EDUCATION: interactionist theory

Question 1

Who came up with labelling theory?

Answer 1

Becker

Question 2

What is Becker’s definition of labelling?

Answer 2

A meaning or definition attached to someone.
Teachers label middle class children positively but working class children negatively.

Question 3

What did Rist find about labelling in schools?

Answer 3

A teacher group kindergarten pupils academically.
They based how academic they were on information about the child’s background and appearance.
Students were aware of inferiority.

Question 4

What theory did Hargreaves come up with?

Answer 4

Typing

Question 5

What are the 3 phases of Hargreaves’ typing that teachers express?

Answer 5

1) Speculate: Which students they have
2) Elaboration: Consolidation of first impressions
3) Stabalising: Confirming the type

Question 6

What is Gilbourne & Youdell’s A-C economy?

Answer 6

The education system places focus on gaining 5 A-C grades.

Question 7

What is meant by Gilbourne & Youdell’s educational triage?

Answer 7

A result of the the A-C economy. 
It is the labelling of students:
1)Will pass anyway
2)Borderling
3)Hopeless cases
Focus is then placed on borderline students.

Question 8

What are the 5 stages of labelling?

Answer 8

1) Label applied
2) Label reinforced abd confirmed.
3) label rejected of accepted by recipient
4) consequences if accepted: label demoralised and defines the recipient
5) consequence: the self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 9

Sharpe & Green study

Answer 9

• Looked at primary school that enables pupils to develop and their own pace.
• Middle class pupils seeked help first
• Working class children therefore ignored
• This supports interactionist ideas of working class children being negatively labelled resulting in inequalities.

Question 10

What did Keddie conclude about banding?

Answer 10

Different sets taught in different ways.
Teaching standards differ from top to bottom sets.
Pupils sensed inferiority through the way teachers talked to them differently.

Question 11

Mary Fuller study

Answer 11

• Looked at how black girls were negatively labelled
• They were aware of prejudice
• But rejected the label by working together to abandon the labels.

Question 12

Rosenthal & Jacobson study

Answer 12

• Conducted a fake test claiming it would identify spurters.
• 20 students randomly allocated ‘spurter’ label. Teachers were aware of who was a spurter.
• 47% of the spurters made significant progress.