Ethnic differences in achievement (external) Flashcards
Haleema Khanum (2014)
“They did well, but not Asian well”
in conducting interviews with a small sample of British-Asian students.
> Khanum found that education ambitions are shaped by family and community life.
> high levels of cultural capital, combined with low levels of cultural deprivation were found among Indian students.
> high grades and no less were tolerated.
> Khanum found that positive, pro-education attitudes and values held across British-Asian families explain high levels of achievement.
EVALUATION - research is small-scale and lacks representativeness, her interview only involved 12 students.
Tony Sewell (2009)
Fathers, gangs and culture
Sewell’s interviews with black boys living in poorer areas in London found clear evidence of cultural deprivation.
> Sewell believes it is home-background life that results in the underachievement of black boys.
60% of Black-Caribbean families are lone parents.
the absence of a positive male role model means that young black boys are less disciplined - street gangs are an easy temptation and include values that reject education, qualifications, and academic success.
gangs provide what Sewell calls a “perverse form of loyalty and love”
media of young black boys does not help matters, since it creates the narrative that a black boy must be tough and avoid “selling out to the white establishment”
it is no surprise that black boys underachieve in many cases.
EVALUATION - students are not always “culturally deprived” but at times just “culturally different”
Material Deprivation
> Pakistani and Bangladeshi people are over three times more likely than white people to be in the poorest fifth of the population.
> Unemployment is three times higher for Black African, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani people than for white people.
> 15% of ethnic minority households live in overcrowded conditions, compared to only 2% of white households.
> Pakistanis are nearly twice as likely to be in unskilled or semi-skilled jobs, compared to white people. Ethnic minority workers are more likely to be engaged in lower-paid shift work.
Racism in wider society
Racism is an undeniable problem in Britain. The discrimination of ethnic minority groups across Britain is evidenced in a range of ways, including in studies that look at employment. In particular, it has been found that:
> Ethnic minorities are more likely than white people to be unemployed.
38% of young black men are unemployed compared to 18% of white men.
Ethnic minority graduates are less likely to be high earners.
Mike Noon (1993)
Noon claims that ethnic minorities face racist discrimination in society.
> In his study, he sent identical pairs of letters of inquiry about future employment to the UK’s top 100 companies, signed by applicants called ‘Evans’ and ‘Patel’. Both had the same qualifications.
> Noon found that companies were more encouraging of white candidates.
> He saw this as clear racism and believes this explains ethnic differences in the level of achievement.
> Companies see ethnic minority groups as people who have little English, prioritize family over work, and be less ambitious.
EXAMPLE:
> In February 2016, the BBC highlighted how black workers continue to earn less than their white colleagues.
>Differences in pay amount to around 23%.
>The average pay gap between a black worker with A levels and a white worker with A levels is around 14%.
EVALUATION:
> Progress has been made, which is often ignored.
> He forgets to mention the rise toward equality in society.
> Anti-discrimination laws have had a huge impact on discrimination within companies and organisations.
