Pupil Responses and Subcultures

Question 1

Who did Mary Fuller study ?

Answer 1

• a group of black girls in year 11 of a London comprehensive school

Question 2

What did the black girls in Fuller’s study do?

Answer 2

• instead of accepting negative stereotypes about themselves, the girls channeled they anger about being labelled into the pursuit of educational success
• they gave the appearance of not working and showed a deliberate lack of concern about school routines
• they worked continuously in private
• they preferred to rely on their own efforts and the impartiality of external exams

Question 3

What did Fuller’s study show?

Answer 3

• pupils may still succeed even when they refuse to conform

- negative labelling does not always lead to failure

Question 4

What did Mac an Ghail find?

Answer 4

-students who believed teachers had labelled them negatively did not accept the label depending on their ethnic groups

Question 5

What does Mac an Ghail findings show?

Answer 5

• a label does not always produce a self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 6

What did Mirza study?

Answer 6

ambitious black girls who faced teacher racism

Question 7

What did Mirza find?

Answer 7

that racist teachers discouraged black pupils from being ambitious through the kind of advice they gave them about careers and option choices e.g. teachers discouraged them from aspiring to professional careers

Question 8

What 3 main types of racism does Mirza identify?

Answer 8

• The colour blind
• The liberal Chauvinist
• The overt racist

Question 9

Who are the ‘colour-blind’ racist according to Mirza?

Answer 9

• teachers who believe all pupils are equal but in practice allow racism to go unchallenged

Question 10

Who are the ‘liberal chauvinists’ racist according to Mirza?

Answer 10

-teachers who believe black pupils are culturally deprived and have low expectations of them

Question 11

Who are the ‘overt racists’ according to Mirza?

Answer 11

-teachers who believe blacks are inferior and actively discriminate against them

Question 12

What were the strategies included in Mirza’s study?

Answer 12

• being selective about which staff to ask for help
• getting on with their own work in lessons without taking part
• not choosing certain options so as to avoid teachers with racist attitudes

Question 13

What was the result in Mirza’s study?

Answer 13

• the girls strategies were unsuccessful as using their strategies put them at a disadvantage