Social Class Flashcards
What is material deprivation (EXTERNAL FACTOR 1)
Defined as the inability to afford basic resources and services like food and heating
What are examples of material deprivation
lack of resources (internet, textbooks etc), poor diet (nutritional breakfast), poor housing (moving a lot, overcrowded etc), inadequate uniform
What have the Govt. done to reduce these social class differences, as a result of material deprivation?
- compensatory education (extra help in giving resources)
- positive discrimination
- PUPIL PREMIUM (money provided by Govt. for w/c students)
- Labour introduced EDUCATIONAL ACTION ZONES (extra funding given to schools in these areas)
What is cultural deprivation (EXTERNAL FACTOR 2)
Argues that W/C pupils underachieve because their home culture isn’t as enriched as M/C; also argues W/C parents DON’T VALUE EDUCATION.
What 3 theorists have a study in cultural deprivation
- Douglas (parental expectations)
- Bernstein (language in the home)
- Sugarman (class subcultures)
What is Douglas’ (1994) parental expectations study
Claimed M/C children get more attention/encouragement from their parents so are more motivated or hard-working in school because there’s more pressure and interest in them.
Questionnaires concluded parental interest was the most important factor affecting attainment.
They found parents are more likely to go to parents evening, visit the school, encourage kids to stay in education beyond leaving age.
What’s a criticism of Douglas’ parental expectations study
W/C parents aren’t disinterested, they are just often not able to attend parents evening because of work and transport.
What did Bernstein find in his study of language in the home
He found parents’ speech had a vast, direct impact on their children’s speech and development. There was a RESTRICTED & ELABORATE code.
Restricted: basic, simple sentences, limited vocab (often uses slang), explicit meanings, inaccurate grammar.
Elaborate: wide vocab range, complex grammar, implicit meanings, detailed/analytical
The elaborate code allows for ‘deeper thinking’ and leads to ‘abstract thinking’; leads to better and analysis linking in subjects such as English, social studies.
What’s a criticism of Bernstein
By blaming the failings on a child’s home background, it diverts away from education system the processes failing in the school; it isn’t the restricted code that limits W/C, it’s teacher reactions to different languages.
What does Sugarman suggest in his class subcultures study
The W/C & M/C have different values, attitudes and beliefs. Amongst the W/C is a particular subculture that places no value on educational needs and so end up failing in education.
What are W/C subcultures associated with in Sugarman’s study
- being with friends is more important than working (collectivism)
- present time orientation (live life now)
- seek immediate gratification (enjoy now)
- your chances in life are based on luck/fate (fatalism)
What are M/C subcultures associated with in Sugarman’s study
- your chances in life are based on ability and hard work
- future time orientation (think ahead)
- success achieved through individual action (individualism)
- deferred gratification (put off pleasure now to achieve greater pleasure later)
What’s a criticism of Sugarman’s subcultures study
‘Culturally deprived’ behaviour may be due to lack of money, NOT a lack of ‘correct norms and values’ (e.g. decision to leave school to get a job and help out in the home).
What is cultural capital (EXTERNAL FACTOR 3)
Suggested by Bourdieu; examples include: going abroad, learning new languages, going to museums. When M/C pupils are at an advantage because they have a cultural capital.
The M/C nature of edu. is to blame for W/C underachievement, not the character of the W/C culture.
What are internal factors
factors inside the school that cause underachievement in edu.
What are examples of internal factors in social class
- Labelling/SFP
- setting/streaming
- pupil subcultures
What is Becker’s labelling theory and a self fulfilling prophecy (INTERNAL FACTOR 1)
Becker argues that labelling is a positive or negative meaning attached to a person and is very powerful.
He argued teachers judge pupils according to stereotypes of an IDEAL PUPIL (conformist, hard working, quiet etc), based on non academic features (polite, good manners, well behaved).
Teachers use these stereotypes to make academic assessments of the children. Known as HALO EFFECT (well behaved = intelligent/bright)
Can lead to SFP
What is a self fulfilling prophecy
When students act on the labels placed on them; can be + or -.
They have internalised the label and believe it.
What did Rosenthal and Jacobson find in their study
Carried out a study in a Californian primary school;
school told a new test would see which students would ‘spurt’ ahead (although untrue);
randomly picked 20% of students and said they were ‘spurters’;
a year later, they returned and half of those 20% had made significant progress because the teacher interactions had been different and lead to a SFP.
What are criticisms of Labelling and SFP (Becker)
very deterministic, reject views that students simply internalise or accept labels given to them;
some reject the label and try to prove teacher wrong.
What’s setting and streaming (INTERNAL FACTOR 2)
A way for pupils to be organised in school based on factors to do with ability and aptitude.
e.g. pupils separated into sets, all mixed ability groupsnetc
What did Keddie argue about in his study to do with unequal access to classroom knowledge?
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