Education - Social class

Question 1

What are the 3 main external factors that influence achievements?

Define them?

Answer 1

1) Cultural deprivation: W.C. children aren’t socialised to ‘fit’ the culture of education.

2) Material deprivation: W.C. children lack physical materials to succeed in education.

3) Cultural capital: the knowledge/attitudes/values of the M.C. allows them to take advantage of education.

Question 2

What are the 3 main aspects of cultural deprivation?

How does language link to education?

Compare restricted + elaborated code?

Answer 2

1)
- language
- parent’s education
- W.C. subculture

2) How parents communicate with their children affects their cognitive + intellectual development.

L.C. pupils don’t develop language skills to think abstractly, explain, describe + evaluate ideas.

3) Restricted code = doesn’t mimic ‘proper English’ / includes slang.
Elaborated code = reflective of standard English / is understood.

Question 3

How does parents education link to their child’s education?

What are the 4 socialisation impacts on children’s achievement?

Answer 3

1) W.C. parents value education less - children are provided with less encouragement + interest (douglas)
- Parent’s own education can influence their children.
- M.C. parents tend to be better educated so give their children an advantage in how to socialise them.

2)
- parenting styles
- parents educational attitudes
- use of income
- class

Question 4

How does parenting style affect a child’s achievement?

How does parents educational behaviour affect a child’s behaviour?

Answer 4

1)
- Educated parents = encourage active learning + exploration. high expectations.
- Less educated = inconsistent discipline prevents children from learning independently in fear of being told off.

2)
- Educated parents = more aware of child’s needs/better able to gain expert advice/ buy education stuff
- Less educated = afraid to ask teachers for help/advice in case it backfires.

Question 5

How does the parent’s use of income affect a child’s achievement?

Class/income/education?

Answer 5

1) - educated parents = higher incomes/invest in child’s education/buy nutritious food.
- Less educated = lower incomes/ cant afford resources for child’s development.

2) M.C. parents tend to be better educated and highly paid compared to W.C.
Better educated parents tend to have more successfully academic children.

Question 6

How does W.C. subcultures influence children’s achievements?

What are the 4 key features that limit their education?

Answer 6

1) W.C. have different norms/values/goals.

2)
- Fatalism (‘What will be will be’)
- Collectivism (Values being a part of a group + its success rather than individuality)
- Immediate gratification (seek pleasure rather than making sacrifices)
- Present time orientation (lack long term goals)

Question 7

Criticisms of the cultural deprivation theory?

Answer 7

• Victim blaming (ignores inequalities)
• Different / not deprived (W.C. children are culturally different - they underachieve as the system fails them)
• Parental interest (W.C. parents have less involvement because of work commitments)

Question 8

How does material deprivation affect a child’s educational achievement?

What are the 3 material factors that affect achievement?

Answer 8

1) children lack the physical materials to achieve in education.

2)
- Housing (direct + indirectly)
- Cost of education (W.C. families may not be able to afford equipment so their child has to go without)
- Fear of debt (children don’t go to uni because they fear being in debt)

Question 9

How does cultural capital affect a child’s educational achievement?

What types of capital are there? What role do they each play in education?

Answer 9

1) Both cultural + material factors contribute to educational achievement.

2)
- Economic: turning economic capital into educational capital (private school).
- Social: having valuable social contracts (teacher) helps gain admission to the best institutions.
- Cultural: enjoying educational holidays/knowledge of art/literature and providing educationally stimulating home life.
- Educational: highly educated parents can help children succeed.

Question 10

How does diet + health link to educational achievement?

How does behaviour affect educational achievement?

Answer 10

1) lack of vitamins/nutritious food can lead to low energy/weakened immune system = more time off school + lower concentration.

2) Link between poverty + behavioural problems - more likely to have high levels of hyperactivity.
- L.C. also show more ‘externalising’ behaviour (kicking/fighting)