Pupil subcultures Flashcards
Describe the concept of pupil subculture.
A pupil subculture is a group of students who share similar values and behavior patterns, often emerging as a response to how they have been labeled, particularly in relation to streaming.
Explain the process of differentiation in the context of pupil subcultures.
Differentiation is the process by which teachers categorize pupils based on their perceived ability, attitude, and behavior, often leading to streaming, where students are placed in separate classes.
How does streaming affect pupils’ social status in schools?
Streaming categorizes pupils into high and low streams, granting higher status to those deemed ‘more able’ and lower status to those considered ‘less able’, impacting their self-esteem and social dynamics.
Define polarisation in relation to pupil subcultures.
Polarisation is the process where pupils respond to streaming by aligning themselves with one of two extremes, leading to the formation of pro-school and anti-school subcultures.
What characterizes the pro-school subculture?
The pro-school subculture is characterized by pupils placed in high streams, who are typically middle-class and committed to the school’s values, gaining status through academic success.
How do anti-school subcultures form among students?
Anti-school subcultures form among students in low streams who, feeling marginalized and labeled as failures, seek alternative means of gaining status outside of academic success.
Explain the consequences of joining an anti-school subculture.
Joining an anti-school subculture can initially provide a sense of status among peers, but it often leads to further problems, including a self-fulfilling prophecy of educational failure.
Describe the impact of low streaming on students’ self-esteem.
Students placed in low streams often experience a loss of self-esteem, as being labeled as ‘less able’ undermines their self-worth and pushes them to seek alternative ways to gain status.
Explain Lacey’s study of Hightown boys’ grammar school in relation to pupil subcultures.
Lacey’s study found that streaming at Hightown boys’ grammar school led to the polarization of boys into pro-school and anti-school subcultures, illustrating how academic categorization influences social group formation.
How does the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy relate to educational failure?
The self-fulfilling prophecy in education suggests that if students are labeled negatively, they may internalize these labels and act in ways that fulfill the expectations of failure, thus perpetuating their educational struggles.
Describe the characteristics of an anti-school subculture.
An anti-school subculture is characterized by behaviors that invert the school’s values, such as hard work, obedience, and punctuality. Members may engage in activities like cheekiness towards teachers, truancy, not completing homework, and smoking to gain status among peers.
Explain the role of peer status in the formation of delinquent subcultures.
In delinquent subcultures, high status is often awarded to those who break school rules, allowing members to gain recognition and acceptance among their peers, despite the negative consequences for their education.
Define the term ‘triple failures’ as used in the context of educational labeling.
‘Triple failures’ refers to students who have failed their 11+ exam, been placed in low academic streams, and been labeled negatively by the education system, such as being called ‘worthless louts’.
What was the main finding of Ball’s study on Beachside comprehensive school?
Ball found that abolishing banding reduced the basis for students to polarize into subcultures, leading to a decline in the influence of anti-school subcultures.
Do you think abolishing streaming can impact student behavior?
Yes, abolishing streaming can reduce the polarization of students into subcultures, as evidenced by Ball’s study, which showed that removing banding led to a decline in the influence of anti-school subcultures.
How did Hargreaves (1967) contribute to the understanding of educational failure and subcultures?
Hargreaves found that boys in lower streams responded to labeling and streaming by forming an anti-school subculture, which ultimately reinforced their educational failure.
Explain the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy in the context of education.
A self-fulfilling prophecy in education occurs when teachers label students positively or negatively, which influences the students’ performance and behavior, ultimately leading to outcomes that confirm the initial labels.
Describe the impact of teachers’ labeling on middle-class pupils according to Ball’s study.
Ball’s study indicates that middle-class pupils are more likely to be labeled as cooperative and able by teachers, which correlates with better exam results, demonstrating the influence of positive labeling.
Define the term ‘streaming’ in the educational context.
Streaming refers to the practice of grouping students into classes based on their perceived ability or achievement levels, often leading to differentiated educational experiences.
How has the Education Reform Act (1988) influenced educational practices regarding streaming?
The Education Reform Act (1988) has led to an increase in streaming and the establishment of various types of schools, which often have differing academic curricula, allowing for more differentiation among students.
Explain the different pupil responses to labeling and streaming as identified by Woods (1979).
Woods identified several pupil responses to labeling and streaming, including ingratiation (being the ‘teacher’s pet’), ritualism (going through the motions), retreatism (daydreaming), and rebellion (rejecting school values).
Discuss the concept of ingratiation as a pupil response.
Ingratiation is a pupil response characterized by trying to gain favor with teachers, often by being compliant and engaging positively in class to be seen as the ‘teacher’s pet’.
How do pupils’ responses to labeling change according to Furlong (1984)?
Furlong observed that many pupils do not stick to one response permanently; instead, they may switch between different responses depending on the context, such as the specific teacher or lesson.
What evidence do studies like Gillborn and Youdell (2001) provide regarding class and ethnicity in education?
Studies like Gillborn and Youdell (2001) provide evidence that schools and teachers often differentiate and treat pupils unequally based on their class, ethnicity, or gender, perpetuating educational inequalities.
Describe the concept of pupil subcultures in education.
Pupil subcultures refer to groups of students within a school that develop their own norms, values, and behaviors, often in response to their experiences with the school environment, including factors like ethnicity, gender, and class.
Explain the self-fulfilling prophecy in the context of labelling theory.
The self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when students who are negatively labelled by teachers internalize these labels, leading them to adopt behaviors that confirm the label, often resulting in underachievement.
Critique the determinism aspect of labelling theory.
Labelling theory is criticized for being deterministic, as it suggests that once a student is labelled negatively, they have no choice but to fulfill that label and fail, ignoring instances where students resist such labels.
How do cultural deprivation theorists view schools in relation to social class inequalities?
Cultural deprivation theorists assume that schools are neutral and fair institutions, but this view is challenged by evidence showing that school interactions can actively create and perpetuate social class inequalities.
Define labelling theory in educational settings.
Labelling theory posits that students are often categorized by teachers based on perceived abilities, which can lead to negative labels that affect their academic performance and self-perception.
Discuss the Marxist perspective on labelling theory.
Marxists argue that labelling theory overlooks the broader power structures that influence teacher behavior, suggesting that labels are not just individual prejudices but are rooted in a system that perpetuates class divisions.
