Social Class and Educational Achievement - Internal Factors

Question 1

In terms of labelling, what did Becker find?

Answer 1

• He interviewed 60 Chicago teachers, who judged pupils on how closely they fitted the ‘ideal pupil’
  = appearance, behaviour, work.

= m/c closest to idea
= w/c furthest away from it

Question 2

In terms of labelling, what did Jorgensen (2009) find?

Answer 2

• Ideal pupil varied by social class.
• W/C school; quiet, passive and obedient
• M/C school; personality and academic abilities.

Question 3

In terms of labelling, what did Dunne + Gazely (2008) note?

Answer 3

• Teachers labelled pupils based on assumptions about social class
• W/C failure was ‘normalised’ but when M/C underachieved the teachers were concerned.

Question 4

In terms of labelling, what did Keddie find?

Answer 4

• ‘High status knowledge’.
• Believed that top bands were brighter; thus teaching more complex and abstract ideas to this class.
• Believed that teaching this complex knowledge will actually have a negative impact on lower band’s exams.

Question 5

Who devised the concept of A*-C economy and what is it?

Answer 5

• Gillborne + Youdell (2001)

- Schools put focus on league table where the students who are most likely to get 5A-C grades get more attention.

Question 6

What is the educational triage?

Answer 6

1) Pupils who will pass anyway.
2) Pupils with potential. (SCHOOLS PUT MORE TIME IN THESE CHILDREN FOR FAVOURABLE LEAGUE TABLE STANDINGS).
3) Hopeless cases who will fail anyway.

Question 7

What is a pupil subculture?

Answer 7

A group of pupils who share similar values and behaviour patterns.

Question 8

How did Lacey (1970) say subcultures develop in school?

Answer 8

1) Differentiation: the process of teachers categorising pupils according to how they perceive their ability, attitude and/or behaviour –> streaming

Differentiation leads to polarisation..

2) Polarisation: the process in which pupils respond to steaming by moving towards on of the extremes.

Question 9

In relation to Lacey’s findings, what did Ball (1981) note?

Answer 9

• At a study of Beachside, banding had produced the kind of polarisation described by Lacey
• Banding abolished –> basis for polarisation removed and the anti-school subculture declined
  … Differentiation remained.

Question 10

What 4 responses did Woods (1979) note pupils gave to streaming and labelling?

Answer 10

1) Ingratiation = being the ‘teacher’s pet’
2) Ritualism = conforming and staying out of trouble
3) Retreatism = daydreaming, mucking about.
4) Rebellion = outright rejection.

Question 11

Explain symbolic capital and symbolic violence

Answer 11

• People socialised into m/c values gain capital which carries a non-physical worth and value
• -> W/c habitus is developed by the schools
• -> imposing symbolic capital is called symbolic violence.

–> Symbolic violence leads to a clash between the two habitus’- leading to education feeling alien and unnatural.
= Was Bernstein imposing his symbolic capital?

Question 12

What did Archer (2010) note about ‘Nike Identities’ ?

Answer 12

• Symbolic violence led to alternative ways of creating self-worth, status etc.
  = heavy investment in Nike styles.
  –> styles policed by peers; risk of ‘social suicide’.
• Nike identity led to school conflict: not the dress code
• -> risk of being labelled as ‘rebels’.