ethnicity Flashcards
linguistic skills
Bereiter and Engelmann (1966)
consider the spoken language of black American families as inadequate for educational success. Studies in the USA refer to the ‘ebonics’ used by some black children as not meeting the elaborate code used within schools, creating a barrier for students.
Also, children who do not speak English at home may also be held back educationally.
family structure
Moynihan (1965)
argues that because governmental stats tell us that black families are disproportionately headed by a lone mother in comparison to other ethnic groups, children may be deprived of adequate care due to financial constraints, as well as lacking a male role model
family structure
Murray (1984)
argues that generally, lone parenthood leads to lack of positive male role models
attitudes and values
Sewell
argues that Asian families tend to have an ‘Asian WorkEthic’. this means they may play a high value on education
attitudes and values Lupton
also suggests that the adult authority structure in Asian homes - with 21% of households made up of a multi-generational family with dependant children, mirrors that of education so respectful behaviour was expected of children
racism exists in all layers within society including
housing - ethnic minorities are sent to worse housing areas perhaps rough areas, asian and black families are generally the most deprived
employment - less ethnic minorities in higher paying jobs treated differently in workplace. underpaid ethnic minorities
welfare - NHS not free for British citizens refugees - not allowed to work, relieve benefits
Criminal Justice system - often gives different sentences based on your ethnicity. lack of effort in investigating ethnic minorities cases. stop and search tends to be racist
DFES Research Paper (2006)
“minority ethnic pupils are more likely to experience deprivation than white British pupils, especially Pakistani, Bangladeshi, black African and black Caribbean pupils. for example 70% of Bangladeshi pupils and almost 60% of Pakistani and black African pupils live in the 20% most deprived post code areas compared to less than 20% of white British pupils”
family structure Sewell
argues it may not be a lack of father figure leading to black boys underachievement but their lack of ‘tough love’ leading to the boys seeking out other boys who rely on each other as role models
much of their identity stems from media influences which emphasise ‘ultra tough ghetto superstar’ image
family structure Driver
suggests the Black families provide strong role models for girls, thus explaining the higher rates of achievement amongst black girls
attitudes and values Lawrence
suggests that black attitudes are not fatalistic or e’weaker’ but are simply the by product of racism in wider society. recognising structural racism should be the starting point of analysis
Modood (2004)
found that although low income families do less well, it has a bigger effect on white pupils than ethnic minorities - suggesting its not the biggest factor for ethnic minorities underachievement
Noon case study
- the same CV with the names ‘Evans’ and ‘Patel’
- ‘Evan’ the western sounding name got more job offers
Wood (2010) similar to Noons case study
similar study to Noon
results demonstrated that 1 in 16 ‘ethnic minority’ applications got offered an interview while 1 in 9 ‘white’ applications
Gilbourn + Mirza (2000)
in one local education authority black children were the highest achievers on entry level to primary school (20 points above average [locally]) yet by the time it came to GCSE they had the worst results of any ethnic group - 21 points below average
black pupils and discipline Gillbourn and Youdell (2000)
found teachers were quicker to discipline black students than others of the same behaviour
argue that this is a result of teacher ‘racialised expectations’
Bourne (1994)
schools tend to see black boys as a threat and label them negatively leading eventually to exclusion
pupil identities Archer (2008)
teacher dominant discourse, defines ethnic minority pupils’ identities as lacking the favoured identity of the ideal pupil
3 pupil identities
the ideal pupil identity - white middle class masculinised identity, normal sexuality this pupils seen was achieving in the ‘right’ way through natural ability and initiative
the pathologies pupil identity - an Asian ‘deserving poor’ ; feminised identity with either asexual or oppressed sexuality seen as a plodding conformer and culture bound overachiever
the demonised pupil identity - a black or white WC hyper sexualised identity this pupil is seen as unintelligent peer led culturally deprived underachiever
Shain (2003)
not that when Asian girls challenges this stereotype by misbehaving, they are often dealt with more severely than other pupils
3 types of teacher racism
the colour blind - teachers who believe all pupils are equal but in practice allow racism to go unchallenged
the liberal chauvinists - teachers who believe black pupils are culturally deprived and who have low expectations of them
the overt racists - teachers who believe blacks are inferior and actively discriminate against them
Sewell the variety of boys responses of teacher racism
the rebels: small minority of black pupilsofte excluded from school, conform to anti school stereotype anti authority
the conformists: largest group keen to succeed accept the schools goals have friends from different ethnic groups try to avoid being steryotyped
the retreats: tiny minority of isolated individuals - disconnected from school and black subcultures despised by rebels
the innovators: second largest group, pro education but anti school value success but don’t seek teacher approval and conform only as far as school works concerned
evaluation of labelling and pupil responses
labelling theory shows how teachers stereotypes can be a cause of failure
theres a danger of seeing these stereotypes as as the product of individual teachers prejudices rather than of racism in the way that the education system as a whole operates
danger of assuming once labelled pupils will automatically fall victim to the self fulfilling prophecy
critical race theory
sees racism as an ingrained feature of society
marketisation and segregation
policy of introducing market forces of supply and demand into areas run by the state such as education and the NHS (schools being like a business advertised with the A-C economy more kids = more money target market is white MC girls)
