External Factors of Ethnicity and Educational Achievement: Life at Home Flashcards
How does social class factor into the educational achievement of some ethnicities.
The majority of people in ethnic minorities are of working class, a social class that are positively correlated with educational underachievement.
Give a statistic relating to ethnic minorities and their social class.
British Pakistanis are nearly twice as likely to be in an unskilled job despite having graduate qualifications.
Give evidence for why social class of ethnic minorities may not be a major contributing factor to educational underachievement.
71% of British Chinese children from ‘poor’ households achieved 5 GCSEs A*-C in 2011.
What 4 cultural factors have been identified as contributing to the higher achievement of Chinese students.
1) Family commitment to education
2) High parental expectations
3) Paid tuition
4) Parents comparing their child’s achievement to their counterparts
What did Strand (2007) find in regards to high achievement among Indian students?
That their parents had high expectations, with high parental monitoring such as making sure all of their homework is completed and knowing their children’s whereabouts. Also due to being from middle class backgrounds, they have resources such as computers and private tuition.
Which ethnic minority are most at risk of underachievement in school?
Black African Caribbean.
What is the most common family structure among African Caribbean families?
Lone parent households.
What did Murray (1980s) say in regards to family structure in African Caribbean families and educational achievement?
Due the lack of a male role model there is a failure to socialise children adequately and as a result the family become dysfunctional.
What did Sewell say in regards to family structure in African Caribbean families and educational achievement?
The absence of a father figure allows sons to relate to other male figures such as rappers. This is why their underachievement in education is down to them thinking things such as ‘books are for nerds’ because of the lyrics rappers produce.
What did Moynihan (1960s) say in regards to family structure in African Caribbean families and educational achievement?
Lone mothers can’t provide emotional support for their children due to being too busy at work.
Give an advantage of female headed households.
They provide good role models for girls and can help to motivate them.
How do material factors affect Africa Caribbean children?
There is a lower income in lone parent households and so may lead to uniform, diet, and resource issues.
Why would language be a problem for ethnic minorities?
If English isn’t their first language they may struggle to understand certain things at school.
What did Driver and Ballard (1980s) find in regards to language issues of ethnic minorities?
Through the years as ethnic minority children developed there was less of an issue and in most cases they overtook their white British peers.
