External Factors - Cultural Deprivation Flashcards
Evidence for cultural deprivation causing the difference in achievement
Centre for Longitudinal Studies found that by the age of 3, children from disadvantaged backgrounds were already up to one year behind those from more privileged backgrounds and this gap widened with age.
We acquire the basic ‘cultural equipment’ needed for educational success through primary socialisation in the family. So, children from WC families are culturally deprived because the WC families fail to adequately socialise their children. This means they lack the cultural equipment needed to do well at school which causes them to fail.
What are the 3 main aspects of cultural deprivation?
- Language
- Parents’ education
- Working-class subculture
What did Hubbs-Tait at al and Feinstein find regarding the effect of language on intellect?
Hubbs-Tait et al found that where parents used language that challenges their children to evaluate their own understanding or abilities (e.g “what do you think?’) improved cognitive performance.
Feinstein found that middle-class parents were more likely to use language in this way. Whereas, working-class parents were more likely to use descriptive language (e.g “what’s that animal called?”) which results in lower cognitive performance.
Resultantly, WC kids tend to be incapable of abstract thinking and unable to use language to explain or compare when they grow up.
What did Bernstein find regarding differences in language used by different social classes
Bernstein identified difference in language used by WC and MC.
Restricted speech code:
- mainly used by WC
- limited vocabulary based on short, often unfinished and grammatically simple sentences
- a single word or just a gesture, descriptive, not analytical
- context-bound
Elaborated code:
- mainly used by MC
- wider vocabulary based on longer more grammatically complex sentences.
- communicates abstract ideas and is context free
What did Bernstein find regarding the effects of differences in language among the different social classes on achievement?
- Gives MC children an advantage at school because their speech code (elaborated code) is used by teachers, textbooks and exams. early socialisation of this speech code means MC children already ‘fluent’ in it. So, feel at home and more likely to succeed.
- Differences in speech code gives WC disadvantage as they are likely to feel excluded because of the use of the elaborated code and to be less successful.
Evaluate Bernstein’s ideas regarding speech codes
- some sociologists argue that Bernstein is blaming the underachievement of WC students on the family (internal factor) because the speech they use he indicates is ‘inadequate’.
- however, Bernstein himself recognises that the school (external factor) and not just home influences achievement. Bernstein argues that WC pupils don’t fail because of being culturally deprived but because schools fail to teach them how to use elaborated code.
What did Douglas and Feinstein find regarding the effect of parent’s education on the difference in achievement?
What is the argument against Douglas’ findings?
-Douglas found that WC parents placed less value on education. As a result, they were less ambitious for their children, gave them less encouragement and they visited schools less often and were less likely to discuss their children’s progress with teachers. As a result, their children had lower levels of motivation and achievement.
Critics argue WC parents are not less interested in their children’s education.
Blackstone and Mortimore fond that WC parents attend fewer parent’s evening because they work longer or less regular hours. Or because they are put off by the school’s MC atmosphere. WC parents may want to help their children progress but lack the knowledge and education to do so. Evidence that schools with mainly WC pupils have less effective parent-school contacts which makes it harder for parents to keep in touch about children’s progress. So, could be argued that underachievement is due to the school’s failure to communicate the knowledge parents need to be able to support their children better.
-Feinstein found MC parents tend to be better educated which gives their children an advantage by how they socialise them.
In what ways does parent’s education affect how they might socialise their children?
Parent’s education can affect:
- parenting style
- parent’ educational behaviours
- use of income
How does parenting style differ between social classes and how may this contribute to the differences in achievement?
- Educated parents’ parenting style often involves consistent discipline and high expectations. This supports achievement by encouraging exploration and active learning.
- Uneducated parent’s parenting style consists of inconsistent or harsh discipline that emphasises ‘doing what you’re told’. This prevents children from learning independence and self-control. leading to poorer motivation at school and problems interacting with teachers.
How does parents’ educational behaviours differ between social classes and how may this contribute to the differences in achievement?
Educated parents are more aware of what is needed to assist their children’s educational progress. Therefore, they are able to get expert advice on childrearing, more successful in establishing good relationships with teachers and better at guiding their children’s interactions at school. Also, understand the educational value of visits to museums and libraries.
How does parents’ use of income differ between social classes and how may this contribute to the differences in achievement?
- Not only do better-educated parents have higher incomes, but they also spend their incomes in ways to promote their children’s educational success.
- Bernstein and Young found MC mothers are more likely to buy educational toys, books and activities that encourage reasoning skills and stimulate intellectual development.
- WC families more likely to lack educational resources which means their children start school without the intellectual skills needed to progress
Evaluate the effect of parent’s education on the differences in achievement
Although better paid, middle-class parents tend to be better educated than lower-paid working-class families.
Feinstein notes that parents’ education still has influence on children’s achievement regardless of class or income.
For example, even within a given social class, better-educated parents tend to have children who are more successful at school.
This may help to explain why not all children from WC families do equally badly and why not all children from MC families are equally successful.
What is the definition of a subculture?
What is the working-class subculture according to cultural deprivation theorists and how does it cause differences in achievement?
A subculture is a group whose attitudes and values differ from those of the mainstream culture.
According to cultural deprivation theorists, the working class have different goals, beliefs, attitudes and values from the rest of society and this is why their children fail at school.
What does Sugarman believe are the 4 key features of the working-class subculture that prevents educational achievement?
- Fatalism: belief in fate and that nothing can be done to change an individual’s own status. Whereas, MC believe one can change their position through their own efforts.
- Collectivism: valuing being apart of a group more than succeeding as an individual. Whereas, MC believe the individual should not be held back by group loyalties
- Immediate gratification: seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices in order to get the rewards in the future. Whereas, MC value emphasise deferred gratification
- Present-time orientation: seeing the present as more important than the future and so not having long term goals.Whereas, MS has a future-time orientation.
WC children internalise the beliefs and values of their subculture through the socialisation process which results in them underachieving at school.
What is compensatory education?
Compensatory education programmes aim to tackle the problem of cultural deprivation by providing extra resources to schools and communities in deprived areas. Intervene early in the socialisation process to compensate for deprivation they experience at home.
