pupil identities and subcultures Flashcards
subculture
a group of people within culture
that differentiates itself from the parent culture to which it belongs often maintaining some of the
founding principals but developing their own norms and values.
symbolic capital
The status, recognition and
sense of worth that students receive from others.
symbolic violence
using symbolic capital in
a negative way, for example demonstrating superiority through
values, beliefs and attitudes.
working class dilemma
The dilemma faced by working class pupils to achieve symbolic capital from their friends or academic capital by rejecting working class identity.
pro school subcultures - characteristics
*Committed to school values.
*Gain approval / status through
academic success.
*Involved in wider life of the school.
types of pro-school subculture - Mac An Ghail
*the academic achievers
*the new enterprisers
the academic achievers
Seek to achieve academic success by focusing on
traditional academic subjects
such as English, maths &
sciences
the new enterprisers
Rejected the traditional academic curriculum but were motivated to study subjects such as business and computing which they see as a route to economic success.
characteristics of anti-school subculture
*Lower streams.
*Rejection of school values.
*Truanting.
*Disruption.
*Not doing homework.
two ways pupil subcultures form - Lacey
*differentiation
*polarisation
differentiation
*The process of teachers categorising pupils according to how they perceive their ability, attitude and behaviour.
*Streaming is a form of differentiation, as it categorises pupils into different classes
polarisation
The process by which pupils respond to differentiation by moving towards one of two opposite poles or extremes, ie pro or anti school subcultures.
how schools shape pupils identities
*Peer Groups and Symbolic Capital
*Symbolic Violence – Archer
*School Environments – Reay
*Ethnocentric Curriculum – Ball
*Subject Choice
*Uniforms
*Sub-Cultures
*Labelling
peer groups and symbolic capital
Reinforcing acceptable behaviours by ostracising those that don’t conform and giving status to those that do.
E.G. Calling those that study names like “nerd” or “geek”
symbolic violence - Archer
Schools impose forms of symbolic
violence against students whose
identities are shaped by designer
clothing or hyper-heterosexual feminine behaviour (usually w/c) which suggests to those students that education is not for them.
School environments - Reay
Students align their ability with the type of school that they attend. Students who attend a poor performing school see themselves as poor students and more likely to for anti school sub cultures, where as those attending high
performing schools tend to form proschool subcultures.
Ethnocentric curriculum - Ball
The current curriculum is very focused on Middle class White British culture, what Ball refers to as “Little Englandism” this can turn both ethnic minorities and
Girls who feel excluded.
subject choice
Schools reinforced gender stereotypes in subject choices – pushing girls to expressive subjects and boys to instrumental ones – this reinforces gender identity. Can also be achieved
through stereotypical images within schools
uniforms
Uniform reinforces gender roles as girls expected to wear skirts and blouses and boys’ trousers and ties.
Can also shape class identity with schools demanding certain standards of dress or pupils being sent home.
Most schools also do not take ethnic minority dress into account within their polices. E.g. Hair cuts and Hijabs .
sub-cultures
Rejection by school can lead working class and minority ethnic groups to identify as being antiauthoritarian and therefore reject authority in all walks of
life. See Studies by Fuller, Willis, Sewell
labelling
Positive and negative labelling impacts of self esteem and self image.
Students labelled negatively may assume that academic achievement is not part of their identity and therefore look towards
more vocational course in the future
