Education - Educational Achievement - 3.2 (Class Differences) Flashcards
3 External factors impacting on class inequalities
Cultural deprivation
Material deprivaion
Cultural capital
> Cultural Factors
What is Cultural Deprivation?
Being deprived of cultural values facilitating educational success.
3 Main Aspects of Cultural Deprivation
- Language
- Parents Education
- Working class Subculture
What is Basic Cultural Equipment?
Language, self-discipline and reasoning skills.
What did the Centre for Educational Studies find on the difference between Middle Class and Working class?
Found by age of 3 children were three years behind those from middle class
Cultural Deprivation Theorists
Cultural Deprivation:
> Centre for Educational Studies (Working Class behind Middle Class)
Language:
> Feinstein & Tait (Language Differences between Educated & Non Educated Parents)
> Bernstein (Elaborated versus Restricted Code)
Parents Education:
> Douglas (Lack of Working Class Parent Interest)
> Feinstein (Parenting Styles/Education)
Subcultures:
> Sugarman (Fatalism, Collectivism etc and Security of Middle Class Jobs)
Bernstein’s view on Language affecting Educational Achievement (Difference between working class and middle class)
- Working class more likely to use: Restricted Code: Limited vocab, short, unfinished, simple sentences, context-bound. (Assume listener shares same experience)
- Middle class are more likely to use: Elaborated Code: Wider vocab, longer, abstract ideas, context-free (Assume listener doesn’t shares same experience)
- MC can switch codes, WC limited to restricted code.
- MC students at advantage as teachers, textbooks use elaborate code
Criticisms of Bernstein’s
Actually, it is schools who fail to teach elaborated code
What was Douglas’s view on Parental Education?
- Working class parents placed less value on education, so children were less ambitious, getting less encouragement, so took less interest
- Working class parents unikely to go and discuss child’s progress with teachers and as result working class had low achievement.
What was Feinstein view on Parental Education and Parents Education?
- Parents’ Education/Parenting Styles are very vital
- More educated they are, better position they’re in for socializing children
- Encouraging active learning and exploration.
- Parenting of working class involves harsh, inconsistent discipline focused on behaving yourself, so problems interacting with teachers.
Tanners views on income
> Middle class more likely to buy educational, toys, books etc. Encourage reasoning and stimulate intellectual development
> Working class parents unable to afford this (only have money for necessities) thus, working class are behind peers.
What were the 4 Values outlined in Sugarman’s view of the Working class subculture in relation to Education?
- Fatalism: Belief your status is fixed and can’t be changed
- Collectivism: Value being part of a group more than succeeding as an individual, opposite for middle class
- Immediate Gratification: Want to get pleasure straight away, without making sacrifices. - middle class have delayed gratification, make sacrifices now have pleasure later.
- Present Time-Orientation: Seeing present more important than future not having long-term goals.
A03 Criticisms of Cultural Deprivation in Achievement
> Keddie (Sugarman)
Troyna and Williams (Any Language Theorist)
Blackstone & Mortimore (Douglas)
How does Keddie criticise Sugarman’s view?
- Working class different culturally, but not deprived.
- Rather than seeing working class subculture as deficient, schools should challenge teachers working class prejudices.
Explain how Troyna & Williams criticise any Language Theorist?
- Problem not working class language but school’s attitudes towards it.
- Teachers have speech hierarchy, favouring middle class speech, then working class speech than Black speech.
Explain how Blackstone and Martimore criticise Douglas
Working class parents don’t miss Parents Evening voluntarily, but busy at work so don’t have time and put off by middle class atmosphere.
Define Compensatory Education
> Introduced to tackle cultural deprivation giving resources to schools and communities in deprived areas.
> Come in early at socialisation process to compensate children for deprivation faced at home
What is an example of Compensatory Education in the US?
> Operation Head Start in the US, where pre-school education was introduced to develop skills and motivations of deprived children.
> Included setting up Nursery Classes and home visits by educational psychologists.
Example of TV show used for Compensatory Education as part of what program and what did this provide?
Sesame Street was set up as a part of HeadStart, providing a way to transmit skills needed for Educational Success.
What are the 3 examples of Compensatory Education in the UK?
Education Priority Areas and Education Action Zones and Sure Start.
Define Material Deprivation
Poverty and lack of material necessities which prevent educational achievement.
What were DOFE findings in 2012 on Free School Meals students?
found barely ⅓ of FSM pupils get 5+ GCSES incl. (Engl and Maths)
Flaherty
Money problems are a significant factor in younger children’s non-attendance in school.
Which type of family is exclusion and truancy common in?
poorer families
What % of failing schools are in poor areas
90%
Material Deprivation Theorists
Material Deprivation
> Department for Education 2012 (Impact of Free School Meals)
> Flaherty (Money Problems)
Diet and Health
> Howard (Effects of Poor Diet)
> Wilkinson (Working class more prone to Behaviour Issues)
> Blanden and Machin (Working class more likely to be in fights)
Cost of Education
> Tanner (Cost of Equipment)
> Flaherty (Free School Meal Stigmitisation)
> Ridge (Working class Part-Time Work)
Fear of Debt
> Calender and Jackson (Working class more debt-averse)
> Reay (Working class limited Uni choices)
> National Audit Office (Debt)
How does Poor Housing affect Educational Achievement in relation to Overcrowding
- Overcrowding makes it harder to study, no room to do h/w, disturbed sleep from sharing bedrooms etc.
How does Poor Housing affect Educational Achievement in relation to Young Kids development
- Development of young children can be impaired, though lack of space for safe play/exploration.
How does Poor Housing affect Educational Achievement in relation to Children’s Health?
Children in crowded homes have more accidents and cold/damp housing means ill-health, thus meaning more absence from school.
Explain Howard findings on how Poor Diet affects WC achievement?
Kids from working class have poorer diets and nutrition, leads to lack of energy and concentration and higher absence rates.
What did Tanner discuss?
- Tanner found cost of items e.g. Transport, Books, Uniforms, Computers, Calculators, and Sports Equipment put burden on WC.
- So have to use hand me downs, leading to bullying from peers.
Explain Flaherty’s findings on Stigimisation of Free School Meals?
- Stigma for FSM prevents some from taking up entitlements.
How is Fear of Debt a factor affecting whether WC are likely to go Uni?
- Going Uni, may mean debt to cover tuition fees of 9K a year, books, and living expenses, so deter WC kids.
What were Calendar and Jackson’s findings on why WC kids were put off from going Uni?
- WC kids more debt-averse.
- Saw more cons than pros in going uni
- So 5x less likely to apply for Uni than middle class.
What were Reay’s findings on WC uni choices?
- WC kids more likely to go local uni’s.
- To stay home and save money, so less chance to go Oxbridge.
- Also carrying out part time work to fund studies
- So can’t get higher class degrees.
How may Material Deprivation theorist be too deterministic?
Can still be successful even if you’re materially deprived.
Who outlined the 3 Types of Capital?
Bourdieu
What are the 3 Types of Capital Bourdieu outlined?
> Economic Capital - Wealth
> Educational Capital - Qualifications
> Cultural Capital: Knowledge, attitudes, values, language, taste, and abilities of MC.
How does Cultural Capital benefit the MC classes in School
> MC kids have ability to analyze and develop intellectual interests and understanding of what’s needed in to succeed gives MC advantage in school
> These skills are high valued, as education favours MC culture.
What were Sullivan’s Findings on Culutral Capital and Success at GCSE?
> Those who read complex fiction, watched serious documentaries, gained greater vocab and knowledge, leading to cultural capital.
> These kids were more likely to succeed at GCSE.
What did Sullivan believe Culutral Capital only accounted for part of the differences in achievement??
> But this only accounted for part of class differences, as kids could have the same cultural capital, but MC students still did better.
> Believed greater resources of MC, explain gap in achievement.
Define Labelling
process of defining a group or person positively or negatively, based on perceived characteristics.
Outline all Labelling Theorists and what they advocate?
> Becker (Ideal Pupil)
Rist (Primary School Tables)
Jacobson and Rosenthal (IQ Test)
Explain Becker’s Idea of the Ideal Pupil
> Teachers form opinion of pupil based on how close pupils fit ideal pupil.
> Pupils from MC were viewed as closest to the ideal & WC furthest as they were seen as badly behaved.
> These labels can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy
Explain Rist Study of Labelling within Primary Schools
> Teacher used home background to group kids.
> Those teachers saw as clever and treated better were called tigers, seen as neat, MC & clean appearance
> Slow learners, labelled as ‘clowns’ and WC sat further away and neglected.
Rosenthal and Jacobson Findings on SFP in their IQ Test study used to investigate teacher labelling?
> IQ Test given to students. Random 20% of children identified as (bloomers) to teachers
> Went back a year later, finding children labelled as bloomers made more progress than others.
Explain how Fuller sees the idea of teacher Labelling as too deterministic in relation to criticisms of Labelling Theory?
- Black girls she studied were labelled as low achievers.
- Their aim was to knuckle down and study hard to prove their teachers wrong, despite what they said.
Explain Structuralist views on the Role of Schools in Labelling in relation to criticisms of Labelling Theory?
Focus on teachers too much, structuralists would say Schools encourage teachers to label students e.g. teacher training.
Explain Marxists views on Labelling in relation to criticisms of Labelling Theory?
Marxist say labels not always result of teachers individual prejudices but stem from fact teachers work in a system, reproducing class divisions.
Define Setting
Placing kids in groups based on ability in individual subjects.
Define Streaming
Placing kids in groups based on overall ability in all
subjects.
What process is likely to occur when students are streamed?
Self-fulfilling prophecy likely to occur when kids are streamed.
What is the negative consequence of Streaming?
When streamed it’s hard to move up, entered for lower tiers, students internalize message they’re ‘no-hopers’ not having potential do well.
Explain Gilbourn and Youdell’s idea of the A-C Economy?
> Link streaming to publishing league tables.
> Creating an ‘A-C economy in schools’ - schools focus time, and resources on kids they see as having potential to get 5 C’s to boost position on league table.
Explain what process do Schools use to assess which students are most likely to get them C’s and what occurs in this?
- Educational Triage
> Those who’ll pass anyway - left to get on with it
Those with potential - targeted intervention to help get C.
Hopeless cases - No chance of passing - doomed to fail.
Who do Teachers have a stereotypical view of in the Educational Triage?
Teachers have a stereotypical view of working class students and black as lacking ability - likely to be labelled as hopeless cases.
Explain the Criticisms of Sociologists view on Streaming
Allows higher ability children to be challenged and lower ability students to be supported, so can lead to higher achievement
Outline the Development of Subculture Theorists and what they advocate?
~~~
> Lacey (Differentiation and Polarisation)
> Ball (Abolishing Streaming)
> Woods (4 responses)
When do Subcultures emerge?
> Emerge as response to way pupils been labelled and as reaction to streaming
Explain Differentiation in relation to Lacey’s Explanation for the development of Pupil Subcultures?
- Where teachers group students, based on ability, attitude, and behaviour.
- Streaming is form of differentiation, as it categorises pupils into different classes.
Explain Polarisation in relation to Lacey’s Explanation for the development of Pupil Subcultures?
- Where children respond to streaming by moving to pro-school subculture or an anti-school subculture.
Define Pro-school subculture
- Usually by pupils in higher streams
- Committed to school’s values of hard work, respect for authority etc.
- Gain approval/status from academic success
Define Anti-school subculture
- Usually by pupils in lower streams
- Reject school values e.g. truanting, disruption, not doing homework etc.
Why do Pupils in Low Streams Join Anti-School Subcultures?
> As school deprives them of status, labelling them as failures.
> So create own status hierarchy, gaining status from peers, rebel against values of school
Explain the Impact of Subcultures?
> Often lead to self-fulfilling prophecy.
Those in pro-school subculture work hard so succeed
Those in anti-school subculture faff about and fail.
Explain Ball’s Study on the Impact of Abolishing Streaming
> When schools abolished streaming, polarisation and anti-school subcultures declined.
> But differentiation remained as teachers continued to categorise pupils
> Likely to label middle class as cooperative and able.
> Positive labelling resulted in better exam results where self-fulfilling prophecy happened.
Woods found that students didn’t always join anti or pro school subcultures, but there were 4 other responses, what were these?
- Ingratiation – Pupils who’re eager to please teachers, having favourable attitude towards school. (Teacher’s Pet)
- Ritualism - Going through motions, (don’t take an interest) staying out of trouble.
- Retreatism - Faff about and daydream in class but not challenging authority of school.
- Rebellion - Troublemakers, firmly reject everything school stands for - challenging authority.
Outline Class Identity Theorists and what they outline?
> Bourdieu (Habitus)
Archer (Nike Identities)
Ingram (Catholics Boys)
Evans (WC Girls - Self Exclusion for Success)
Define Habitus
> Learned ways of thinking, being or acting shared by particular social class
> Including tastes, outlook on life, expectations and what’s normal or realistic for people ‘like us’
Explain how the Education System works in favour of middle class habitus compared to working class habitus?
MC have power to impose their habitus on the education system, system so school holds MC values, placing higher value on their tastes and preferences, see WC habitus as inferior.
Define Symbolic Capital
Those who’ve been socialised with MC habitus gain ‘symbolic capital’- status and recognition from school, deemed to be valuable.
Define Symbolic Violence
> Where school rejects WC habitus and WC tastes are deemed worthless.
> Reproduces class structure and keeping WC ‘in their place’
Explain the Impact of symbolic violence on WC students
> WC see world of education as alien and unnatural
> WC felt they have to change/lose themselves to be successful.
Explain Archer’s Findings on Nike Identities?
> Symbolic violence leads WC students to find alternatives to creating self-worth, status and value.
> Done by investing heavily in ‘styles’ like Nike, to gain status from peers
> Styles were heavily policed by peer groups not conforming was ‘social suicide’
> This conflicted with the school’s dress code and conflict with their MC habitus.
How did Nike Styles play a part in WC pupils’ seeing university as unrealistic?
- Saw it as not for them and for posher MC people
- Thought they wouldn’t fit in.
- Seen as risky investment.
How did Nike Styles play a part in WC pupils’ seeing HE as undesireable?
- Wouldn’t suit preferred lifestyle or habitus
- Would lead to debt, so wouldn’t be able to keep up Nike identities.
Explain Ingram’s Study of Conflict between WC Habitus and MC schools for WC grammar schoolboys?
> Problem for WC grammar school boys, experienced tension between neigbourhood’s habitus and that of MC school.
> Faced being judged as worthless at school for wearing street clothes or worthless in community for not doing so.
Explain Evans Study on how WC girls self excluded themselves from success?
> Found even successful WC girls faced hidden barriers.
> Felt their identity wouldn’t fit in with habitus of elite universities
> They had strong attachment to WC locality and Family
> Wanting to remain at home to study, an economic necessity.
Explain how Postmodernists criticise Class Identities?
> Postmodernists say class, no longer has as much impact on students identity, due to pick n mix culture.
