Class - Theorists

Question 1

Marilyn Howard (2001)

Answer 1

Found that young people from poorer homes have lower intakes of energy, vitamins, and minerals

Question 2

Bernstein & Young

Answer 2

Found that Middle Class mothers are more likely to buy educational toys for their children to encourage intellectual development

Question 3

Tanner (2003)

Answer 3

Argues that free school still carries a cost, through things like uniform, transport, and equipment

Question 4

Callendar & Jackson (2005)

Answer 4

Gave out 2,000 questionnaires to students who were at the age to go to university. Found that Working Class students were 5x less likely to apply to university than Middle Class students

Question 5

KEY THEORIST: Douglas

Answer 5

Conducted a longitudinal study of over 5,000 British students. Found that Middle Class parents attended parents’ evening more often, which he interpreted to mean they were more interested in their children’s educations. Parental interest becomes more important to a child’s education as they get older

Question 6

KEY THEORIST: Feinstein (2008)

Answer 6

Parents’ own education is the most important factor affecting children’s achievement as they can give their children an advantage through their norms and values, and their elaborated speech code

Question 7

KEY THEORIST: Sugarman (1968)

Answer 7

Identified 4 differences in values between the Working Class and the Middle Class, in the following areas:
Time orientation
Attitude to gratification
Collectivism vs individualism
Attitudes to luck

Question 8

What does Sugarman mean by time orientation?

Answer 8

MC: Future-time oriented. Think ahead rather than living in the moment

WC: Present-time oriented. Think in the moment rather than in the future

Question 9

What does Sugarman mean by attitude to gratification?

Answer 9

MC: Deferred gratification. Willing to put off pleasure now in order to receive greater pleasure in the future, e.g. saving money for a house deposit

WC: Immediate gratification. Focussed on enjoying yourself now, e.g. spending money on items/experiences

Question 10

What does Sugarman mean by attitude to luck?

Answer 10

MC: Optimistic. Your chances in life are based on your own ability and hard work

WC: Fatalistic. Your chances in life are based on factors outside of your control, or based on pure luck

Question 11

KEY THEORIST: Bernstein (1971)

Answer 11

Identified the difference between elaborated code spoken by the Middle Class (specific meanings, wide vocabulary, able to communicate abstract ideas) and restricted code spoken by the Working Class (context-based meanings, slang/limited vocabulary, less able to communicate abstract ideas)

Question 12

Hubbs-Tait et al. (2002)

Answer 12

Found that children’s intellectual ability improves when their parents use language which encourages them to develop and evaluate their own understanding and abilities (e.g. What do you think? How could you do better next time? What did you do wrong?)

Question 13

KEY THEORIST: Bourdieu

Answer 13

Created the idea of cultural capital

Question 14

Keddie

Answer 14

Says that cultural deprivation is a myth. It is not that one group is ‘lacking’ in culture while another ‘has’ it (this sounds like victim blaming). Instead, Keddie says we need to recognise that different cultures are just different

Question 15

KEY THEORIST: Becker (1971)

Answer 15

Interviewed 60 teachers from Chicago high schools about what their ‘ideal pupil’ is. Found that Middle Class students were closest to the ideal, e.g. smartly dressed, well-spoken

Question 16

Hempel-Jorgensen (2009)

Answer 16

Studied 2 English primary schools; one mostly Working Class, one mostly Middle Class. Asked the teachers for their idea of the ‘ideal pupil’. Found that the WC school had discipline problems and described the ‘ideal pupil’ as quiet, passive and obedient. The MC school did not have many discipline problems, described the ‘ideal pupil’ as polite and intelligent

Question 17

KEY THEORIST: Rosenthal and Jacobsen (1968)

Answer 17

Went to a California elemntary school and performed an IQ test on all pupils. They randomly selected 20% of the pupils and told teachers they were ‘spurters’ who would show great improvement in the next year. When they came back a year later, the ‘spurters’ were all doing better than expected

Question 18

KEY THEORIST: Stephen Ball

Answer 18

Performed a study at Beachside Comprehensive school. Observed that students were placed into 3 bands. The first band was for the most able pupils, the third for the least able. Found that students were placed not only based on their ability; students whose fathers were non-manual workers (Middle Class) were more likely to be in the top set, and students whose fathers were manual workers (Working Class) were more likely to be in the bottom set

Question 19

KEY THEORIST: Willis (1977)

Answer 19

Followed 12 Working Class lads who created an anti-school subculture. They saw through the Myth of Meritocracy and started skipping school, smoking, and just wanted to go into the working world like their fathers

Question 20

Lacey (1970)

Answer 20

Outlined how subcultures are formed. First, students go through ‘differentiation’, where their teachers categorise (or label) them based on their perceived ability. Second, students experience ‘polarisation’, where they are pushed to one of two extremes: pro-school subcultures, or anti-school subcultures

Question 21

KEY THEORIST: Gillborn & Youdell (2000)

Answer 21

Created the idea of the A-C Economy/Educational Triage

Question 22

What does Sugarman mean by collectivism vs individualism?

Answer 22

MC: Individualist. Focussed on individual success, and willing to work for it

WC: Collectivist. More concerned with the community around them