External factors affecting education

Question 1

What are external factors?

Answer 1

External factors refer to the factors outside of the school which can negatively influence a pupil’s achievements.

Question 2

What is material deprivation?

Answer 2

This is a lack of resources, most commonly felt by the working-class, and is usually measured by receipt of Free School Meals. Material
Deprivation can have multiple effects on a student’s performance. Poor housing could lead to absences, poor diet a lack of concentration, lack of internet access a failure to keep up
with the rest of the class.

Question 3

What are parenting styles?

Answer 3

It is argued that the parenting styles of working-class parents
are less authoritarian than those of middle class parents and therefore working class students are not pushed hard enough. It can also be argued that working-class parents do not have high enough expectations – a C may be okay – whereas middle class would settle for nothing but an A. Absent parents due to shift work a factor too.

Question 4

What are cultural backgrounds?

Answer 4

The cultural backgrounds of middle class and
working-class differ. Middle class are seen as more optimistic,
future-orientated and prefer deferred gratification, whilst
working-class are fatalistic, present-time orientated and prefer
immediate gratification. It can be argued that much of this is due to the financial position they find themselves in and could be out of need

Question 5

What are linguistic differences?

Answer 5

Sociologists such as Bernstein argue that the working-class and middle class have different language codes. Working class use a restricted code, one which is grammatically simple with
a limited vocabulary. The middle class use the elaborated code and this is mirrored inside the school, with text books and teachers using a broad vocabulary and more complex grammatical devices. This
puts the middle class at a distinct advantage.

Question 6

What is cultural capital and habitus?

Answer 6

The middle class cultural framework (habitus) is similar to the habitus of the school and this puts the middle class at an advantage as they feel at home. Furthermore, the middle class culture has more value (capital) that working-class culture when it comes to student’s being selected for schools. Working-class cultural often at odds with
school ethos, which would be an internal factor – referred to as symbolic violence as working-class students are demonised.