External Factors: Cultural Deprivation Flashcards
Language Skills EAL
Language can be a barrier for some children from immigrant families when they first arrive in the UK. However, the Swann Report found that language didn’t affect progress for later generations
Some argue that having (EAL) or not using English regularly at home puts children from these households at a disadvantage in the education system as they are not using this additional language enough to improve it to a level required for high achievement & may be unable to get help with homework from non-English speaking family members.
Language differences may also cause difficulties in communicating with predominantly white, middle-class teachers who may mistake & label language difficulties for a lack of ability in general & therefore have lower expectations of some of their pupils.
EAL A03
Evidence from the Department for Education (DfE) in 2013 showed that pupils with English as a second language, who speak another language in their homes, outperformed in the EBacc their classmates who had English as their mother tongue
Family Structure and parental support
White W/C students amongst lowest achievers particularly boys
Poorer levels of behaviour and discipline in white w/c schools-> lower levels of parental support and negative attitudes towards school
A higher proportion of Black-Caribbean children are raised in lone-parent families, usually headed by women.
Moynihan argues that because many black families are headed by a lone mother, their children can be deprived of adequate care because she has to struggle financially in the absence of a male breadwinner & lacks the time needed to spend with her children.
The father’s absence also means that boys lack an adequate role model of male achievement. He suggests that cultural deprivation is a cycle where inadequately socialised children from unstable families go on to fail at school & become inadequate parents themselves.
Family Structure and parental support 2
A higher proportion of Black-Caribbean children are raised in lone-parent families, usually headed by women.
Moynihan argues that because many black families are headed by a lone mother, their children can be deprived of adequate care because she has to struggle financially in the absence of a male breadwinner & lacks the time needed to spend with her children.
The father’s absence also means that boys lack an adequate role model of male achievement. He suggests that cultural deprivation is a cycle where inadequately socialised children from unstable families go on to fail at school & become inadequate parents themselves.
Sewell sees the problem as a lack of fatherly nurturing or ‘tough love’ (firm, fair, respectful & non-abusive discipline). This results in black boys finding it hard to overcome the emotional & behavioural difficulties of adolescence which clashes with school & contributes to underachievement. Many black boys are therefore subjected to powerful anti-educational peer group pressure
Asian Families
Driver & Ballard say that the close-knit extended families & high parental expectations increase levels of achievement in Asian communities.
Sewell agrees when he argues that Indian & Chinese pupils benefit from supportive families that have an ‘Asian work ethic’ & place a high value on education – e.g. the existence of ‘Tiger Mums’. Likewise, Ruth Lupton (2004) argues that adult authority in Asian families is similar to the model that operates in schools
A03
Keddie sees cultural deprivation as a victim-blaming explanation. She argues that ethnic minority children are culturally different, not culturally deprived. Instead they under achieve because schools are ethnocentric: biased in favour of white culture & against minorities.
Driver 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.
