cultural deprivation (topic 1)

Question 1

when do class differences appear in children’s development and achievement? give evidence

Answer 1

very early in life e.g nationwide study by centre for longitudinal studies 2007 found that by the age of 3, disadvantaged children already are one year behind to the privileged (bigger the age, the gap widens)

Question 2

what do sociologists believe about class differences appearing in children’s development and achievement?

Answer 2

some sociologists believe this is cultural deprivation. most of us begin to acquire basic values, attitudes and skills needed for educational success through primary socialisation in family. they need ’cultural equipment’ - language, self-discipline and reasoning skills.

Question 3

what do sociologists say to criticise cultural deprivation? (w/c)

Answer 3

according to cultural deprivation theorists, many w/c families fail to socialise their children inadequately, growing up culturally deprived meaning they lack cultural equipment needed to do well at school = underachievement

Question 4

what are the 3 main aspects of cultural deprivation?

Answer 4

language, parents’ education and working-class subculture.

Question 5

why is language important? give evidence/example

Answer 5

because of the way in which parents communicate with their children affects their cognitive development and the ability to benefit from the process of schooling
Hubbs-Tait et al 2002 found that when parents use their language that challenges children to use their own understanding e.g “what do you think?”, it improved their cognitive performance
Feinstein 2008 found that educated parents are more likely to use language in this way. He also found that they are more likely to use praise, encouraging children to develop sense of their own competence

Question 6

how do less educated parents use language? give example

Answer 6

they tend to use language that only require children to make simple descriptive statements e.g “what’s that animal called?”

Question 7

what does how less educated parents using language result in?

Answer 7

lower performance

Question 8

what do cultural deprivation theorists think about the language parents use? give example

Answer 8

they believe it’s linked to social class e.g Bereiter + Engelmann claim that language used in lower class homes is deficient, describing them as communicating by gestures, single words or disjointed phrases

Question 9

what is the result in how lower class parents use language with their children? what does this mean?

Answer 9

children of lower class fail to develop necessary language skills. they are incapable of abstract thinking and unblemished to use language to explain, describe, enquire/compare. due to this, they are unable to take advantage of opportunities schools offer.

Question 10

who identified speech codes?

Answer 10

Bernstein in 1975

Question 11

what are the two speech codes? explain them

Answer 11

restricted code: typically used by w/c. it has limited vocabulary and it’s based on the use of short, often unfinished, grammatically simple sentences. it is predictable speech and may involve single words, or even just a gesture. it is descriptive not analytic. it is context bound: the speaker assumes the listener shares the same set of experiences.
elaborated code: typically used by middle class. wider vocabulary. Based on longer, grammatically more complex sentences. Speech is more varied. It is context-free: so they use language to spell out meanings explicitly for the listener.

Question 12

what do the differences in speech codes result in? why?

Answer 12

it gives mc children an advantage at school and puts wc children at disadvantage. this is because elaborated code is used by teachers, textbooks and exams and it is the ‘correct’ way to speak and write. Bernstein believes it is more effective for analysing, reasoning and expressing thoughts clearly (essential skills in education)

Question 13

what does early socialisation in elaborated code mean?

Answer 13

mc children are already fluent users when starting school. it makes them feel ’at home’ and are more likely to succeed. wc are likely to feel excluded and less likely to succeed.

Question 14

what would critics say about speech codes? add a competing argument

Answer 14

critics would argue that Bernstein is a cultural deprivation theorist as he describes wc as inadequate.
however, Bernstein recognises that school (not only the home) influences children’s achievement. he argues that wc pupils fail not because they are culturally deprived, but because schools fail to teach them how to use elaborated codes.

Question 15

what do cultural deprivation theorists argue about parents’ attitudes towards education of children? give evidence

Answer 15

they argue that parents’ attitudes toward education play a crucial role in children’s achievement.
study by Douglas 1964 found that wc parents were less likely to value education, resulting in less ambition for children, less encouragement and involvement in education. parents are less likely to visit schools or discuss children’s progress with teachers, contributing to lower motivation and academic achievement in children.

Question 16

what does Feinstein 2008 say about parents’ attitudes towards education of their children?

Answer 16

he argues that parents’ education is the most important factor, influencing the children’s achievement. since mc parents are generally better educated, they are able to provide children with an advantage through parenting and socialising

Question 17

why does parenting style influence children’s achievement in education?

Answer 17

educated parents tend to have a parenting style that focuses on consistent discipline and high expectations. this encourages active learning and exploration, which helps children’s achievement. in contrast, less educated parents often use harsh/inconsistent discipline (“behave yourself” or “doing as you’re told”). this limits children’s independence and self-control, resulting in lower motivation and difficulties with teachers.

Question 18

why may parents’ educational behaviours influence children’s achievement? give example

Answer 18

educated parents are more aware of what is needed to assist their children’s educational progress. they engage in behaviours e.g reading to their children, teaching them letters, numbers and songs, and helping them with homework. educated parents are also better able to get expert advice on childrearing, relationships with teachers and better at guiding their children’s communication in school. they also recognise the educational values of activities e.g visits to museums and libraries

Question 19

why may the use of income influence children’s achievement?

Answer 19

better educated parents have higher incomes. they are able to spend this income to promote their children’s success e.g Bernstein + Young 1967 found that mc mothers more likely to buy educational toys, books + activities encouraging reasoning skills and stimulate intellectual development. wc homes are more likely to lack resources, meaning children from these homes start school without intellectual skills needed to progress.
educated parents also have better understanding of nutrition and its importance in child development and they also have a higher income with which they buy more nutritious foods.

Question 20

why may class, income and parental education influence children’s achievement?

Answer 20

Feinstein argues that parental education has influence on the children’s achievement, regardless of their class and income. he argues that better educated parents tend to have more successful children in school. this may help to explain why not all children of wc do equally badly and why not all children of mc are equally successful

Question 21

what’s a subculture?

Answer 21

a group whose attitudes and values differ from those of mainstream culture

Question 22

what do cultural deprivation theorists say about wc subculture?

Answer 22

that large sections of wc have different goals, beliefs, attitudes and values from the rest of society, this is why children fail at school.

Question 23

what does Sugarman argue?

Answer 23

wc subcultures has 4 key elements that act as a barrier to educational achievement: fatalism, collectivism, immediate gratification and present time orientation.
he argues that they stem from the fact that mc jobs are secure careers offering prospects for continuous individual achievement

Question 24

what is fatalism?

Answer 24

the belief that events are determined by forces beyond one’s control = fate

Question 25

what is collectivism?

Answer 25

giving priority to the goals of one’s group (often one’s extended family or work group) and defining one’s identity accordingly

Question 26

what is immediate gratification?

Answer 26

seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices in order to get rewards in the future.

Question 27

what is present time orientation?

Answer 27

seeing the present as more important than the future

Question 28

what is the aim of compensatory education?

Answer 28

to tackle the problem of cultural deprivation by providing extra resources to schools and communities in deprived areas e.g sure start

Question 29

what does Keddie say about cultural deprivation?

Answer 29

Keddie describes cultural deprivation as a ’myth’ and sees it as a victim blaming explanation.
believes it dismisses the idea that failure at school can be blamed on a culturally deprived home background.
argues that wc are simply culturally different, not deprived.

Question 30

why does Keddie believe wc children fail?

Answer 30

they fail because they are put at a disadvantage by an education system dominated by mc values.
argues that rather than seeing wc culture as deficient, schools should recognise and build on strengths and should challenge teacher’s anti-wc prejudices

Question 31

what do Troyna + Williams say about wc subcultures?

Answer 31

Troyna + Williams argue that it is not the child’s language that is the problem, but the school’s attitude towards language. teachers have a ’speech hierarchy’: they label mc speech the highest, followed by wc children, and then the black speech.

Question 32

what do Blackstone + Mortimore say about wc subcultures?

Answer 32

wc parents aren’t interested in their children’s education e,g attend fewer parents evenings not due to lack of interest but because of work hours. they also want to help with school work but can’t due to lack of knowledge