Internal Factors: Labelling and Teacher racism

Question 1

Overview

Answer 1

To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to them. E.g. teachers may label a pupil as a troublemaker or cooperative, bright or stupid. Interactionist sociologists study the face to-face interactions in which such labelling occurs.

The Swann Report found only a small minority of teachers were consciously racist, but there is evidence of a good deal of unintentional racism, which can affect progress at school.

Question 2

Gillborn and Youdell

Answer 2

Interactionist sociologists focus on the different labels teachers give to children from different ethnic backgrounds which are often based on stereotypes.

Studies show that teachers often see black & Asian pupils as far from the ‘ideal pupil’, e.g. black pupils often seen as disruptive & Asians as passive.

Gillborn & Youdell argue that this leads to ‘racialised expectations’ & these negative labels may then lead to different treatment which could lead to failure through the self-fulfilling prophecy. The negative stereotypes about black pupils’ ability that some teachers hold means they are more likely to be placed in lower sets or streams through the educational triage & the pressure of the A-C economy in school

Helps explain higher level of school exclusions