topic 1: class differences in achievement (external factors)

Question 1

what are external factors

Answer 1

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

Question 2

define cultural deprivation

Answer 2

lacking the language skills, values and attitudes to succeed in school

Question 3

describe the restricted speech code (Bernstein)

Answer 3

used by the working class, limited vocabulary, simple, could use gestures instead, context bound.

Question 4

describe the elaborated speech code (Bernstein)

Answer 4

used by the middle class, wider vocabulary, complex, varied, can communicate abstract ideas, context-free.

Question 5

why are m/c who use elaborated code at an advantage

Answer 5

it is used by teachers, textbooks, exams and is seen as the correct way to speak/write.
m/c are taught the elaborated code during early socialisation, so they are fluent when they join school.
in comparison, the w/c lack the code and often feel excluded

Question 6

what did Douglas find when studying parents education

Answer 6

w/c parents placed less value on education so they were less ambitious for their children
they gave less encouragement, showed less interest etc.
w/c children had lower levels of motivation and achievement.

Question 7

explain the parenting style of educated parents

Answer 7

emphasises consistent discipline and high expectations. this encourages active learning and exploration

Question 8

explain the parenting style of less educated parents

Answer 8

harsh and inconsistent discipline (do as you’re told, behave yourself), prevents learning independence and self control. leads to poor motivation and difficulty interacting with teachers

Question 9

what do m/c parents so to support their child’s education

Answer 9

read to them, teach them letters, numbers, help with homework, being involved with schooling.
they are better at having good relationships with teachers.

Question 10

describe the differences of the use of income between m/c and w/c parents

Answer 10

educated parents use money to promote educational success (buy educational toys, books, activities that stimulate intellectual development). also understand the importance of nutrition
w/c homes lack these resources so these children lack the intellectual skills when starting school.

Question 11

what does Barry Sugarman argue are the four main features that act as a barrier to educational achievement

Answer 11

fatalism- what will be will be- nothing you can do to change status.
collectivism- value being part of a group rather than succeeding as an individual
immediate gratification- seeking pleasures now rather than making sacrifices in order to get rewards in the future.
present time orientation- seeing now as more important than having long term goals

Question 12

what is compensatory education

Answer 12

programmes that aim to tackle cultural deprivation by giving extra resources e.g. operation head start, sesame street

Question 13

what is Nell Keddie’s myth of cultural deprivation theory

Answer 13

cultural deprivation is a myth and is a way of victim blaming. children cannot be deprived of their own culture.

Question 14

what is material deprivation

Answer 14

poverty, lacking the resources needed to thrive in education

Question 15

a statistic for material deprivation

Answer 15

in 2013, 1/3 of students who received free school meals achieved 5 A*-C GCSE grades compared to 2/3 non free school meal students

Question 16

how does housing affect education

Answer 16

-overcrowding, no quiet place to study.
-disturbed sleep from sharing room.
-young children may have impaired development from lack of safe place to play
-temporary accommodation means they may have to move frequently so education is disrupted.
-damp house can cause illness

Question 17

how does diet and health affect education

Answer 17

people from poorer homes have lower intake of energy, vitamins and minerals.
they are more likely to become ill and have more absences from school.
children from poorer homes are more likely to have emotional or behavioural problems. (interferes with schooling)

Question 18

how does financial support and the costs of education affect achievement
(Bull- the costs of free schooling)

Answer 18

children from poorer households have to do without equipment and miss out on experiences that would help them.
-have hand me downs etc, may result in stigma and them being bullied.

Question 19

how does fear of debt affect education

Answer 19

w/c children view debt negatively and try to avoid it. they therefore saw more costs of university than benefits.
w/c children who do go, receive less financial support from their families
they are limited to which ones they can go to and the ones who do go, choose local ones.

Question 20

what does Bourdieu describe as cultural capital

Answer 20

the knowledge, attitudes, values, language, abilities of the middle class.
this gives them an advantage at school.

Question 21

what does Bourdieu say about educational, economic and cultural capital

Answer 21

m/c children with cultural capital are more advantaged at school. and economic capital can be turned into educational capital as they an afford private schools.