Topic 1 - Class differences in achievement external factors Flashcards
external factors:
factors outside the education system, such as the influence of the home and family background and wider society
3 external factors:
CULTURAL DEPRIVATION
MATERIAL DEPRIVATION
CULTURAL CAPITAL
cultural deprivation theorists claim:
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.
what are the 3 aspects of cultural deprivation
Language
Parents’ education
Working-class subculture
Language – Bernstein & speech codes
Restricted code
Elaborated code
Restricted code
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
Elaborated code
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.
Parents’ attitude to education - Douglas (1964)
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.
Working-class subculture
Sugarman (1970) – the working class have different goals to the middle class
Working class:
Fatalism
Immediate gratification
Present time orientation
Collectivism
Middle class:
Control
Deferred gratification
Future-time orientation
Individualism
Fatalism
a belief in fate and there is nothing you can do about it
Collectivism
being a part of a group is more valued than succeeding as an individual
Immediate gratification
pleasure now rather than sacrifice to get rewards
Present time orientation
present more important so no long term goals
Sugarman
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.
Evaluation - the myth of cultural deprivation
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).
Material deprivation is…
lacking necessities such as adequate housing and a comfortable income.
Material Deprivation – 4 key factors
Housing
Diet and health
Financial support & cost of education
Fear of Debt
material deprivation: Housing
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
material deprivation:Diet and health
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).
material deprivation:Financial support & cost of education
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).
material deprivation:Fear of Debt
Increase in tuition fees & fear of debt puts w/class youths off university (Callender & Jackson).
In what ways do schools compensate for material deprivation?
How do schools try to solve the problem and close the gap?
Pupil premium
Free school meals
Resources
Bursary
Student finance for university students
The middle class possess “cultural capital”
they are advantaged because they possess knowledge, attitudes, values, language, tastes and abilities that are socially valued, i.e. a form of capital (Bourdieu).
The middle class also have economic capital
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.
Cultural capital leads to educational capital
children of middle-class families possess additional skills & knowledge which enable them to perform well at school.
A TEST OF BOURDIEU’S IDEAS
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.
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.
