Education Flashcards
Why can material deprivation affect education:
Can result in being unable to perform certain tasks, not attending school and exclusion
Immediate gratification:
Seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices in order to get rewards in the future
Present time orientation:
Seeing the present as more important than the future and therefore don’t have long term goals or plans
Fatalism:
Belief that there is no way to change your status
Collectivism:
To value being part of a group more than succeeding as an individual
Elaborate code:
Speech code typically used by the middle class which commonly includes wider vocabulary which is not context bound and communicates more abstract ideas
Restricted code:
Speech code typically used by the working class which commonly includes a limited vocabulary which is context bound
Habitus:
Refers to the learned being and acting that are shared by a particular social class. This includes their tastes and prejudices about lifestyle and consumption, outlook of life and expectations of others
Cultural capital:
Refers to culture which higher-class children possess before even entering the education system and which they can invest into it
Cultural deprivation:
Stress the dysfunctional culture of the working class home as if it is a kind of cultural “poverty”
Pierre Bourdieu:
Argues that both cultural and material factors contribute to educational achievement
Barry Sugarman:
Argues working class norms and values do not support the needs of the education system
Douglas:
Argues potential interest is the most important factor in shaping success or failure in education
Bernstein:
Argues success in education depends mostly on language
Archer:
Argues that working class people believe representing themselves is more important and if they changed that, they would be more successful
Material deprivation:
Refers to the poverty and lack of material necessities such as adequate housing and income
What do functionalists think about education?
Good, based on shared values and beneficial for all
What do functionalists believe education does for individuals?
Allocates them to better suited jobs - sorts according to ability
What did Durkheim say?
Social solidarity - individuals must feel part of the single ‘body’. Education is a miniature society.
What did Parsons say about education?
Important to create value consensus - this is needed to cope with the wider world. Education is a meritocracy as all students are judged on the same standards
What did Davis and Moore say?
Education is a way to select future roles. The most able get the higher qualifications and the most important jobs
What are some criticisms of Durkheim?
Britain is culturally diverse, not everyone can have our British culture
Criticisms of Parsons:
Not all children have equal opportunities. Eg rich parents can give their children tutoring or more support than the working class
Criticisms of Davis and Moore:
Class can affect opportunities a child has, it isn’t just based on qualifications
What do the New Right believe about education?
Think similar to functionalists, but believe the current education system isn’t fulfilling it
What do the New Right think is wrong?
State has a ‘one size fits all’ approach and isn’t looking at local needs
What do the New Right think the state should do?
Impose a framework in which schools must compete, and advertise
What do Marxists believe about education?
Education offers norms and values, however it does this to support the needs of capitalism. Supports the ‘myth of meritocracy’
What do Marxists believe the ‘hidden curriculum’ does?
Creates conformity and obedient future workers
What was Bowles and Gintis’ principle?
Correspondence principle, meaning that school mirrors the world of work
What does Bourdieu say?
Working class are fooled into accepting their failure, by being told they don’t have the ability to succeed. In reality, working class are set to fail, while the middle class ‘hold all the aces.
What does Paul Willis say?
Says that education system isn’t always successful in socialisation and pupils develop ‘counter sub cultures
Who did Paul Willis study and what did he find?
Learning to labour
Boys in secondary schools in the 70s - observation and participant observation enabled him to see the boys develop counter school culture
Main features of Paul Willis’ lad counter school culture?
Lads felt superior to teachers and conformist pupils. They had little or no value to academic work thus avoided lessons.
What were Paul Willis’ conclusions from the “learning to labour” study?
Education system was failing to produce ideal workers as they were far from obedient and docile (Bowles and Gintis)
External factors that can affect educational achievement to do with social class:
Cultural deprivation
Material deprivation
Lack of cultural capital
What is cultural deprivation?
Middle class families having advantages over early years intellectual development, use of language, attitudes and values
Examples of early years intellectual development and who did a study on it:
Reading to children, education toys.
Douglas found that children being read to were less likely to happen in working class families.
What did Bernstein and Young find?
Found that middle class mothers are more likely to pick toys that encourage children’s intellectual development
How does use of language affect achievement?
Working class have restricted code with limited vocabulary and short sentences whereas middle class speak elaborate code with wider vocal and complex sentences
How can the class’ different attitudes and values affect achievement?
Hyman - lower class believe they have no opportunities thus don’t see value in education
What does fatalism mean for the working class?
“What will be, will be” nothing to change that
What did Sugarman say about working class attitudes to education?
Favour immediate gratification, seek pleasure now, rather than later. See the present as more important than the future. Value being part of a group more than individual achievement
Meritocracy:
Idea of a society governed by people selected by merit
Formal curriculum:
Includes the national curriculum, key skills such as reading and writing and subjects
Hidden curriculum:
Include manners, responsibility and interaction.
