Ethnic Differences in Achievement - Internal Factors (Institutional Racism)

Question 1

How is this approach different from looking at the interactions (labelling)?

Answer 1

Instead of looking at individual teacher’s racism, this looks at racism as a whole (even unconsciously) of schools.

Question 2

How do critical race theorists (CRT) view institutional racism?

Answer 2

Deep-rooted, ‘looked-in’ feature, it’s so large that racism no longer needs to be intentional –> it feeds on itself.

Question 3

What is meant by an ethnocentric curriculum?

Answer 3

A curriculum that disregards/downgrades a particular ethnic group, while prioritising another.

Question 4

Who discusses the ethnocentric curriculum?

Answer 4

1). Troyna and Williams =

gives priority to English culture and language.

2). David =

‘specifically British’ curriculum.

3). Ball =

history curriculum –> recreating a ‘mythical age of empire and past glories’, while ignoring the history of black and Asian people.

Question 5

What is the impact of the ethnocentric curriculum?

Answer 5

Ethnic minorities feel their culture isn’t valued =

• this diminishes their sense of self-esteem.
• inevitably making them under-achieve.

Question 6

Apart from an ethnocentric curriculum, what are other examples of institutional racism?

Answer 6

1) . Selection and segregation.
2) . Assessment.
3) . Access to opportunities.
4) . The new IQism.

Question 7

Who says marketisation allows negative stereotypes to influence decisions about admission?

Answer 7

Gillborn (1997).

Question 8

How does Gillborn say assessment in schools is rigged to fail black pupils?

Answer 8

Baseline assessments = blacks ahead of whites.

Replaced in 2003 by foundation stage profile =

• based on teacher’s judgements (stereotyping).
• blacks behind whites.

Question 9

What did Tikly and Strand find about black pupils’ opportunities?

Answer 9

They are more likely to be placed in lower-tier exams =

• as they are placed in lower sets/streams.
• due to teacher’s expectations –> self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 10

What is meant by ‘the new IQism’?

Answer 10

• Schools are using old-style IQ tests to allocate pupils to streams (think ability is innate).
• Black pupils placed in lower streams as a result.

Question 11

What are the criticisms of Gillborn’s view that ethnic differences are the result of institutional racism?

Answer 11

1) . Sewell rejects the CRT =
- says institutional racism isn’t powerful enough to prevent pupils succeeding.
- need to focus on external factors.