Class in Education

Question 1

(Poverty/Material Factors)

Smith and Noble

Answer 1

Material Deprivation - Impact of poverty on furthering sucess

WC cannot afford tutor/revision guides/food

Poor housing conditions - eg: Overcrowding can make study at home difficult

Higher level of sickness in homes - impacts attendance

Question 2

(Poverty/Material Factors)

Forsyth and Furlong

Answer 2

Material Deprivation - puts pressure on children to leave education at 16 / drop out of college / not attend university

Uni Fees - most significant factor in deterring WC from attending.

21% less attend uni since increase of fees.

Question 3

(Material Factors)

EVALUATION

Answer 3

Labour government introuced policies such as EMA to encourage WC into higher education.

found to have little positive effect.

Question 4

(Material Factors)

USEFULNESS

Answer 4

Considers how external factors such as hunger and poor housing conditions could have a negative impact inside the classroom.

Question 5

(Language Use)

Bernstein

Answer 5

Middle Class - taught elaborate language code / Working Class - taught restricted language code

This creates a communication barrier between WC and teacher.

Elaborated code is more suited to the demands of school work (exams/textbooks) which WC are unable to understand.

Teacher may mistake WC use of language for lack of ability and therefore expect less from the child (self fulfilling prophecy)

Question 6

(Language Use)

EVALUATION

Answer 6

Doesnt recognise the diversity of speech.

Some MC dont use elaborate language code and therefore face similar problems as WC.

Offers very little evidence to support points.

Question 7

(Language Use)

USEFULNESS

Answer 7

Considers the role of curriculum as well as culture.

Question 8

(Cultural Differences)

Bourdieu

Answer 8

Symbolic Violence - WC culture devalued

Cultural Capital - MC perform better in education because attitudes/values/behaviour similar to teachers

Habitua - expectations of your class

Question 9

(Cultural Differences)

Gerwitz

Answer 9

MC parents are ‘skill choosers’ and priveleged school choosers

Use their economic and cultural capital to fet an educational advantage (educational capital)

Question 10

(Cultural Differences)

EVALUATION

Answer 10

Lynch - Argues that material deprivation is more important than cultural differences

Argues it is poverty that lies behind poor school performance

Question 11

(Cultural Differences)

USEFULNESS

Answer 11

Can explain why MC occupy the best schools and why WC can disengage in education.

Question 12

(Teachers attitudes, streaming and labelling)

Becker

Answer 12

Studied 60 teachers from chicago

‘Ideal type’ they wanted to teach, related to conduct, attitudes and appearance (similar to MC)

WC behaviour - lack of interest/motivation

Question 13

(Teachers attitudes, streaming and labelling)

Ball

Answer 13

Schools move from mixed ability to setting & steaming

Driven by middle class parents to protect children from weak and disruptive children

‘Social Barbarism’ - seperates children from inferior pupils

Question 14

(Teachers attitudes, streaming and labelling)

Diane Reay

Answer 14

Interviewed children as young as 10 - internalised labels and what grade they were.

Worried about the future/damaging children

Question 15

(Teachers attitudes, streaming and labelling)

EVALUATION

Answer 15

Blackman - Suggests students can be labelled and streamed but work hard to resist them.

Reject teacher but never education

Question 16

(Teachers attitudes, streaming and labelling)

USEFULNESS

Answer 16

Explains why schools still set and stream despite evidence that it is damaging.