Class differences in attainment- internal

Question 1

Define labelling

Answer 1

to give someone a definition

Question 2

Where do teachers base their assumptions on in terms of labelling?

Answer 2

Class background- e.g. working class pupil-> negatively labelled, middle class pupil-> positively labelled

Question 3

What study did Becker conduct to research labelling in schools?

Answer 3

• 60 Chicago high school teachers
• Teachers judged how closely pupils fitted to ‘ideal pupil’
• MC students= closer to ideal pupil
• WC students= further from ideal pupil (perceived as badly behaved)

Question 4

What was Hempel-Jorgenson’s criticism of the labelling theory?

Answer 4

Hempel-Jorgenson= We cannot generalise the ideal pupil- in MC schools the ideal pupil is based on ability and personality, not behaviour

Question 5

How would Marxists criticise the labelling theory?

Answer 5

The theory ignores the wider structure of power in which labelling takes place

Question 6

What was Ray Rist’s study on in terms of the labelling theory?

Answer 6

• American Kindergarten
• Teacher examined information on children’s backgrounds and appearance when putting children in 3 groups
• ‘fast learners’= MC, seated closest, most encouragement
• WC- sat further away, lower level books to read to themselves

Question 7

How is the self fulfilling prophecy formed in 3 steps?

Answer 7

1. Teacher labels pupil e.g. student= intelligent
2. Teacher acts accordingly to label (expects higher standard, gives more attention)
3. Pupil internalises teachers label-> becoming part of their self concept-> become pupil teacher labelled them as= prediction fulfilled

Question 8

What was Rosenthal and Jacobson’s study on The self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer 8

• they told a school they had designed a test that would identify students that would ‘spurt’ ahead (it was a normal IQ test)
• ‘spurters’= 20% of random students
• a year later almost half of the ‘spurters’ had made significant progress (teachers changed their expectations-> affected how well kids did)

Question 9

Give a criticism of the self fulfilling prophecy theory

Answer 9

Not all students will accept the label they are given -> SFP, some might actively try and prove their label wrong

Question 10

Define streaming

Answer 10

separating students into different groups/‘streams’ based on ability (likely to cause SFP)

Question 11

What is the likely affect of streaming on a WC student?

Answer 11

WC student-> lower stream-> lower self confidence -> SFP

Question 12

What is the likely affect of streaming on a MC student?

Answer 12

MC student -> higher stream-> higher self confidence-> SFP

Question 13

What did Douglas find as evidence for the effects of children in a higher stream?

Answer 13

Children placed in a higher stream at age 8 had improved IQ by 11

Question 14

What is the “A to C” economy? and who came up with it?

Answer 14

1. Gillborn and Youdell
2. The “A to C” economy- schools focus on pupils they see potential in to get Cs or above, boosts league table position
   - Two London secondary schools- teachers are less likely to see black working class pupils as having ability-> placed in lower streams-> lower-tiered GCSEs-> widens gap in achievement

Question 15

What is ‘The educational triage’? and who came up with it?

Answer 15

• A to C economy-> educational triage
• schools categorise pupils into three types:
  1. Those who will pass anyway and can be left to themselves
  2. Those with potential- need help to get a grade C or better
  3. ‘Hopeless cases’- doomed to fail
  Gillborn and Youdell- teachers use this stereotypical view-> label Black pupils as ‘hopeless cases’ who lack ability= SFP

Question 16

Give a criticism of Gillborn and Youdell’s The educational triage theory:

Answer 16

• outdated theory- now every child matters there is focus on all

Question 17

What are the two ways Lacey says pupil subcultures develop? define these

Answer 17

1. Differntiation= teachers categorise pupils on ability/attitude etc e.g. streaming
2. Polarisation= pupils respond to streaming in 2 opposite ‘poles’- pro school, anti-school subculture

Question 18

How do pro-school subcultures form?/what are they?

Answer 18

Pupils placed in high streams (MC)-> more committed to school values and gain status through academic success= pro-school subculture

Question 19

What is an anti-school subculture/how do they form?

Answer 19

Pupils placed in low streams (WC)-> lower self-esteem-> other ways of achieving success (smoking, not doing homework)= anti-school subculture

Question 20

What was Ball’s study on abolishing streaming? what did he find?

Answer 20

Studied comprehensive in process of abolishing streaming
Largely removed anti-school subcultures BUT teachers continued to categorise pupils in diff ways (MC= more able etc)-> SFP
Thus, class inequalities still occur without streaming but through labelling

Question 21

What are the 4 pupil responses to the education system according to Woods? Define each of these

Answer 21

1. Ingratiation= teacher’s pet
2. Ritualism= going through motions, staying out of trouble
3. Retreatism= Daydreaming, mucking about
4. Rebellion= rejection of all school values

Question 22

How would Marxists criticise internal class differences e.g. labelling?

Answer 22

Marxists- labels are not just the result of individual teachers prejudices but because they work in a system that produces class divisions

Question 23

Define Bourdieu’s term ‘Habitus’

Answer 23

Habitus= a group’s habitus is their shared way of thinking, being and acting, formed as a result of their class structure

Question 24

According to Bourdieu, how does MC habitus advantage MC children in schools? How does Archer support this?

Answer 24

Schools have MC habitus-> pupils socialised into MC tastes gain symbolic capital at school (devalues WC habitus as worthless)= symbolic violence- keeps WC in place

Thus, WC students may find their educational experience unnatural

Archer- WC pupils felt that to be educationally successful they would have to change how they talk, present themselves

Question 25

Define what Archer means by ‘Nike identities’ and how this can impact wc children’s education

Answer 25

WC pupils found alterative ways for self-worth through creating class identities and investing in ‘styles’ like Nike-> earning symbolic capital, preventing bullying
Influences their rejection of higher education which they saw as ‘unrealistic’ and ‘undesirable’
Caused educational marginalisation, may choose self- elimination from school

Question 26

What was Ingrams’ study on Working class identity and educational success?

Answer 26

2 groups of WC boys- same deprived neighbourhood
1. Grammer school boys- tension between habitus of wc neighbourhood and MC school
2. Local secondary school- WC identity was inseparable from belonging to a wc locality, neighbourhood was key part of their habitus (Evans supports- partciulalry wc girls have strong attachment to locality)

Question 27

What was Sarah Evans study on class identity and self-exclusion? How was this supported by Bourdieu?

Answer 27

Study: Evans- group of 21 wc girls, London, studying for A levels- many were reluctant to apply to Oxbridge- fear of ‘not fitting in’, had strong attachement to locality (only 4/21 decided to leave home)

Supported by Bourdieu- WC- Oxbridge= ‘not for the likes of us’

Question 28

According to Reay, how does class identity and self-exclusion affect wc pupils’ education?

Answer 28

Reay- Self exclusion from elite universities narrows the options for WC pupils, limits their sucess