EDUCATION: Class and education - Internal factors (Labelling + self-fulfilling prophecy)

Question 1

What are the 4 key internal factors

Answer 1

• Labelling
• Self-fulfilling prophecy
• Streaming
• Subcultures

Question 2

Who are the 4 main sociologists for labelling

+ any extra

Blue
Hummingbirds
Rush
Down + Garages

Ray + Just
Cant + Katch

Answer 2

• Becker
• Hempel - Jorgensen
• Rist
• Dunne and Gazeley
• Rosenthal and Jacobsen
• Cicourel and Kituse

Question 3

Labelling - Becker

• What did he do, and what did he find
• Conclusion

Answer 3

WHAT: Interviewed 60 Chicago teachers

• found they judged students based on how well they fit the image of an ‘ideal pupil’
• The ideal pupil is based on things like pupils work, conduct and appearance + an elaborated speech code

CONCLUSION: Was found pupils from MC backgrounds were closest to the ideal pupil, leaving out WC pupils to be disadvantaged

Question 4

Labelling - Hempel-Jorgensen 
- What did she argue 
- Examples - How were children defined
What was the ideal pupil like 
So how were children ultimately defined

Answer 4

WHAT: Notions of the ideal pupil varied according to the social class make up of a school 
EXAMPLES / STUDY: In a mainly WC Aspen primary school, was a major discipline problem, 
- ideal child labelled as passive, quiet and obedient
- children were defined in terms of behaviour, not ability 

In mainly MC Rowan primary school, less discipline problems,
- ideal pupil defined in term of personality and academic ability rather than as being a ‘non misbehaving’ pupil like at Aspen

Question 5

Labelling - Rist

• What did he argue
• How was this done in the school

Answer 5

WHAT: In an American kindergarten found the teacher used information on the Childs home background and appearance to place them in separate groups
HOW: seating each group at a different table
Fast learners / ‘tigers’ were mainly MC, neat appearance, seated near the teacher and received a lot of encouragement
- ‘Cardinals’ / ‘clowns’ were mainly WC and given lower level reading books and had less chances to show their abilities

Question 6

Labelling - Contemporary example 
"Blinded by beauty" 
- When 
- Where
- What does it say 
- How does it link to labelling

Answer 6

WHEN: February 2016
WHERE: Tes.com
WHAT: Says teachers perceptions of their students’ academic abilities could be skewed by how physically attractive they are
- Teachers may provide more time and encouragement to more good looking students
- Appearance of ill-health can influence a less capable of high-cognitive performance perception
HOW IT LINKS: Mr Talamas says “students can sense this, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy” and this also creates social class differences

Question 7

Labelling - Dunne and Gazellen

• What did they find
• Why was this happening

Answer 7

WHAT: Teachers ‘normalised’ underachievement in WC pupils yet took a more active approach toward failing MC pupils
WHY: From children’s home background teachers labelled WC parents as uninterested in their childs education, thus presented more effort for MC pupils

• They also underestimated WC pupils potential and those seen as doing fairly well were ‘overachieving’

Question 8

Explain the process of labelling

Answer 8

1. Behaviour observed
2. Label attached
3. Behaviour is reinforced
4. Label is reinforced
5. Student internalises label
6. Student accepts or rejects label

Question 9

What does the process of labelling cause in the end?

Answer 9

A Self-fulfilling prophecy if the student accepts the label and behaves accordingly

Question 10

What ‘criticisms’ can there be of the PROCESS of labelling

Answer 10

• There is no guarantee the student can’t reject the label

- Teachers perception of the student can change

Question 11

What evidence is there of labelling in contemporary schools

Answer 11

• Streaming and setting
• Performance targets for students
• Gifted and talented programmes
• Educational triage
• Pupil premium

Question 12

What positives points are there about labelling

Answer 12

• Useful in showing us that not all schools are neutral / fair institutions for cultural deprivation theorists

Question 13

What criticisms are there about labelling

• Include Marxism

Answer 13

• Deterministic; assumes pupils who are labelled have no choice but to fulfil the prophecy / will always accept the labels
• Marxists argue labelling ignores the wider structures of power within which labelling takes place
• Marxists also say labelling is not a result of teachers own prejudices but of the fact they work in a school system which reproduces class inequalities
• Blames teachers for labelling pupils, but doesn’t give the full pictured explain why they label pupils
• External factors may influence what label is applies - eg due to family background etc