EDUCATION - social class differences Flashcards
what are the 3 external factors affecting social class differences in education?
-material deprivation
-cultural deprivation
-cultural capital
what are the 3 main aspects of cultural deprivation for working class pupils?
-Parents’ education
-Language
-Working class subculture
Explain how parents’ education can cause working class pupils’ underachievement
-w/c parents place less value on education and give less encouragement to their children. they visit schools less + don’t discuss progress with teachers
-m/c parents more likely to buy educational toys/books
explain how language can affect working class pupils’ achievement
-language used in w/c homes is deficient example uses single words and disjointed phrases. - w/c children struggle with reading & writing
-w/c use ‘restricted code’ vs m/c use ‘elaborated code’.
-elaborated code is used by teachers, textbooks, exams
explain how working class subculture can affect these pupils’ achievement
Sugarman - working class subcultures has 4 key features:
-fatalism, the belief that nothing you can do will change your status
-collectivism, valuing being part of a group more than succeeding as an individual
-immediate gratification, seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices for the future
-present time orientation, no long term goals, the present is more important
what are compensatory education policies + give some examples
they aim to tackle problems of cultural deprivation by providing extra resources to schools in deprived areas. Such as Free School Meals, Educational Maintenance Allowance, and Pupil Premium
give 2 criticisms of cultural deprivation as an explanation for social class differences
Keddie - its a myth. can be culturally different but not culturally deprived. schools should work WITH it
Smoke Screen - compensatory education acts as a smoke screen to conceal poverty as the main issue
victim blaming - w/c attend fewer parents evenings because they work longer or are put off by school m/c atmosphere
what are the 4 aspects of material deprivation on social class educational differences
-housing
-diet & health
-fear of debt
-financial support / educational costs
how does housing typically affect w/c pupils’ achievement?
POT
-Poor conditions - increases ill health by up to 25% - bad attendance - fall behind
-Overcrowding - lack of space to study or concentrate
-Temporary accommodation - moving house frequently - can’t settle - bad emotional wellbeing - distress
how can diet & health affect w/c pupils’ achievement?
-healthy balanced diet is expensive, w/c have lower intakes of nutrition etc. weaker immune system, illness, absence
-can create anxiety and psychological disorders
how can educational costs affect w/c pupils’ achievement?
-w/c families may not be able to afford new equipment, uniform and educational trips
-w/c families may not be able to afford private schools. live in areas with low quality schools and can’t afford transport to better schools.
how can fear of debt affect w/c pupils’ achievement?
-w/c students see debt negatively and want to avoid it. They see university as a high cost, away from their families. w/c parents also less likely to give financial support for university.
summarise cultural capital as an external factor of w/c pupils’ achievement
students that have opportunities to read, visit museums, go abroad, watch theatre etc have better vocabulary + cultural knowledge, and are more likely to do better in school. middle class students tend to have more cultural capital.
what are the 4 internal factors affecting working class pupils’ achievement?
-Labelling & the self - fulfilling prophecy
-Streaming
-Pupil subcultures
-Social class identities
what is meant by teacher labelling?
attaching a meaning or definition to someone based on stereotypes / assumptions regardless of their actual ability or attitude. Teachers often judge students on how closely they fit into their image of an ideal pupil.
