Social Class Flashcards
social class - what is an indicator of economic disadvantage?
free school meals
social class - the higher the ___ = the more successful a child is in education
social class of the parents
social class - how many years are children from disadvantaged backgrounds behind privileged children educationally?
one year by the age of 3
social class - poverty and home circumstances (material)
- crowded/damp accommodations make studying difficult
- poor diets, high levels of sickness -> tiredness at school, absences, falling behind
- poor parents less likely to have access to nursery facilities affecting child’s development
- educational material unavailable
- young people more likely to have part-time job
- schools suffer disadvantages are parents less likely to finance resources
social class - the catchment area (material)
area which schools draw their pupils from
- deprived areas have social problems, schools have discipline problems
- disadvantaged backgrounds have the most under-performing schools
- greater the level of disadvantage = smaller the percentage of students gaining 5A*-C
social class - parents attitudes to learning (cultural)
high parental interest/involvement lead to better exam results than parents who show no interest
social class - parents level of education (cultural)
middle-class parents better educated so understand school system, better able to advise their children better working-class parents less confident in dealing with teachers
social class - subcultural explanations; attitudes/values (cultural)
different social class have different subcultures middle-class: deferred gratification & individual effort (masters > job) working-class: immediate gratification & acceptance, collectivism (leave school for job)
social class - language use; restricted code (bernstein)
used between family/friends
informal
limited explanation
limited to working-class
social class - language use; elaborated code (bernstein
formal explanation required wide vocabulary used by middle-class gives them advantage at school
social class - criticisms of bernstein
- wide differences between higher/lowers sections of middle & working class, can’t generalise as diverse language arrangements
- lack of examples, myth of superiority of middle-class speech
- working-class speech not inferior but different, MC include irrelevant detail but both make same point
social class - bourdieu’s theory
marxist
dominant class impose their habits in education system
cultural capital -> educational capital (qualifications) -> economic capital (material advantages)
middle/upper class posses social capital
social class - criticisms of cultural explanations; exaggeration
exaggerate differences and downplay similarities of different social class
social class - criticisms of cultural explanations; overlooking practical difficulties and lack of self-confidence
working-class parents are concerned by have less flexibility as work longer less educated so lack confidence
social class - criticisms of cultural explanations; ignoring role played by schools themselves
schools play active part in forming child's attitudes/ambitions blaming social class background attaches stigma to such families -> low expectations, labelling, teachers neglecting their needs, self-fulfilling prophecy
