PAPER 1 (Education (Class) External Factors (Theories) Flashcards
Feinstein (2008) - Language
He found that better educated parents use language in this way, while less educated parents simpler, more descriptive language (e.g. “what sound does the cow make?”)
Bereiter and Engelmann (1966) - Language
They link language with social class. They claim language used in working class homes is deficient. They describe working class families as communicating by gestures, single words and disjointed phrases.
Bernstein - Language
Restricted code: limited vocabulary, simple sentence structure and is context bound. Burnstein said it is used by working class children.
Elaborated code: It uses wide vocabulary, complex sentence structure and is context free. Middle class children can switch codes between this & restricted code.
Feinstein - Parents’ education
Argues parents education is the most important factor affecting children’s achievement. Middle class parents tend to be better educated and are able to give their children an advantage in how they socialise them. This occurs in a number of ways:
1. Class, income and parental education.
2. Parenting style.
3. Use of income.
4. Parents’ educational behaviours.
Sugarman (1970) - Working class subculture
Argues that the working-class subculture has four key features that act as a barrier to educational achievement:
Fatalism: Belief in fate. “What will be will be”.
Collectivism: Value the group rather than the individual whereas MC assume that individuals should not be held back by group loyalties.
Immediate gratification: Seeking pleasure rather than making sacrifices.
Present time orientation: Seeing the here and now.
Smith and Noble (1995)
Studied the effects of poverty on learning and suggested a number of reasons why low income can hinder learning. Families being unable to afford uniforms, school trips, transport to and from school, classroom materials.
Marilyn Howard (2001) - Diet & Health
Found that people from poorer homes have lower in takes of energy, vitamins and minerals. This can lead to weakening of the immune system.
Richard Wilkison (1996) - Diet & Health
Studied 10 year olds with emotional and behavioural difficulties and found that with lower social class, came higher rates of hyperactivity, anxiety and conduct disorders.
Sutton Trust (2010)
Found that students with a place on the scheme did gain better results in their GCSEs and A Levels than similar students in state schools, and were more likely to be accepted at Oxbridge, despite sometimes having lower grades than those at state schools.
Callender and Jackson (2005) - Fear of debt
Found that working class students are more debt averse - they saw debt as a negative and something to be avoided. This had an impact on their decision to attend university. Debt averse students (typically working class) were 5 times less likely to apply to university than debt tolerant students (typically middle class).
Reay et al (2005) - Fear of debt
Found that working class students are more likely to apply to their nearest universities because they felt they could not afford the costs of travel and accommodation away from home.
Bordieu (1984) - Cultural capital
Uses the term cultural capital to refer to the knowledge, attitudes, values, language, tastes and abilities of the middle class. Your habitus is your cultural capital.
Alice Sullivan (2001) - Cultural capital
Questionnaire survey on 465 pupils in four schools. The questionnaire assessed cultural capital e.g. reading habits, TV habits, whether they visited art galleries. She found that cultural capital accounted for only part of underachievement.
