Topic 1 - Class differences in achievement external factors

Question 1

external factors:

Answer 1

factors outside the education system, such as the influence of the home and family background and wider society

Question 2

3 external factors:

Answer 2

CULTURAL DEPRIVATION
MATERIAL DEPRIVATION
CULTURAL CAPITAL

Question 3

cultural deprivation theorists claim:

Answer 3

Working-class families fail to socialise their children adequately.
The working class are ‘culturally deprived’ – they lack the cultural equipment needed to do well at school, and so underachieve.

Question 4

what are the 3 aspects of cultural deprivation

Answer 4

Language
Parents’ education
Working-class subculture

Question 5

Language – Bernstein & speech codes

Answer 5

Restricted code
Elaborated code

Question 6

Restricted code

Answer 6

Usually used by the working class.
Limited vocabulary – short, unfinished, grammatically simple sentences.
Speech is simple. May only be a single word or a gesture instead.
Descriptive not analytical.
Context bound – assumes listener shares the same set of experiences

Question 7

Elaborated code

Answer 7

Typically used by the middle class.
Wider vocabulary and is based on longer, more complex sentences.
Speech is varied and communicates abstract ideas.
Context free – the speaker does not assume that the listener shares the same experiences, so they use language to spell out their meaning exactly.

Question 8

Parents’ attitude to education - Douglas (1964)

Answer 8

According to Douglas, working-class parents:
were less ambitious for their children.
gave them less encouragement.
took less interest in their education.
visited the school less often (e.g. for parents’ evenings).
were less likely to discuss children’s progress with teachers.

Question 9

Working-class subculture

Sugarman (1970) – the working class have different goals to the middle class

Answer 9

Working class:
Fatalism
Immediate gratification
Present time orientation
Collectivism

Middle class:
Control
Deferred gratification
Future-time orientation
Individualism

Question 10

Fatalism

Answer 10

a belief in fate and there is nothing you can do about it

Question 11

Collectivism

Answer 11

being a part of a group is more valued than succeeding as an individual

Question 12

Immediate gratification

Answer 12

pleasure now rather than sacrifice to get rewards

Question 13

Present time orientation

Answer 13

present more important so no long term goals

Question 14

Sugarman

Answer 14

values stem for nature of jobs done by M.C and W.C – middle class jobs are secure careers, with professional development which encourages ambition, long term planning and a willingness to invest time and money in qualifications
W.C jobs are less secure and have no career structure through which individuals can advance

They pass on these values to children through socialisation.

Question 15

Evaluation - the myth of cultural deprivation

Answer 15

The working class are not culturally deprived; they are just culturally different from the middle-class culture of schools (Keddie).

Teachers have a speech hierarchy and negatively label pupils at the bottom of it (Troyna & Williams).

Working-class parents are interested in their children’s education but are intimidated by the school system and offered inadequate communication (Blackstone & Mortimore).

Question 16

Material deprivation is…

Answer 16

lacking necessities such as adequate housing and a comfortable income.

Question 17

Material Deprivation – 4 key factors

Answer 17

Housing
Diet and health
Financial support & cost of education
Fear of Debt

Question 18

material deprivation: Housing

Answer 18

Housing can impact directly or indirectly on achievement.
overcrowding making it harder for child to study
overcrowding mean less room for educational activities
lack of space for safe play and exploration
families living in temporary accommodation (b&b) move around a lot, disturbed education
cold or damp housing can cause ill health
families in temporary accommodation suffer from more physiological distress, infections and accidents = time away from school

Question 19

material deprivation:Diet and health

Answer 19

W/class children have poorer diet and health, less intakes of vitamins, energy and mierals (Howard);
are more likely to suffer behavioural problems (Wilkinson) &
behave disruptively (Blanden & Machin).

Question 20

material deprivation:Financial support & cost of education

Answer 20

School equipment is costly (Tanner);
children are embarrassed by FSM status (Flaherty);

w/class families cannot afford tuition (Smith & Noble) &
young people may be restricted by part- time work (Ridge).

Question 21

material deprivation:Fear of Debt

Answer 21

Increase in tuition fees & fear of debt puts w/class youths off university (Callender & Jackson).

Question 22

In what ways do schools compensate for material deprivation?

How do schools try to solve the problem and close the gap?

Answer 22

Pupil premium
Free school meals
Resources
Bursary
Student finance for university students

Question 23

The middle class possess “cultural capital”

Answer 23

they are advantaged because they possess knowledge, attitudes, values, language, tastes and abilities that are socially valued, i.e. a form of capital (Bourdieu).

Question 24

The middle class also have economic capital

Answer 24

they have well-paid careers & high levels of wealth
They use their economic capital to pay for activities such as holidays, educational trips, resources etc. that encourage the development of cultural capital in their children.

Question 25

Cultural capital leads to educational capital

Answer 25

children of middle-class families possess additional skills & knowledge which enable them to perform well at school.

Question 26

A TEST OF BOURDIEU’S IDEAS

Answer 26

Sullivan (2001)
Questionnaires to assess cultural capital
Reading
TV
Art galleries, museums and theatres

Findings confirmed Bourdieu’s ideas - those who read complex fiction and watched serious tv documentaries developed a wider vocab and greater cultural knowledge, indicating greater cultural capital. the students with the greater cultural knowledge were children of graduates, these pupils were more likely to be successful at gcse.

But not just cultural capital – if w/class had the same cultural capital, middle-class pupils still achieved more highly.

Question 27

Bourdieu’s ideas

Answer 27

those who read complex fiction and watched serious tv documentaries developed a wider vocab and greater cultural knowledge, indicating greater cultural capital. the students with the greater cultural knowledge were children of graduates, these pupils were more likely to be successful at gcse.