Ethnicity - Cultural Deprivation

Question 1

Cultural deprivation - Intellectual & linguistic skills

Answer 1

• Children from low income black families lack intellectual stimulation and educational experiences -> lacking abstract and social skills needed for educational achievement.
• Gillborn & Mirza (S) Indian pupils succeed despite having English as second language.

Question 2

Cultural deprivation - Attitudes & Values

Answer 2

• Some minority ethnic groups have children lacking ambition and competitiveness + willingness.
• CD theorists say some black children socialised into fatalistic attitudes (living for the present) -> not valuing or taking education seriously -> unequipped for success.

Question 3

Cultural deprivation - Family structure & parental support

Answer 3

• Moynihan(S) -black families headed by lone mother -> children deprived of male achievement as role model -> children fail -> become inadequate parents -> cycle repeats.
• Sewell(S) disagrees ^ - claims lack of fatherly nurturing or ‘tough love’ -> find it hard to overcome behavioural difficulties. ***Black minority have lower expectations and worse attitudes whilst Asian minority have high expectations ^ aspirations and positive attitudes in education.

Question 4

Cultural deprivation- Family structure & parental support (continued)

Answer 4

Sewell-Asian pupils benefit from supportive families that have ‘Asian work ethic’ and place a high value on education.
-White WC families have low level of aspiration and achievement - teachers found poorer behaviour in white WC schools -> Teachers blamed this on lower levels of parental support and attitudes in education.

Question 5

Cultural deprivation - criticisms of cultural deprivation theory

Answer 5

Driver(S)- claims CD ignores positive effects of ethnicity on achievement (Black Caribbean family provides girls with positive role model -> girls tend to do better in education than boys.
Lawrence(S)- Black pupils underachieve due to racism not because of low self esteem.
Keddie(S)-Ethnic minority culturally different not culturally deprived. Schools favour white culture (ethnocentric)

Question 6

Cultural deprivation - Criticisms of cultural deprivation theory (cont)

Answer 6

Critics oppose compensatory education -> it imposes dominant white culture on children -> propose two main alternatives

• multicultural education:policy that includes minority cultures in curriculum
• anti-racist education:policy that challenges the prejudice and discrimination existing in school and wider society.