Education- Internal social class- labelling and self fuffiling prophecy Flashcards
Define Labelling
To attach a meaning or definition to someone
Studies show that teachers attach labels based on stereotypes, give an example of this
-Class background
-Middle class = hard-working (positive)
-Working class= lazy (negative)
What did Becker (1971) do in his interactionalist study of labelling?
-Interviewed 60 high school teachers in Chicago
What were the findings of Beckers’s study?
-They judged pupils based on how closely they fitted the image of the ideal pupil
-Middle class= most ideal
-Working class= least ideal
-Pupils work, conduct and appearance were key factors
What did Hempel-Jorgensen (2009) find in her studies of English primary schools?
-Largely working-class schools had problems with discipline
-The ideal pupil= quiet, passive and obedient
-Children were defined by their behaviour, not their ability
-Mainly middle-class schools had very few discipline issues
-The ideal pupils was defined by their personality and academic abilityb
What effcet does labellinmg have in secondary schools?
-Underachievemnt of the working class was normalised and teachers seemed unconcerned by it
-They felt as if they coudlnt do anything about it but felt middle class students could overcome it
What was the main reason for the difference in tachers belif in the roles of pupils home backgrounds?
-They labelled working class parents as unitreasted in their childs education
-Middle class parents were labelled as supportive (such as paying for extracirricular activities and attending important school events
How did class differences lead to teachers dealing with underachievement?
-Setting extension work for middle-class pupils
-Entering lower class pupils for foundation/lower level exams
Teachers undersestimate 1._____ pupils potentical
- Working class
Are working-class pupils more likely to be offered fewer opportunities such as being in lower sets/sitting lower level papers ?
-Yes
Working-class pupils are more likely to be treated as a group rather than individuals T/F.
T
Middle-class students are more likely to be encouraged, given the most attention and pushed T/F.
T
Define self-fulfilling prophecy
A prediction that comes true by having stated it
How does self fulfilling prophecy affect achievement?
-The teacher will treat the student according to their self-fulfilling prophecy which could positively/negatively impact them
-The pupil internalises the teacher’s belief which will make them lose/ gain confidence and make the prediction come true
Can pupil subcultures form as a result of labelling?
Yes
Give some evaluation of labelling
-Not all working-class students accept their labels
-Many teachers try to avoid negative labelling
-Even if students are labelled they still may be successful
-Labelling theory is deterministic ( not all accept their labels)
How could you use fuller as an evaluation?
-Found that a group of working-class black girls who were labelled as likely to be failures proved teachers wrong and were successful
Give a positive evaluation of labelling theory
-Factors within the school can have a significant impact on educational achievement
