and what are they?

Answer 5

Barry Sugarman(1970)
immediate gratification: wanting rewards now rather than being willing to make sacrifices and working hard for future rewards
Fatalism: A belief that ‘whatever will be, will be’
Collectivism: valuing being part of a group rather than succeeding as an individual
Present-time orientation: no long term goals

Question 6

Criticism of the Cultural Deprivation

Answer 6

• Nell Keddie(1973) describe it as a ‘myth’, they are simply culturally different. they fail cos edu is dominated by middle-class values.
• Others critics reject the idea w-c parents aren’t interested in children’s education(parents meeting)

Question 7

Who argues the 4 key features of Working-class subculture and what are they?

Answer 7

Barry Sugarman(1970)
immediate gratification: wanting rewards now rather than being willing to make sacrifices and working hard for future rewards
Fatalism: A belief that ‘whatever will be, will be’
Collectivism: valuing being part of a group rather than succeeding as an individual
Present-time orientation: no long term goals

Question 8

Criticism of the Cultural Deprivation

Answer 8

• Nell Keddie(1973) describe it as a ‘myth’, they are simply culturally different. they fail cos edu is dominated by middle-class values.
• Others critics reject the idea w-c parents aren’t interested in children’s education(parents meeting)

Question 9

Who argues the 4 key features of Working-class subculture and what are they?

Answer 9

Barry Sugarman(1970)
immediate gratification: wanting rewards now rather than being willing to make sacrifices and working hard for future rewards
Fatalism: A belief that ‘whatever will be, will be’
Collectivism: valuing being part of a group rather than succeeding as an individual
Present-time orientation: no long term goals

Question 10

Criticism of the Cultural Deprivation

Answer 10

• Nell Keddie(1973) describe it as a ‘myth’, they are simply culturally different. they fail cos edu is dominated by middle-class values.
• Others critics reject the idea w-c parents aren’t interested in children’s education(parents meeting)

Question 11

Who argues the 4 key features of Working-class subculture and what are they?

Answer 11

Barry Sugarman(1970)
immediate gratification: wanting rewards now rather than being willing to make sacrifices and working hard for future rewards
Fatalism: A belief that ‘whatever will be, will be’
Collectivism: valuing being part of a group rather than succeeding as an individual
Present-time orientation: no long term goals

Question 12

Criticism of the Cultural Deprivation

Answer 12

• Nell Keddie(1973) describe it as a ‘myth’, they are simply culturally different. they fail cos edu is dominated by middle-class values.
• Others critics reject the idea w-c parents aren’t interested in children’s education(parents meeting)

Question 13

Material Deprivation factors

Answer 13

Poor housing: overcrowding or cold rooms means no appropriate place to do homework
Poor diet:illness, absence from school
Financial cost of education: afford fewer equipment e.g computers. Bull refers to this as ‘cost of free schooling’
Fear of debt: university tuition fees

Question 14

Cultural Capitial and who argues this?

Answer 14

Bourdieu(1984) Middle class possess all three captial(wealth)
Cultural Capital: refers to everything that hold values of the middle class 
Educational and Economic capital: all three can be converted to eachother e.g converting their economic capital to educational capital(private schools)

Question 15

Labelling and give one sociologist

Answer 15

labelling is attaching a definition to them.
Howard Becker(1971)- teachers label middle class as closest to ‘idea pupil’ and prefer to teach them than w.c

Question 16

what is the self fulfilling prophecy

and the 3 steps

Answer 16

it is a prediction that comes true simply by virtue of having it made
step 1- teacher labels a student e.g smart
step 2-teach treats pupil accordingly as if the prediction is already true e.g expectations
step 3- pupil internalises the teachers expectations and becomes a part of his self-image

Question 17

What is streaming

Answer 17

an extreme institutionalised form of labelling. pupils of similar ability are put together for all subjects

Question 18

Criticism of labelling theory

Answer 18

accused of determinism but pupils can go against teacher labelling

Question 19

Pupil subculture- which sociologist identifies the concepts of differentiation and polarisation

Answer 19

Colin Lacey(1970)
differentiation- process of teacher categorising(streaming)
polarisation- pupils responds to steaming by moving toward the two opposite ‘poles’:

pro-school subculture: accept schools values(middle class)
anti-school subculture: reject the school’s value(working class)

Question 20

Class identities and achievement

explain (sociologist) concept of habitus

Answer 20

Louise Archer eat al (2010)
Habitus- a social class’ habitat e.g lifestyle
Symbolic Capital and symbolic violence- school commit symbolic violence by devaluing working-class pupils’ habits /and denying symbolic capital(recognition and status)
‘Nike’ identities- gaining their own symbolic capital from peers, consuming branded goods
‘losing yourself’- succeeding at school means being inauthentic, ‘nike’ identities are authentic but cause conflict with school .

Question 21

why do successful working-class girls face hidden barriers?
give the sociologist

Answer 21

Sarah Evans(2009)
they felt their identity wouldn’t ‘fit in’ with the habitus of elite universities