Social class

Question 1

social class differences in educational achievement

Answer 1

1) external factors
- material factors, cultural factors
2) internal factors (factors within the school itself)
- What goes on in school, lessons, student progress

Question 2

• external factors, Material explanations

Answer 2

Cooper and Stewart (2013) found that money makes a differences to educational achievement- poorer children have worse cognitive, social-behavioural and health outcomes.

Question 3

External factors: Waldfogel and Washbrook (2010)

Answer 3

• children from low income families are more likely to have a home that is dark, unclean or unsafe.
• Poorer diets and higher level of sickness can cause tiredness at school and falling behind.

Question 4

Cultural deprivation

Answer 4

Cultural deprivation- the idea that some people fail in education because of supposed cultural deficiencies - inadequate socialization, failings lack of pre-school learning

Question 5

External Factors 2: cultural explanation and cultural deprivation

Answer 5

Parents Attitudes
Sodha and Margo (2010) range of cultural create disengagement for most disadvantaged working-class.
- Parents attitudes to education
- Parents level of education and confidence in dealing with school
- Parents want children to stay in education
- Restricted code of use language
- Amount of cultural capital

Question 6

External Factors: Hyman and Sugarman

Answer 6

immediate and deferred gratification- immediate gratification is when students decide to get pleasure now, rather than later.
Deferred is when students decide to do the work now, pleasure later.

Question 7

External factors: Bernstein

Answer 7

2 types of language- elaborated code and restricted code
Restricted code- slang between friends and family, ungrammatical, limited explanation, fine for every day usage, restricted code is sued by all classes but lower, working classes only use this form.

Elaborated code- used in formal context- used by teachers, interviews etc, wider vocab, used by middle class.

Question 8

Criticisms of Bernstein

Answer 8

• difficult to generalise about any class in modern society
• Rosen accuses Bernstein of creating a myth of superiority of middle class speech
• Labov makes the point that, based on research done in Harlem, working class language can more effective in making points, where middle class speakers can be less clear and to the point

Question 9

Bourdieu

Answer 9

• Education justifies class inequalities and reproduces the class system
• Each class has its own habitus- cultural framework
• Middle and upper classes have more access to culture of dominant class- the advantage of Cultural capital
• Lower classes don’t posses cultural capital s educational underachievement is inevitable
• middle class also has access to social capital, the social networks of influence and support that people have

Question 10

Criticisms of cultural explanations

Answer 10

• Reay 2009, cultural explanations involve a ‘blame the victim’ approach which places emphasis on home and family, also working class culture is presented as deficient, they lack language skills

Question 11

problems with the Marxist view of the working class

Answer 11

• exaggerates differences between the classes
• Overlooks practical difficulties in dealing with schools (shift work) and self confidence when dealing with schools
• The needs for school to change, Keddie (1973) argues there is no cultural deprivation but merely cultural difference. the problem us education is based on white middle class culture

Question 12

Compensatory education

Answer 12

• aims to tackle cultural deprivation by providing extra funds and resources to schools and communities in deprived areas
• Positive discrimination, giving disadvantaged groups more favourable treatment because of inequalities they face

Question 13

Compensatory Education

Answer 13

• Education action zones - set up in 1997, these directed resources to low income, inner city areas in an attempt to raise educational attainment
• Sure start, one of the main policies New Labour introduced to tackle poverty and social exclusion

The aim of sure start was to work with parents to promote the physical, intellectual and social development of babes and young children

Aim was to create high quality learning environments to improve children’s ability to learn and help parents with supporting their children in the process

The idea was to intervene early and break the cycle of disadvantage

Question 14

PERCY

Answer 14

P- language link to class
E- exams are in elaborated code, working class don't posses the cultural capital
R- Bernstein, Elaborated and restricted code
C- Labov, NY study, working class slang led to better communication

P- working class live in the moment
E- lack of job opportunities
R- Hyman and Sugarman, deferred and instant gratification
C- assumes that working class have deferred gratification- negative assumption

Question 15

PERCY

Answer 15

P- language link to class
E- exams are in elaborated code, working class don't posses the cultural capital
R- Bernstein, Elaborated and restricted code
C- Labov, NY study, working class slang led to better communication

P- working class live in the moment
E- lack of job opportunities
R- Hyman and Sugarman, deferred and instant gratification
C- assumes that working class have deferred gratification- negative assumption