Cultural Deprivation Theories - Sugarman Flashcards
What does Sugarman argue?
- lack of parental interest in their children’s education reflects the subcultural values of working class and according to him, large sections of the working class have different goals, beliefs attitudes and values from the rest of society and that is why they fail at school
What 4 features does Sugarman argues as a barrier to educational achievement?
- fatalism
- collectivism
- immediate gratification
- present time orientation
What is fatalism?
a belief in fate - that ‘whatever will be, will be’ and there is nothing you can do to change your status. this goes against middle class values which emphasise that you can change your position through your own efforts
What is collectivism?
valuing being apart of a group more than succeeding as an individual. this contrasts with the middle class view that an individual should not be held back by group loyalties
What is immediate gratification?
seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices now for greater rewards in the future. By contrast, middle class values emphasise deferred gratification
What is present time orientation?
seeing the present as more important that the future and so not having long term goals or plans. By contrast, middle class culture has a future as important
Why do working class children underachieve according to cultural deprivation theorists?
working class children internalise the beliefs and values of their subculture through the socialisation process and this results in them underachieving at school
Why do differences in values exist between middle class and working classes according to Sugarman?
Sugarman argues that it stems from the fact that middle class jobs are secure careers offering prospects for continuous individual advancement which encourages ambition, long term planning and a willingness to invest time and effort in gaining qualifications. Whereas working class jobs are less secure and have no career structure through which individuals can advance and there are few promotion opportunities and earnings peak at as early age
How do middle class and working class have their values?
parents pass on the values of their class to their children through primary socialisation and middle class values equip children for success whereas working class values fail to do so
