Ethnicity and Eduactional Achievement (4)

Question 1

What is ethnicity?

Answer 1

The fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition.

Question 2

What is meant by DEA?

Answer 2

Differential Educational Achievement.

Question 3

What are external factors?

Answer 3

The things that can affect achievement outside of school (e.g. at home).

Question 4

What are the external (outside school) factors that cause ethnicity minority differences in education?

Answer 4

1. Differences in IQ.
2. Language differences.
3. Racism in the wider society.
4. Cultural capital and cultural deprivation.
5. Material advantages and material deprivation.

Question 5

How does differences in IQ cause ethnicity differences in education?

Answer 5

It has been thought by many that IQ could be a factor in explaining why certain ethnic minority groups underachieve. ON average, IQ tests showed that African-Caribbean’s scored on average 16 points lower than whites.
However they claimed that this is because:
IQ tests are ethnocentric (they test white m/c knowledge).
They are an unreliable measure of intelligence because they ignore multiple intelligence.
The very fact that blacks underperform on IQ tests is because of their position in society and the discrimination that exists for them. They are more likely to be culturally and materially deprived due to their social background therefore their intelligent doesn’t develop at the same rate as others might who aren’t culturally and materially disadvantaged.

Question 6

What does EAL mean?

Answer 6

English as an additional language.

Question 7

How could EAL lead to educational underachievement?

Answer 7

Teachers assume that they would have poor grasp of English and left them out of class discussions or used simplistic, childish language when speaking to them. This does not give them the same education experience.

Question 8

What are the criticisms of using language as an external factor for causing ethnicity differences in education?

Answer 8

Gillborn and Matza (2000) claim that language is not a barrier to educational success as they point out that Chinese and Indian children succeed in the education system and are very likely to have English as a second or additional language at home.

Question 9

What does racism in wider society mean and how it lead to educational underachievement?

Answer 9

It leads to social discrimination and exclusion. It worsens the poverty faced by ethnic minorities.

Question 10

How can material deprivation have an impact on underachievement of ethnic minorities?

Answer 10

Educational failure resulting from factors such as substandard housing and low income ethnic minorities are more likely to face these problems.

Question 11

How was racial discrimination disadvantages ethnic minorities in terms of housing studied? Who?

Answer 11

Rex - Discrimination means minorities are more likely to be forced into substandard accommodation than white people of the same class.

Question 12

How was racial discrimination disadvantages ethnic minorities in terms of employment studied? Who?

Answer 12

Evidence of direct and deliberate discrimination. For example, Noon (1999) found companies were more responsive and helpful to ‘white’ candidates than ‘foreign’ in terms of job applications.

Question 13

What is meant by cultural deprivation?

Answer 13

Lacking the right norms and values for educational success.

Question 14

Who studied into the impact on underachievement of ethnic minorities?

Answer 14

Driver and Ballard (1981)
Lupton (2004)
Pryce (1979)

Question 15

How did Driver and Ballard (1981) study into the impact on underachievement of ethnic minorities?

Answer 15

Asian parents have more positive attitudes to education and higher aspirations for their children’s future.

Question 16

How did Lupton (2004) study into the impact on underachievement of ethnic minorities?

Answer 16

Asian adults authority (parents) is similar to the model found at schools (teachers). Children are respectful of authority at home which is replicated at school.

Question 17

How did Pryce (1979) study into the impact on underachievement of ethnic minorities?

Answer 17

Argues the family structure of black Caribbean families contributes to the underachievement of black Caribbean pupil in Britain. As a result, many black pupils have low self-esteem and under achieve.

Question 18

What are the criticisms of cultural deprivation?

Answer 18

• Ignores the positive effects of ethnicity on achievement e.g. Black Caribbean families provide girls with a positive role model of strong independent women. (Black girls do tend to be more successful).
• Ball argues that ethnic minority groups are not culturally deprived but culturally excluded because they find it difficult to negotiate the complex brutish education system.
• Ignores the impact of racism.
• Victim blaming - ethnic minority groups are culturally different, not culturally deprived.
• Some argue that Asian families have more positive attitudes towards education and are likely to support the schools behaviour policies as they respect authority more.

Question 19

What is meant by material deprivation?

Answer 19

The lack of money and resources needed fir educational success.

Question 20

What problems are ethnic minorities more likely to face?

Answer 20

1. Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are more likely to be in the poorest group of the population.
2. Unemployment is higher for ethnic minorities.
3. Ethnic minorities’ are more likely to live in crowed households.
4. Ethnic minorities are more likely to be engaged in shift work.
5. Bangladeshi and Pakistani women are more likely to be in low paid housework earning £1.50 per hour.

Question 21

Which three ethnic groups perform the least well in the British education system?

Answer 21

Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi.

Question 22

What are the three external factors for explaining DEA and ethnicity?

Answer 22

Cultural factors, material factors and racism in the wider society.

Question 23

What are two aspects of cultural deprivation that explains DEA and ethnicity?

Answer 23

Family structure and subcultures.

Question 24

What did Ken Pryce say the contributing factor to underachievement of black pupils is/

Answer 24

Raised in single parent families.

Question 25

Why might 40% of all black families in Britain live in single parent families?

Answer 25

Place low value on marriage and long term relationships.

Question 26

What are two effects single parent families may have on black children and their educational achievement?

Answer 26

Lack of positive male role model.

Less help/encouragement from mothers.

Question 27

Which family type did Driver and Ballard study?

Answer 27

South Asian families.

Question 28

In what ways did Ruth Lupton see South Asian families as similar to the school?

Answer 28

Strict adult authority so children are respectful towards teachers as well as parents.

Question 29

Why might South Asian family life be considered a positive educational resource for their children according to the Swann Report?

Answer 29

Place high value on education and are supportive of their child’s education

Question 30

Why do Gillborn and Mirza (2000) criticise the EAL explanation?

Answer 30

Chinese and Indian students are highest performing ethnic group.

Question 31

Which sociologist argues cultural deprivation ignores the positive affect of ethnicity on achievement amongst black girls?

Answer 31

Geoffrey Driver.

Question 32

Why does Keddie criticise cultural deprivation theorists?

Answer 32

See it as victim blaming, she argues factors inside the school are responsible e.g. setting and streaming.

Question 33

Rex argues racial discrimination leads to social exclusion. What two factors can this impact on?

Answer 33

Housing and employment.

Question 34

Why might South Asian families be less likely to live as single parent families?

Answer 34

Strong religious beliefs so divorce and separation rates are low.

Question 35

What benefit does this have on their children’s educational achievement?

Answer 35

More support from family and more money for educational resources/investment.

Question 36

2% of white households live in over crowed conditions. What is the % for ethnic minority households?

Answer 36

15%

Question 37

What type of jobs are Pakistanis most likely to be in?

Answer 37

Semi-skilled or unskilled jobs.

Question 38

What type of jobs are Bangladeshi and Pakistani women most likely to be in?

Answer 38

Low paid home working for as little as £1.50 per hour.

Question 39

What other factors explain DEA and ethnicity?

Answer 39

Internal (inside school) explanations.

Question 40

What are internal factors?

Answer 40

The things that can affect achievement inside of school (e.g.teacher pupil relationships).

Question 41

What are the internal (inside school) factors that cause ethnicity minority differences in education?

Answer 41

1. Labelling and teacher racism.
2. Pupils responses and subcultures.
3. Institutional Racism.

Question 42

What is labelling?

Answer 42

The process of attaching a meaning or definition to an individual or a group. They are often stereotypes on individuals.

Question 43

What is the self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer 43

Where a prediction made about a person comes true as the result of a label.

Question 44

What is the self-negating prophecy?

Answer 44

When a person chooses to reject a negative label.

Question 45

What are the method, findings and conclusions about Gillborn’s (1990) research into labelling in secondary schools?

Answer 45

Methods: Gillborn spent two years studying an inner-city comprehensive school gathering data from classroom observations and interviews with teachers and students.
Findings: Teachers were quick to discipline black students because they saw them as a threat to their authority and safety. They often misinterpreted the behaviour of African-Caribbean students as threatening when no threat was intended. Pupils often responded to the label and behaved negatively.

Question 46

What are the method, findings and conclusions about Wright’s (1992) research into labelling in primary schools?

Answer 46

Method: Wright's research was based on classroom observation of four inner-city primary schools.
Findings: She found that despite the schools apparent commitment to equal opportunities, teachers held ethnocentric views: that is, they took for granted that British culture and standard English were superior. For example teachers assumed that Asian students would have a poor grasp pf English and often left them out of class discussions, or used simplistic language when speaking to them. 
Conclusions: Asian pupils often felt isolated and teachers saw them not as a threat, but as a problem they could ignore. This resulted in Asian pupils, especially the girls being marginalised.

Question 47

How do the findings of Wright’s study show how Asian pupils can be labelled negatively?

Answer 47

Asian students would have a poor grasp of English so teachers would leave them out of class discussions, or used simplistic childish language when speaking to them.

Question 48

What are the method, findings and conclusions about Fuller’s (1984) research into the self negating prophecy?

Answer 48

Method: Studied a group of black girls in year 11 in a London comprehensive schools. They girls were untypical because they were high achievers in a school where most black girls were in low sets.
Findings: Instead of accepting negative stereotypes of them-selves, the girls channeled their anger about being labelled into the pursuit of educational success.
Conclusions: Pupils may still succeed even when they refuse to conform. Negative labelling does not always lead to failure.

Question 49

What are the method, findings and conclusions about Sewell’s (1984) research into racial stereotyping?

Answer 49

Methods: He examines the responses and strategies black pupils adopt to cope with racism.
Findings: He found that teachers had a stereotype of ‘black machismo’ which sees all black boy’s as rebellious, anti-authority and anti-school.
Conclusions: One effect of this stereotyping is that black boys are more likely to be excluded from school.

Question 50

What are Sewell’s four responses to racial stereotyping?

Answer 50

The Rebels
The Conformists
The Retreatists
The Innovators

Question 51

How can the four responses to racial stereotyping by Sewell be described?

Answer 51

The Rebels - often excluded for bad behaviour. Most visible and influence group, but they were only a small minority of black pupils.
The Conformists - keen to succeed and anxious not to be stereotyped. Largest group, these boys were keen to succeed, accepted the schools goals and had friends from different ethnic group.
The Retreatists - drop outs - disconnected from school and ‘the rebels’. Tiny minority of isolated individuals were disconnected from both school and black subcultures.
The Innovators - conformed as far as school work was concerned but nothing beyond that. Second largest group. They were pro-education but anti-school.

Question 52

What is the evaluation of labelling and pupils responses?

Answer 52

Rather than blaming the child’s home background, as cultural deprivation theory does, labelling theory shows how teacher’s prejudices can be a cause of failure.
However, there is a danger of seeing these as simply the product of individual teachers assuming, rather than of stereotypes in wider society. Factors outside the classroom or individual school, such as the influence of role models in the family and media, also play a part.
There is also a danger of racism that once labelled, pupils automatically fall victim to the self-fulfilling prophecy and fail.

Question 53

What is institutional racism?

Answer 53

Discriminations that is built into the way institutions such as schools and colleges operate.

Question 54

What are the four ways in which institutional racism can manifest itself?

Answer 54

1. The ethnocentric curriculum.
2. Schools give low priority to race issues.
3. They failed to deal with pupils racist behaviour.
4. Schools have no formal channels of communication between School governors and ethnic minority parents.

Question 55

What is the ethnocentric curriculum?

Answer 55

This is the view point in which one culture is seen as superior over others thus devaluing them.

Question 56

What are examples of an ethnocentric curriculum?

Answer 56

History is about Britain and Europe.
School holidays are based on Christian events such as Easter and Christmas.
Westernised school uniform ignores the needs of other culture such as wearing religious symbols.
Test books often portray black people in primitive or subservient roles.

Question 57

What are examples of multicultural education?

Answer 57

Celebrating a variety of cultural religious events in assemblies.
Citizenship as a new subject.
Choice of food in school canteens reflects white, British culture.

Question 58

What does the ethnocentric curriculum lead to underachievement of ethnic minorities?

Answer 58

The ethnocentric curriculum means that Black and Asian children are left uninterested and de-motivated by the curriculum.
An attempt at multi-cultural education has been criticised as a ‘saris and samosas’ approach.

Question 59

What is meant by selection?

Answer 59

The process of choosing and allocating pupils to a particular school, stream etc.

Question 60

What is meant by segregation?

Answer 60

Ethnic minority students are separated from other students.

Question 61

What does the Commission of Racial Equality (CRE, 1993) identified as evidence of bias in school admissions?

Answer 61

1. Reports from primary schools that stereotyping minority pupils.
2. Racist bias in interviews for school places.
3. Lack of information in other languages.
4. Ethnic minority parents are often unaware of school admission procedures e.g. deadlines/waiting lists.

Question 62

What is the influence of class and gender on ethnicity and achievement?

Answer 62

Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi = more likely to be working class.
White = both working class and middle class.
Indian and Chinese = more likely to be middle class. 
Girls outperform boys in all ethnic groups.
Therefore we must consider the influence of gender and class on ethnicity and achievement also.