External Factors And Ethnic Differnces In Achivevment Flashcards
Evidence of ethnic differences in achievement
There are inequalities in the educational achievements of different ethnic groups. For example, whites and Asians on average do better than blacks. However, there are also significant variations among Asians. For example, Indians do better than Pakistanis and Bangladeshis
Sociologists view on ethnic differences in achievement
Many sociologists argue that ethic differences in achievement can best be explained by looking at factors outside the school - in the home, family and culture of the child, and the impact of wider society. The main explanation of this kind are cultural deprivation, material deprivation and class, and racism in wider society.
Cultural deprivation
As with explanations of class differences in achievement, cultural deprivation theory sees the underachievement of some ethnic groups as the result of inadequate socialisation in the home. The explanation has three main aspects:
- intellectual and linguistic skills
- attitudes and values
- family structure and parental support
Intellectual and linguistic skills
Cultural deprivation theorists see the lack of intellectual and linguistic skills as a major cause of underachievement for many minority children. They argue that many children from low income black families lack intellectual stimulation and enriching experiences. It leaves them poorly equipped for school because they have nor been able to develop reasoning and problem solving skills.
Bereiter and engelmann view in intellectual and linguistic skills
Consider the language spoken by low income black American families as inadequate for educational success. They see it as ungrammatical, disjointed and incapable of expressing abstract ideas.
What’s the effect of children who do not speak English at home
There is a concern that children who do not speak English at home may be help back educationally. However, official statistics show that this is not a major factor. E.g in 2010 pupils with English as their first language were only 3.2 points ahead of those without English as their first language.
David gillborn and hedi safia Mirza 2000 note that Indian pupils do very well despite often not having English as their home language
Attitudes and values
Cultural deprivation theorists see lack of motivation as a major cause of failure of many black children. Most children are socialised into the mainstream culture, which instils ambition, competitiveness and willingness to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve long term goals. This equips them for success in education.
What do cultural deprivation theorists argue about attitude and values
They argue that, some black children are socialised into a subculture that instills a fatalistic, ‘live for today’ attitude that does not value education and leaves them unequipped for success.
Family structure and parental support
Cultural deprivation theory’s argue that this failure to socialise children adequately is the result of a dysfunctional family structure.
Daniel Moynihan (1965) - family structure and parental support
Moynihan argues that because many black families are headed by a lone mother, their children are deprived of adequate care because she has to struggle financially in the absence of a male breadwinner. The farmers absence also means that that boys lack an adequate role model of male achievement. Moynihan sees cultural deprivation as a cycle where inadequately socialised children from unstable families go on to fails at school and become inadequate parents themselves.
The new right perspective on family structure and parental support
They put forward similar explanations to Moynihan. E.g, Charles Murray (1984) argues that a high rate of lone parenthood and a lack of positive male role models lead to the underachievement of some minorities. Over scruton (1986) sees the low achievement levels of some ethnic minorities as resulting from a failure to embrace mainstream British culture.
Ken pryce (1979) - family structure and parental support
Also sees the family structure as contributing to the underachievement of black Caribbean pupils in Britain. From a comparison of black and Asian pupils, he claims that Asians are higher achievers because their culture is more resistant to racism and gives them a greater sense of self worth. By contrast he argues, black Caribbean culture is less cohesive and less resistant to racism. As a result, many black pupils have low self esteem and underachieve
Swell: fathers
Unlike Murray, toby Sewell (2009) argues that it is not the absence of fathers as role models that leads to black boys underachieving. Instead, swell sees the problem as a lack of fartherly nurturing or ‘tough love’ (fair, firm, respectful and non abusive discipline). This results in black boys finding i hard to overcome the emotional and behavioural difficulties of adolescence.
Swell: gangs
In the absence of the restraining influence of a nurturing farther, street gangs of other faithless boys offer black boys ‘perverse loyalty and love’. These present boys with a media inspired role model of anti school black masculinity, whose ideal chris arnot (2004) describes as ‘the ultra tough superstar’
Many black bits are subject to powerful anti educational peer group pressure: most of the academically successful black boys that swell interviewed felt that the greatest barrier to success was pressure from other boys. Speaking standard English and doing well at school were often viewed with suspicion by their peers and seen as ‘selling out’ to the white establishment.
Swell: culture
Swell argues that black students do worse than their Asian counterparts because of cultural differences in socialisation and attitudes to education. As he puts it, while one group is being nurtured by MTV, the other is clocking up the educational hours. Swell concludes that black children particularly the boys need to have greater expectations places in them to raise their aspirations.
Critical race theorist view on fathers, gangs and culture
Critical race theorists such as Gillborn (2008) argue that it is not peer pressure but institutional racism within the education system itself that systematically produces the failure of large numbers of black boys.
Asian families
While many black families have absent fathers, in swells view Indian and Chinese pupils benefit from supportive families that have an ‘Asian work ethic’ and place a high value on education
Ruth Lupton (2004) view on Asian families
Argues that adult authority in Asian families is similar to the model that operates in school
She found that respectful behaviour towards adults was expected fri, children. This had a Knock on effect in school, since parents were more e supportive of school behaviour policies.
White working class families
White working class pupils often underachieve and have lower aspirations. E.g, a survey of 16,000 pupils by Andrew McChulloch (2014) found that ethic minority pupils are more likely to aspire to go to university than white British pupils.
How low level of aspiration and achievement can effect white working calss families
The low level of aspiration and achievement may be the result of a lack of parental support. E.g, lupton studied four mainly working class schools - two predominantly white, one serving a largely Pakistani community and the fourth drawing pupils for, an ethnically mixed community.
She found that teachers reported poorer loveless or behaviour and discipline in the white working class schools despite the fact that they had fewer children on free school meals. Teachers blamed this on lower levels of parental support and the negative attitude that white working class parents had tardy education. By contrast, ethnic minority parents are more likely to see education as ‘a way up in society’.
Gillian evans (2006) - white working class families
Argues that the street culture in white working class areas can be brutal and so young people have to learn how to withstand intimidation and intimidate others. In this context, school can become a place where the power games that young people engage in on the street are played out again, bringing disruption and making it hard for pupils to succeed.
Compensatory education
The main policy that has been adopted by to tackle cultural deprivation is compensatory education. E.g the aim of operation head start in the USA to compensate children for the cultural deficit they are said to suffer because of deprived backgrounds .
Criticisms of cultural deprivation theory
Geoffrey driver (1977) criticises cultural deprivation theory for ignoring the positive effects of ethnicity on achievement. He shows that the black Caribbean family, far from being dysfunctional, provides girls with positive role models of strong independent women. Driver argues this is why black girls tend to be more successful in education than boys
Critics oppose compensatory education because they see it as attempt to impose the dominant white culture on children who already have a coherent culture of their own. They propose two main alternatives:
- multicultural education: a policy that recognises and values minority cultures and includes them in the curriculum
- anti racist education: a policy that challenges the prejudice and discrimination that exists in schools and wider society
Material deprivation and class
Material deprivation means a lack of those physical necessities that are seen as essential or normal for life in todays society. In general, working class people are more likely to face poverty and material deprivation.
