CLASS DIFFERENCES IN EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

Question 1

What evidence for social class differences in working class children?

Answer 1

AO1/2
More likely to start school unable to read

Do less well in SAT’s

Less likely to go on to Sixth Form and University

Question 2

How can we explain these differences?

Answer 2

Factors affecting underachievement linked to class split in two areas -

EXTERNAL FACTORS (outside the education system at home and wider society)

INTERNAL FACTORS (relationships/process within school)

Question 3

EXTERNAL FACTORS

Answer 3

AO1

Outside the education system

Question 4

Name elements of material depravation and meaning of it

Answer 4

AO1
Lack of money

AO2
Housing
Diet and health
The cost of education

Question 5

Explain housing in MD

Answer 5

AO2
Poor housing can effect exam results, results in pupils mot having room to study to due house being overcrowded or sharing of bedroom.

Means less room for educational activities, nowhere to do homework and disturbed sleep from bedroom sharing so on.

Due to lack of space younger children especially affected, as development can become impaired.

If house isn’t properly heated it may be cold, damp making children unwell, respiratory illnesses. Families in temp accom suffer more distress, infections, accidents. If families living in temp accom may find moving more frequently, resulting in constant changes of school and disturbed education.

Question 6

Explain Diet and Health in MD

Answer 6

AO2
Howard 2001 found that children from poorer homes eat a poor diet lacking necessary vitamins/ minerals, no energy, feel tired and more likely to be ill. Results in missing more school, when present trouble concentrating. Children from poorer homes also more likely to have emotional or behavioural problems.

According to Wilkinson 1996 among 10 year olds the lower the social class, higher the rate of hyperactivity, anxiety and conduct disorders all likely to have negative impact on child’s education.

Question 7

Explain The cost of education in MD

Answer 7

AO2
Argument states WCC are disadvantaged as they are more likely to lack material factors that create a good educational environment
(good housing, clothes, healthy food, study space, lack of educational books, equipment)

David bull 1980 refers this as ‘the costs of free schooling’. Children from poorer families miss out on school trips, equipment which may help education.

Tanner 2003 found it was difficult for poorer families to afford all the things their child needed for school ( transport, uniforms, books, calculators, sports, music, art equip)

Poorer children will also not have fashionable coats/shoes and may have second hand clothing/equipment. Ridge 2002 found in her study this means these children are bullied by others, affecting education. Also found low income families children may have to work part time, can interfere with education.

Why working class pupils are more likely than middle class to leave schooling at 16, few go uni.

FEAR OF DEBT - going uni involves more debt to cover cost of tuition fees , WC students more risk averse = uni something to be avoided

Question 8

Criticisms of Material Deprivation?

Answer 8

AO3 ANALYSE/EVALUATE

Some working class children do not suffer from material depravation, but still underachieve eg skilled manual workers (WC jobs) like builders, plumbers may earn a lot but children don’t do well in school.

.Not all poor children fail, those with supportive parents can have high motivational levels

.Pupil premium was a gov policy introduced to help give extra money to assist poorer family with educations + combat MD

Question 9

CULTURAL DEPRAVATION

Answer 9

AO1
Lack of correct norms/value to succeed in education

CD theorists argue that parents pass on the values of their class via PS. Attitudes + values key factor affecting achievement. 
May argue WC lack values/attitudes/correct language to succeed in education contrasting to middle class culture correct to succeed.

Question 10

Research to support cultural depravation theory?

Answer 10

AO2
Working class subculture, SUGARMAN 1970 found WC subculture consists of certain values that lead to educational underachievement/exam failure. 

Present time gratification - life life in the moment, don’t worry about future. (Middle class have future time orientation)

Immediate gratification - wanting rewards now than working hard for them in future. (Middle class have deferred gratification which works hard - better rewards in future)

Fatalistic attitude - WC children believe nothing they can do to make their life better, based on fate and luck.

SUGARMAN further argues WC children internalise such beliefs and values of their subculture via socialisation process = underachieving in school.

Question 11

What is a criticism of SUGARMAN 1970 Cultural Depravation Working Class theory?

Answer 11

AO3
This is a dated study, as now many parents may encourage children to well as value education, however may struggle helping with homework as didn’t get good education themselves.

Question 12

What is an external and internal factor?

Answer 12

AO2

Language - BERNSTEIN 1975

Essential part of process of education and way parent communicate with children which affects schooling. Bernstein looks at link between educational achievement and speech patterns.

Two patterns Elaborated code and Restricted code.

The working class tend to use restricted code ‘short hand’ and ‘text like’ speech with simple + unfinished sentences, not analytic but descriptive

The middle class use elaborated code which is more complex, meanings clearly spelt out and more adjectives+verbs.

Education used elaborated speech code, used by teacher for example, also expected in pupils homework. = Reduces chances WC can do well in school.

Question 13

What is a criticism of the BERNSTEIN 1975 theory?

Answer 13

AO2

1 - some researchers have questioned his view that members of WC are limited to restricted code + that their speech is inadequate. Working class have ability to switch between both codes.

2 - Marxists say it’s not fault of WC that school doesn’t value their culture, fault of capitalist system.

Question 14

What are general criticisms of Material Depravation?

Answer 14

AO2

1 - KEDDIE describes CD as myth, and victim blaming. WC just have a different culture not a worse or devalued one.

2 - Theory blames the individual for their failure, diverting attention from failings of education system.

3 - Ignores effect of poverty ( material deprivation)

Question 15

How can cultural deprivation be overcome?

Answer 15

By offering WC compensatory education - general term for policies that try to address CD eg

Educational Action Zones 1990s - money spend of pre school scenes for deprived WC areas

Sure Start 2000 - provide education for pre-school children+work with parents to stress importance of education

Question 16

Describe one type of capital that help the middle class achieve in education?

Answer 16

AO3

Economic and CULTURAL CAPITAL

CC is having middle class attitudes, skills and knowledge which gives an advantage in education eg speaking in elaborated code

Question 17

Give 3 examples of Cultural Capital?

Answer 17

Reading complex books

Speaking and writing in elaborated code

Having deferred gratification or future time orientation

MC use these two types of capital (economic and cultural) to make sure their children have an advantage to get educational capital eg qualifications.

Question 18

What is a criticism of of Cultural Capital?

Answer 18

AO2

The theories are very deterministic which implies people have no free will and if they are WC they can never have CC. Some WC pupils may learn to have CC eg be able to use elaborated code as well as restricted.

Question 19

INTERNAL FACTORS - INTERACTIONISM

Answer 19

AO1

Interactionists study society on a micro scale, they believe it is to important to look at process and relationships within the school to explain differences in results.

Question 20

First Interactionist key idea?

Answer 20

AO1

Labelling and the Self-Fulfilling prophecy

Pupils are judged by teachers eg some seem as clever others not

WC pupils more likely to be labelled unintelligent by teachers. MC pupils tend to labelled intelligent

These labels can become true and accepted by the pupils, becoming a self fulfilling prophecy.

Question 21

Interactionist study

Answer 21

AO1

BECKER 1971

Carried out important study on labelling. Based on interviews with 69 Chicago high school teachers, found that they judged pupils according to how closely they fit image of ‘ ideal pupil ‘.

Pupils work and appearance were key factors influencing a teachers judgement. Teachers now saw MC as closest to ideal pupil + WC as furthest away.

Question 22

Criticisms of Interactionist study?

Answer 22

1 - however different teachers have different notions of the ideal pupil
NOT EVERY TEACHER LABELS

2 - labelling seen as deterministic ie people have no free will. Ignore that labels can be rejected eg WC pupils labelled as unintelligent may reject that level and do well in exams
LABEL MAY BE REJECTED

Question 23

Second point of INTERNAL FACTORS?

Answer 23

AO1

2 - Setting and streaming

Pupils put into group according to ability

WCP tend to end up in low sets and streams = teaching can be worse

MCP end up in high sets and streams = behaviour + teaching much better

Question 24

Interactionist study on setting/streaming

Answer 24

GILLBIORN AND YOUDELL 2001

also found that the WC were seen as unintelligent by teachers and so we’re out into low streams = entered for lower tier GCSE exams. Low sets expected to behave badly, lazy and unintelligent.

The MC were more likely to be found in top stream, seen as hard working, well behaved, clever.

These expectations became reality SFP. G&Y linked this streaming league tables as school want to get a high positron in the league table so they focus time on those who will get 5 grades C’s and level the WC as hopeless cases, give up on them = fail. This process called EDUCATIONAL TRIAGE (sorting based on label).

Labelling evidently subconsciously causes long term damage.

Question 25

Criticism of interactionist study on setting/streaming

Answer 25

If a pupil works hard they can in theory move up to a higher set/stream

Question 26

Third point on INTERACTIONISM factors

Answer 26

AO1

SUBCULTURES - group of people who share same norms values beliefs different to wider society. Often develop as response to way pupils labelled or been set/steamed. Can be positive or negative.

Anti school subculture behave in way they won’t do well exams eg rude to teachers, do no work, late, truant. Tend to be WC pupils

Pro school subcultures behave in way that they’ll do well eg sit at front and answer every questions, ask for extra homework, turn up early. Tend to be MC

Question 27

Interactionist studies on SUBCULTURES

Answer 27

AO2

HARGREAVES 1967

Students placed in low streams those who were labelled trouble makers, WC. As not able to gain status being ‘ good students ‘ they decided to invent different way of achieving status.

Those labelled trouble makers + failures joined together = anti school subculture formed. Gave respect to any member that broke schools rules eg distrusting lessons, rude to teachers, not doing homework which rewarded by their subculture. This behaviour ensures WC failed at school.

BALI 1981 conducted a study of Beachside (comprehensive school) and found that when school abolished bonding, influence of the anti school subculture declined.

Question 28

Criticism of Subcultues

Answer 28

AO3

Not all anti school subcultures underachieve in exams, some are anti school but pro education like the Black Sisters.

Question 29

Strengths/Criticisms of Interactionist approach

Answer 29

AO3

Strength is that they are very useful in showing how the interactions within schools actively create class inequalities

Criticism 1 is that they look at education on a micro scale so their findings cannot be generalised to all schools in society

2 They also ignore home factors like MD and CD which also affect achievement.

Question 30

Pupils CLASS IDENTITIES and the school

Answer 30

Combo of external/internal factors

Question 31

Habitus meaning?

Answer 31

Refers to the ways of thinking that are shared by different social classes, created outside school but influences inside.

Education system based on MC habitus eg pupils understand and write in elaborated speech code, unfair advantage = symbolic capital from the school

Question 32

CLASS IDENTITIES study

Answer 32

ARCHER - NIKE IDENTITIES

found that working class felt to be successful in the eduction system they would have to alter how they talked+presented themselves which they didn’t want to do.

Many WC pupils conscious that society, teachers and pupils look down on them, as result decide alternative ways of gaining status by constructing class identities involving street culture+wearing branded sportswear such as Nike. Leads to conflict with school rules on uniform = pupils get sent home and miss lessons. Mainly WC pupils who adopt a Nike identity also seen as rebellious -> teacher labelling = underachievement.