Ethnicity Flashcards
Race vs Ethnicity…
Race - refers to physical perceived differences that groups and cultures consider socially significant.
Ethnicity - refers to shared culture, such as language, ancestry, practices, and beliefs. The sociological perspective explores how race and ethnicity are socially constructed and how individuals identify with one or more.
Linguistics…
Bowker (1968): ‘The Education of Coloured Immigrants’. Argues there’s lack of standard English in BAME cultures and backgrounds this in turn creates a huge barrier to UK education.
For example, we see this consistently in the news and debates surrounding immigration and inclusion.
However the Swann report found that actually language has very limited impact on educational achievement and could also not explain why those from other background out-perform white British learners.
The Swann report was created by a committee asked to give ‘early and particular attention to the educational needs and attainments of pupils of West Indian origin and to make interim recommendations as soon as possible on action which might be taken in the interests of this group’.
Cultural capital and cultural deprivation…
Symbolic elements such as Clothing, posture, linguistic (colloquialisms) all come into play when considering achievement as most upper class individuals are from a white British background the aspirations tend to be white British ideals.
Sharing similar forms of cultural capital with others—the same taste in movies, for example, or a degree from an Ivy League School—creates a sense of collective identity and group position (“people like us”).
Low achievement is the result of ethnic minorities failing to embrace & conform to British culture. Scruton (1986)
Attitudes and values of BAME communities…
Arnot (2004) suggests that the Media have created a negative anti-school role model for Black pupils in particular which he describes as ‘the Ultra-Tough Ghetto Superstar ‘ reinforced through rap lyrics & MTV videos.
Strand’s (2007) analysis of data from the 2004 Longitudinal Study of Young People found that Indian students are the ethnic group most likely to complete homework five evenings a week and the group where parents are most likely to say they always know where their child is when they are out.
Francis and Archer (2005) – High value is placed on education by parents, coupled with a strong cultural tradition of respect for one’s elders.
Right realists and single mothers…
‘Dysfunctional’ family types are to blame for the underachievement of certain ethnic groups.
African Caribbean lone-parenthood to blame. Lack of male role-models means that mothers struggle to socialise children adequately. Murray (1984).
This lack of strong male role models cause black boys to seek role models elsewhere. Enter the super black ghetto subculture.
Resistant in two ways…
Hall argues The impact of slavery means that much of the Black culture has lost it’s language, religion, ancestry, etc. The Black culture are less likely to integrate & assimilate with White mainstream culture of the UK. Hall (1992) calls this a ‘Culture of Resistance’.
Pryce (1979): Asian culture – more able to resist racism (due to social cohesion) and as such are not effected by it as much e.g. low self-esteem leading to educational failure.
Material deprivation…
As we know material deprivation plays a big part in educational ability. Especially in the current climate, lack of internet etc.
Flaherty (2004) found:
> Pakistanis & Bangladeshis are 3X more likely than White counter parts to be in the poorest 1/5 of the population.
> Africans, Pakistanis & Bangladeshis are 3X more likely to be unemployed than White counter parts.
> 15% of minority groups live in overcrowded homes (2% for White counterparts).
> Pakistanis are 2X as likely to be in semi/ un-skilled jobs compared to White counterparts.
According to the Swann Report (1985):
> Social Class differences account for a high proportion of differences in achievement between ethnic groups.
Racism as a whole…
Mason (1995) argues that; ‘Discrimination is a continuing & persistent feature of the experience of Britain’s citizens of minority ethnic origin’.
Rex (1986): Racism leads to social exclusion and accordingly poverty. This is shown in housing, employment & education. Racism also leads to discrimination both inside & outside the classroom.
Noon (1993): Sent identical letters to 100 top UK companies but alternated between the names ‘Evans’ & ‘Patel’ the replies to the ‘White’ candidate were more helpful and informative.
Eurocentric curriculum…
Xasan - Eurocentric curriculum can cause those form BAME Backgrounds to feel marginalised and excluded from the education system.
The past and background of individuals are left out of the education system not only causing exclusion but reinforcing this Cultural resistance.
Are self-fulfilling prophecies the teachers fault?…
Teachers have only a very limited idea about ‘who their students are’ as individuals when they first enter the school, based mainly on the area where they came from, and they thus have to build up an image of their students as the school year progresses. Hargreaves et al distinguished three stages of typing or classification: Speculation, Elaboration, Stabilisation.
Speculation - the teachers make guesses about the types of student they are dealing with. Hargreaves et al stress that in the speculation stage, teachers are tentative in their typing, and are willing to amend their views.
Elaboration - each hypothesis is tested and either confirmed or contradicted, and through this process the typing of each student is refined.
Stabilisation - the teacher feels that ‘he knows’ the students and finds little difficulty in making sense of their actions, which will be interpreted in light of the general type of student the teacher thinks they are. Some students will be regarded as deviant and it will be difficult for any of their future actions to be regarded in a positive light.
Critique of labelling…
Negative labelling can sometimes have the opposite effect – Margaret Fuller’s (1984) research on black girls in a London comprehensive school found that the black girls she researched were labelled as low-achievers, but their response to this negative labelling was to knuckle down and study hard to prove their teachers and the school wrong.
