Class Differences: Internal Flashcards
What are interactionist sociologists interested in
How people attach labels to one another and the effects
Becker’s study
-Found T judged P on how closely they matched ‘ideal pupil’
- Work,conduct, appearance were key influences
Hempel- Jorgensens study
-WC school: discipline major problem, Ideal pupil= passive, quiet, obedient, children defined by behaviour not ability
-MC school: Few disciplinary problems, Defined for personality/ academic ability Not behaviour.
Dunne and Gazeley
Labelling in secondary schools
-T normalised WC underachievement, unconcerned, couldn’t help
-But could help MC over come it
-The result of T beliefs abt role of home background- wc uninterested
-Lead to differences in how T dealt with underachievement
-Mc: extensions -Wc: easier exams
Rists
Labelling in primary schools
-T used info about pupils homes/appearance to put them into groups
-‘Fast learners’: often mc, sat closest, greatest encouragement
-‘Clowns’: often wc, sat furthest away, easier books, less opportunity
3 stages of a SFP
-T labels P, on basis of the label makes predictions
-T treats P accordingly, as if predictions true
- Pupils internalise the expectation, becomes part of self-concept
Rosenthal and Jacobson study
Told a primary they had a test of who will spurt ahead
-Was untrue, T believed it, Randomly picked 20% who will be ‘sputters’
-1year later, 47% made significant progress (greatest effect on youngest)
-Demonstrates SFP- importance of interactionist approach. As T believed it, it influenced how they interacted with pupils.
Which pupils likely placed in lower sets?
Wc (Becker- T don’t see them as the ‘ideal student’
Douglas
Children put into lower sets/streams at 8 suffered a decrease in IQ score by 11.
-Opposite for higher sets.
Gillborn and Youdell
Looked at how T used stereotypes to label pupils.
-Leads to an A-C economy. Schools focus time, effort, resources on pupils they see with potential to get 5 GCSEs C+ to boost LT position.
3 categories of the educational triage
-Pupils who will pass, left alone
-Pupils with potential, helped to get a C+
-Hopeless cases, doomed to fail (WC& black stereotypes)
Lacey
Differentiation: T categorise P according to how they perceive their ability, attitudes, behaviour (streaming)
Polarisation: Process of P responding to streaming by moving to one of two extremes (pro/anti school subcultures)
Ball
abolished streaming
-P polarisation into subcultures largely removed- anti-school SC declined
-Differentiation continues, T still likely label MC as cooperative/ able. Reflected in exam results- SFP occurred
-Class inequality can continue without effects of streaming
Woods
4 responses to streaming
-Ingratiation: ‘teachers pet’
-Ritualism: going through, staying out of trouble
-Retreatism: Daydreaming/ mucking about
-Rebellion: rejection of all school values
2 criticism of labelling theory
-Determism, inevitable to fail if labelled (proven wrong eg Fuller)
-Marxist critique for ignoring wider structures of power within which labelling occurs- blames T. Argue not T indivisible prejudice but system they work in- reproduces class divisions.
