Internal Factors - Labelling (Becker, Rosenthal and Jacobson, Rist, Cicourel et al, Keddie)

Question 1

What are interactionist theories?

Answer 1

Theories that suggest that the wc are disadvantaged by the education system itself

Question 2

What are internal factors?

Answer 2

Factors within school and the education system

Question 3

Examples of internal factors

Answer 3

-Interactions between pupils and teachers
-Inequalities between schools

Question 4

What is the action of labelling someone?

Answer 4

To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to them. E.g. teachers may label students as ‘bright’ or a ‘trouble maker’

Question 5

What are stereotypes that teachers make often linked to?

Answer 5

The class/background of their students

Question 6

Becker (1971) labelling in secondary schools - Using interviews of 60 high school teachers what did she find?

Answer 6

That teachers stereotyped students based on their work, conduct and appearance. Teachers saw mc children as the closest to their stereotype of the ‘ideal pupil’

Question 7

Rist (1970) labelling in primary schools - How were children separated by teachers?

Answer 7

-‘Fast learners’ labelled as Tigers and sat near the teacher (mc)
-‘Clowns’ sat further away, given lower level books and less attention (wc)

Question 8

What do Dunne and Gazeley (2008) argue about w/c underachievement?

Answer 8

That ‘schools persistently produce w/c underachievement’ because of the labels and assumptions of teachers

Question 9

What did teachers label mc and wc parents as?

Answer 9

WC - Uninterested
MC - Supportive

Question 10

Keddie (1971) Unequal Access to Classroom knowledge - Teaching of lower ability groups (mostly wc)

Answer 10

-Descriptive
-Common sense
-Basic
-Dumbed down

Question 11

Keddie (1971) Unequal Access to Classroom knowledge - Teaching of top ability groups (mostly mc)

Answer 11

-Abstract
-Theoretical
-Detailed
-Full curriculum

Question 12

What is the labelling theory accused of?

Answer 12

Determinism

Question 13

Why is the labelling theory accused of determinism?

Answer 13

Because it assumes that pupils who are labelled have no choice but to fulfil the prophecy and will inevitably fail

Question 14

Who carried out a study which shows that labels do not always lead to a SFP?

Answer 14

Fuller

Question 15

What do Marxists criticise the labelling theory for ignoring?

Answer 15

Marxists criticise labelling theory for ignoring wider structures of power within which labelling takes place

Question 16

What do labels stem from according to Marxists?

Answer 16

They stem from the fact that teachers work in a system that reproduces class divisions

Question 17

Students labelled positively as “spurters” achieved more progress than control group. Who conducted this study?

Answer 17

Rosenthal and Jacobson

Question 18

What did Rosenthal and Jacobson find about the effects of labelling?

Answer 18

Students labelled positively as “spurters” achieved more progress than control group

Question 19

Who conducted a study into the labelling of school career advisers?

Answer 19

Cicourel et al

Question 20

What did Cicourel et al find about the labelling of career advisers?

Answer 20

They recommended careers to students partly based on their social class - they were more likely to recommend w/c students to go down route of manual labour

Question 21

Pygmalion effect

Answer 21

High expectations lead to high levels of achievement