Topic 1- Class differences in achievement - external factors

Question 1

Centre of Longitudinal Studies

Answer 1

By the age of three, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are a year behind those from privileged backgrounds.

Question 2

Cultural deprivation

Answer 2

Basic values, attitudes and skills needed for educational success.

Question 3

Outline features of cultural equipment

Answer 3

Language, self discipline and reasoning skills, without these, children underachieve and don’t perform well in school.

Question 4

Less educated parents…

Answer 4

Use less descriptive language, allowing their children to respond in simple sentences, disrupting their intellectual growth.

Question 5

Feinstein

Answer 5

Educated parents are more likely to use praise.

Question 6

What do berieter and englemann believe

Answer 6

That language used in lower class homes is deficient, they communicate with gestures, single words and phrases.

Question 7

What is the result of children using gestures,single words and phrases?

Answer 7

They are unable to use language to explain, describe and compare, they cannot use school to their advantage.

Question 8

what does bernstien distinguish?

Answer 8

He distinguishes between two codes: the Elaborated code and the Restricted code. The Restricted code is used by working class, who use simple/ short sentences and limited vocabulary and sometimes gestures to communicate.

The Restricted code: usually middle class, they use wider vocabulary, complex sentences , they use language to spell out their meanings to the listener.

These differences in speech code give middle class children an advantage and puts the working class at a disadvantage as the elaborated code is seen as the ‘correct’ way to read and write

Question 9

do these speech codes give MC an advantage

Answer 9

Yes, the elaborated code is used by teachers, textbooks and exams, its the correct way to read or write.
Middle class feel at home because this is the language that was taught to them at home.Working class will be less successful and feel excluded.

Question 10

Douglas

Answer 10

Working class parents place less value on education , they are less ambitious for their children , gave less encouragement and visited schools less often

Question 11

parenting style

Answer 11

Disciplines children and gives them high expectations , it encourages active learning
less EDUCATED PARENTS- tell their children to do as their told and prevents self control and independence
= problems at school and difficult interaction with teachers

Question 12

parents educational behaviours

Answer 12

Educated parents read to their children, teach them letters, numbers and songs , have good relationships with teachers and do educational visits to public places such as the library.

Question 13

use of income

Answer 13

Better educated parents use income to promote their children’s educational success.

Question 14

what do Bernstien and young argue

Answer 14

That educated mothers are likely to buy educational toys books and activities to encourage reasoning skills

Question 15

working class subculture

Answer 15

Sugarman

Question 16

what are the four key features that act like a barrier to educational achievement

Answer 16

Fatalism, collectivism, immediate gratification and present time orientation.,

Question 17

fatalism

Answer 17

It is what it is mindset , you cant change your status, you can change your position with effort.

Question 18

collectivism

Answer 18

Valuing being part of a group more than succeeding as an individual.

Question 19

immediate gratification

Answer 19

Seeking pleasure now rather than seeking pleasures later on, mc use deferred gratification, the opposite of immediate gratification.

Question 20

present time orientation

Answer 20

Seeing the present as more important and not the future, not having long term goals.

Question 21

MATERIAL DEPRIVATION BEING THE MAIN CAUSE OF UNDERACHIEVEMENT

Answer 21

examples:housing and income

Question 22

true or false:exclusion and truancy is more common in low income families , children excluded from school are less likely to return to mainstream education, put into PRU’s

Answer 22

true

Question 23

housing

Answer 23

can effect directly and indirectly, overcrowding can make it difficult for children to study- There is less room for educational activities , disturbed sleep etc.
housing can make schooling difficult for children as they may have to move from place to place frequently
cold, damp and mould can cause bad health.
This often causes parents stress, meaning that there are more days missed off school.

Question 24

diet and health

Answer 24

poor nutrition weakens the immune system and lowers a child’s energy levels. This leads to school absences and difficulty concentrating.

Question 25

Howard

Answer 25

young people from poorer homes have lower intakes of energy.

Question 26

Wilkinson

Answer 26

among ten year olds, hyperactivity can have a negative impact on a child’s education.

Question 27

Blanden and Machin

Answer 27

children from low income families are likely to engage in disruptive behaviour eg: fighting, temper tantrums
= a disrupted education

Question 28

educational and economic capital

Answer 28

MC with cultural capital are better equipped to meet the standards of the school and gain qualifications =
wealthy parents can convert their economic capital into educational capital BY SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Question 29

What does Sullivan say?

Answer 29

those who read complex fiction gained a wider vocab and greater cultural knowledge , children of graduates were more successful at gcse

Question 30

fatalism

Answer 30

Fatalisim- whatever will be, will be, there is nothing that you can do to change your status.

Question 31

collectivism

Answer 31

Collectivism- valuing being part of a group more than succeeding as an individual

Question 32

present time orientation

Answer 32

Present time orientation-seeing the present as more important than the future, not having long term goals

Question 33

Keddie ( cultueral deprivation)

Answer 33

sees cultural deprivation as a myth as it gives a victim blaming explaination 
working class children are culturally different, they fail because they because they are put in an education system that has middle class values.

Question 34

financial support and the cost of education

Answer 34

children from poor backgrounds miss out on experiences that would enchance their educational achievement

Question 35

tanner ( cost of education)

Answer 35

sees travel, the cost of equipment place a heavy burden on poor families
because of this, poor children feel that they get bullied
INCREASE IN TUITION FEES, £9000 A YEAR FOR UNIVERSITY.

Question 36

bourdeiu ( uses capital to explain wehy the middle class are more successful)

Answer 36

cultural capital-refers to the knowledge, attitudes, values, language and taste of middle class 
MIDDLE CLASS IS A TYPE OF CAPITAL
mc have an advantage at school as it favours the dominant middle class culture

working class feel like school devalues theirtheir culture as rough and inferior- many wc pupils get the message that education is not for them, leading them, to leaving school early

Question 37

cultural deprivation

Answer 37

focuses on class differences in achievement within state schools. working class do worse than middle class because they are culturally deficient

Question 38

Candeller and Jackson

fear of debt

Answer 38

many bright working class teenagers do not apply to university because of the fear of debt.

Question 39

Bourdieu- educational capital

Answer 39

middle class parents had access to educational advantages 
eg: graduate parents are more likely to take advantage the fact that their children will go to university. This means that money, time and effort will be spent trying to achieve this goal

Question 40

what are the three aspects of cultural deprivation

Answer 40

language
parental education
speech codes

Question 41

Criticisms of cultural deprivation theory

Answer 41

• ignores factors such as poverty
• ignores that labelling has an effect on a childs achievement
• blames the victim for their failure

Question 42

what is the cultural capital theory

Answer 42

educational capital-the middle class use their educational and cultural capital to give their children educational capital ( qualifications)

economic capital - the wealth that middle class families own

Question 43

cultural capital analysis

Answer 43

bordieu shows how material factors and cultural factors are not separate but link together to produce class inequalities