Class Differences - Internal

Question 1

what are the 3 stages of the self fulfilling prophecy in education

Answer 1

1) a label is made in a teachers mind
2) the teacher treats the pupil accordingly
3) the pupil internalises the teachers expectations (which may be positive or negative according to label)

Question 2

outline Becker’s study about the ideal pupil

Answer 2

• he interviewed 60 high school teachers and found that they judged pupils according to how closely they fitted the image of their ‘ideal pupil’ based on their work, conduct, and appearance.
• MC pupils were often closest to the ideal

Question 3

what is a criticism (AO3) of the idea that the self fulfilling prophecy leads to underachievement

Answer 3

• Fuller: studied black W/C girls in a London comprehensive school, and found that they rejected and didn’t conform to their labels

Question 3

according to Rist, what influenced the streamed placement of young students

Answer 3

• a students home background, appearance as well as overall perception from the teacher

Question 3

according to Dunne and Gazeley (2008), how would teachers treat underachieving M/C pupils, vs underachieving W/C pupils + its impact

Answer 3

• the M/C students were pushed, they were given extra work and were given more attention from the teacher
• with W/C pupils, teachers seemed unconcerned by their underachievement and didn’t academically challenge them - they’d normalised W/C underachievement
• this will create a further attainment gap between the classes. the individual students may internalise their labels, and this would further disadvantage the W/C pupils

Question 3

define streaming

Answer 3

• splitting students into streams based on their academic ability as well as judgement of their cultural capital

Question 4

what did Douglas find in streaming

Answer 4

• children placed in lower streams at age 8 suffered a decline in their IQ by the age of 11

Question 5

what is a criticism (AO3) of the A-C economy

Answer 5

• schools’ league tables don’t just present the attainment score, but must also the grade progress (progress 8 score)

Question 5

outline the educational triage

Answer 5

• a product of the A-C economy
• when schools categorise pupils into 3 groups: 1) those who will pass anyway, 2) those with potential to get A-C, 3) the ‘hopeless cases’ who are doomed to fail

Question 5

outline the A-C economy

Answer 5

• schools value the pass grades more, so they focus more effort, time and resources into the pupils with potential to get 5 A-C grades, as it would boost their league tables - which attracts potential students and funding

Question 6

define pupil subculture

Answer 6

• a group of pupils who share similar behaviours. they emerge as a response to labelling

Question 7

define lacey’s ideas of differentiation and polarisation

Answer 7

• differentiation = the process of teachers categorising pupils according to their ability, and treating them accordingly (e.g. streaming)
• polarisation = a students response to differentiation by moving to either end of the opposite ‘poles’ in terms of behaviour and attitudes

Question 8

name and define Woods (1979) labels

Answer 8

• ingratiation = pro-school conformity, eagerness to please teachers and win favour with them
• ritualism = lack of interest and engagement with schooling, but appearing to conform by going through motions and avoiding trouble
• retreatism = bein indifferent to school values - but not directly opposing them; messing around in class, distracted, lacking concentration, not interested in exam success
• rebellion = outright rejection of schooling and its values. involvement in anti school activities

Question 8

outline the 7 step process of joining a subculture

Answer 8

1) student tries to gain status among peers through legitimate means (e.g. educational success)
2) despite their attempts, they may be labelled negatively and treated by teachers negatively (usually the W/C)
3) the student gives up finding status through legitimate means and seeks out other students like them
4) they find other students who underachieve
5) once students have found their new group, they try to gain status in new ways
6) W/C students find new, deviant ways of gaining status. an anti-school subculture is formed
7) now part of their anti-school group, they are further labelled as negative and are actively confirming the teachers original labels - pushing them further into the labels

Question 8

what is a criticism (AO3) of Wood’s pro/ anti-school labels

Answer 8

• their behaviour may depend on the subject/ teacher. responses aren’t fixed - pupils may vary behaviour

Question 9

how is the education system centred around the M/C habitus and not the W/C habitus

Answer 9

• it values elaborated code, behavioural expectations - polite, punctual, uniform

Question 10

outline Archer’s study

Answer 10

• she researched 90 pupils about their W/C identity
• she found that many felt the need to change how they talk and present themselves to fit into the education system
• they overcame this symbolic violence by generating their value through style

Question 10

define symbolic capital

Answer 10

• similar to the concept of status; recognition + value held within society

Question 11

outline Nike identities

Answer 11

• for pupils who cant access the M/C school habitus, wearing brands like Nike, becomes a part of the W/C identity
• taking on a brand identity may clash with a school dress code - teachers labelled those who wore it as ‘rebel’ or ‘street’, causing further educational marginalisation
• by the end, students with the Nike identities understand that they dont fit in, and also actively choose to reject it

Question 11

outline Ingram’s (2009) study on WC male pupils

Answer 11

• he investigated how 2 groups of W/C white catholic boys in Belfast would do in a grammar school (for those that passed their 11+ exam) vs a local secondary school (those who didnt pass their 11+ exam).
• the G school had a M/C habitus of high expectations + high acedemic achievement, whilst the local S school had a habitus of lower expectations, as most pupils didnt pass their 11+ exams.
• Ingram found that having a W/C identity was inseparable from belonging to a W/C locality. even though the W/C pupils were in a grammar school, there was still a pressure to fit into the M/C habitus - to which they didnt, causing symbolic violence

Question 12

outline Evans’ study (2009)

Answer 12

• she studied a group of 21 W/C girls from a London comprehensive school, studying for their A-Levels. the girls had strong links to their W/C community, and only 1/5 wanted to move away from home to study
• no girls wanted to attend Oxbridge for fear of not fitting in
• self exclusion narrows the options of many W/C pupils

Question 13

define symbolic violence

Answer 13

• symbolic violence = non-physical violence/ tension displayed in the power differences between social groups