Topic 2 Education Social Class Diff Flashcards
What 3 things is a child from a WC background less likely to do:
- be in a nursery or pre-school play group
- leave school with 5 or more GCSEs (A*-C)
- progress to university
What is a child from a WC background more likely to do:
4
- to start school unable to read
- fall behind in reading, writing and numeracy
- suffer from health problems
- achieve low grades
According the the gov, poverty damages a child’s chances before the age of …
2
How many words do children from the poorest homes hear
13 million by the age of 4
How many words do rich children hear by the age of 4
45 million
By the early 80s and late 90s, the proportion of poor children who graduated from uni…
Increased by only 3% compared to 26% from wealthier families
What percentage of children with the lowest incomes achieve 5+ GCSE passes at C
38.5% compared to 72.5% of children from families with the highest incomes
What did Durham university study in 2016 find out
That privately educated children are 2 years ahead of students in the state sector by the time they reach 16
What do Perry and Francis say about educational achievement
-social class remains the strongest predictor of educational achievement
What did Micheal Gove say about rich and poor children
“Rich, thick kids” do better than “poor, clever kids” even before they start school
What do Sodha and Margo say about children’s educational attainment
-it is linked to parental occupation, income and qualifications
When do marked differences become apparent (Sodha and Margo)
During early childhood with regard to readiness for school
(Sodha and Margo)
-what is apparent in poor children by the age of 3
Poor children have been assessed to be one year behind richer ones in terms of communication
(Sodha and Margo)
-up to how many children in disadvantaged areas start primary without the necessary language and communication skills
Up to 50% of children in disadvantaged areas begin primary school without the necessary language and communication skills
Give the key stage 2 statistic on Free school meals
53.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals reach level 4 or above in english and maths compared with 75.5% of people who are not eligible
According to Kerr and west and Cassen and Kingdon, find out about the children who have FSMs
These children are more likely to attend the lowest-performing school in deprived areas
-they are also likely to be in care or have special educational needs
What are external explanations
These are focused with explaining WC underachievement as a consequence of factors OUTSIDE/ EXTERNAL to the SCHOOL e.g. the influence of the home
Give the 3 external factors that affect pupil’s achievement
- material deprivation
- cultural deprivation
- cultural capital
What are theories of material deprivation linked to
Economic poverty
What is material deprivation
The view that as a result of a lack of financial resources in WC homes, children are deprived of material resources and facilities that would enhance their educational progress
Material deprivation
-what is low income understood as
Creating a barrier to learning, where children are unable to make the most of educational opportunities
Give examples of material deprivation (4)
- lack of books and pens
- poor diet
- lack of going to school trips
- no room or space at home
Material deprivation
-how many failing schools are located in deprived areas
Nearly 90% of failing schools are located in a deprived area
Material deprivation
-what are poor children likely to do that will hinder their educational success (2)
- exclusion and truancy are more likely to happen for children in poorer families
- Douglas argued that an impoverished home background is hardly a recipe for educational success
Material deprivation- Housing
-how can poor housing affect educational achievement (3)
- overcrowding- little space for studying or homework and can lead to disturbed sleep from sharing bedrooms
- health problems from damp etc
- families in temp accommodation suffer from psychological distress, infections and accidents
Material deprivation
-diet and health- what did Howard say about poor children in poor homes
-young people from poorer Hi homes have a lower intake of energy, vitamins and minerals
material deprivation- Diet and health
-what can poor nutrition affect
-it can affect health, weakening the immune system and lowering energy levels- this may lead to difficulties concentrating in class and more absences from school
material deprivation- Diet and health
-what 2 types of problems are children from poorer homes likely to have
Emotional and behavioural problems
Material deprivation- Finance
-what does Bull refer the as the “costs of free schooling”
-having a lack of resources and equipment that would encourage educational achievement
Material deprivation- Finance
-what did Tanner et al find from his research
-that the costs of items such ad transport, uniforms, books etc places a heavy burden on poor families
Material deprivation- Finance
-what did Ridge find out
That children in poverty are more likely to take on jobs and that this often has a negative impact in school work
Material deprivation- Finance
-talk about dropout rates
Dropout rates are higher for universities with a large proportion of poor students e.g. 13% at Sunderland, a uni with a large WC intake
Cultural deprivation- what are these theories linked to
-the home, cultural background and parental values
Cultural deprivation
-what do WC parents not do
-they do not instil values into their children to value school and their education and to be aspirational and ambitious
Cultural deprivation
-what is WC culture understood as
Inadequate- as failing to nurture, stimulate and enrich educational interest and therefore WC children lack the “cultural equipment” essential for educational success
Give examples of cultural deprivation (3)
- not having access to museums and galleries that would enhance a child’s knowledge
- parents who do not value their child’s education, therefore they will not encourage their child to do well in school
- book free zone and lack of developed vocab and language
What 3 things come under cultural deprivation
- intellectual development
- attitudes and values
- language
Cultural deprivation- intellectual deprivation
-what does this refer to
The development of thinking and reasoning skills, such as the ability to solve problems and use ideas and concepts
Cultural deprivation- intellectual development
-what do these theorists argue (generally-2)
- That many WC homes lack books, educational toys and activities that would stimulate a child’s intellectual development
- Therefore, children from WC homes start school without having developed the intellectual skills required to progress
Cultural deprivation- intellectual development
-Give statistics found by Douglas on the achievement of high ability students
-77% of UMC
-60% of LMC
-53% of UWC
-37% of LWC
These students gained good O levels
Cultural deprivation- intellectual development
-What did Douglas find out about socialisation patterns
-MC children receive greater attention and stimulation from their parents which in turn fosters intellectual progress
Cultural deprivation- intellectual development
(Douglas)- what are MC socialisation patterns understood as
-Laying better foundation for high achievement and therefore MC children are at an advantage as family and school environments positively reinforce each other
Cultural deprivation- intellectual development
-What did Bernstein and Young argue that
That MC mothers are more likely to choose toys that encourage thinking and reasoning skills and prepare children for school
Attitudes and values
What do theorists argue
That parent’s attitudes and values are a key factor affecting educational achievement
Attitudes and values
-what did Douglas argue that the most important factor affecting educational progress was
It was the degree of parental interest shown in a child’s education
Attitudes and values
-What did Douglas conclude about attitudes and values
That MC parents take a greater interest in their child’s education and value it more- which motivates children to do well
Attitudes and values
How did Douglas say that MC parents showed my interest in their child’s education
By going to parents’ evenings, make frequent visits to school to talk to teachers and support children with their homework
Attitudes and values
When did Douglas say that parental interest becomes more clear
When a child is older
Attitudes and values
What is critical of this theory
-A lot of WC parents may not be able to attend parents’ evening because of transport costs, not being able to et time off as wages may be cut etc
Attitudes and values
What did research by Hayman find out (2)
- That the values of the WC create a self-imposed barrier to education and career success.
- They tend to believe they have LESS opportunity for INDIVIDUAL advancement and place less value on achieving high status job—so they don’t see the point in education
Attitudes and values
What did Sugarman argue that WC subculture has which act as a barrier to educational achievement (4)
- Present-time orientation
- Immediate gratification
- Fatalism
- Collectivism
Attitudes and values
What is present-time orientation (2)
- Thinking and living in the present
- WC jobs offer this as they provide little scope for career advancement
(MC people have future time orientation- they work hard for the future to reap the rewards)
Attitudes and values
What is immediate gratification (2)
- Wanting pleasure, benefits and satisfaction now
- WC jobs encourage this as full earning potential is reached immediately
This is in contrast to deferred gratification- delaying and sacrificing rewards (short term) for longer term benefits
Attitudes and values
What is fatalism (2)
- The belief that you cannot change how things are as they are PREdetermined
- This is in contrast to ACTIVISM: a more proactive approach where individuals are encouraged to take steps to improve their situation/status
Attitudes and values
What is fatalism in contrast to
-This is in contrast to ACTIVISM: a more proactive approach where individuals are encouraged to take steps to improve their situation/status
Attitudes and values
What is collectivism
- The belief that group/ collective effort is required to generate change
- WC jobs traditionally emphasised the role of trade unions
Attitudes and values
What is collectivism contrasted to for MC people
Individualism- this emphasises individual achievement
Attitudes and values
How does Sugarman say that the differences in the nature of MC and WC occupations produce differences in attitudes and values (2)
- MC jobs are secure careers offering prospects for continuous individual advancement
- WC jobs are not secure and there is no time for individual advancement
Attitudes and values
What does Sugarman say about school
-That it is an extension of MC values and therefore MC culture equips children for success, whereas WC values fail to do so
Attitudes and balues
What type if orientation does school encourage and what does this encourage
School encourages future-time orientation which encourages deferred gratification
Cultural deprivation- Language
What do Bereiter and Englemann claim thaf
They claim that the language used in lower class homes is deficient and as a result children fail to develop the necessary language skills required in school
Cultural deprivation- Language
What theory did Bernstein develop
A socio-linguistic theory where he sought to explain how a person’s social class position shapes the sort of language or speech codes that people use
Cultural deprivation- Language
What are the 2 types of codes that are spoken by peple
- The restricted code
- The elaborated code
Cultural deprivation- Language
What is the restricted code (2)
- meanings conveyed are particularistic in that they are specific to the shared situation of the speaker and the listener
- the speaker take for granted that the audience will grasp their meaning- code is implicit
Cultural deprivation- Language
Who usually speaks the restricted code
Working class peope
Cultural deprivation- Language
Describe the type if sentences in the restricted code (3)
- short sentences
- less vocab, less adjectives etc
- context bound info
Cultural deprivation- Language
What is the elaborated code (4)
- it is a medium used for the transmission of facts and the accurate delivery of processes
- meanings are explicit and therefore, characterised by longer, grammatically, more complex sentences
- context free
- meanings are universalistic
Cultural deprivation- Language
Who usually speaks the elaborated code
Middle class people
Cultural deprivation- Language
What code is used in education- said by Bernstein
The school uses the Elaborated code and so it is vital for educational success
Cultural deprivation- Language
What is the elaborated code an effective tool for
Explicitly conveying the meaning, analysing information, for logically and rationally developing and arguement and for handing complex concepts
Cultural deprivation- Language
What does early socialisation into the elaborated code mean for MC children
That they are affluent users of the code when they start school- so they are successful as they feel “at home”
Cultural deprivation- Language
As WC children lack the elaborated code, what does this mean
They are more likely to feel excluded and to be less successful as schools fail to teach them how to use the elaborated code
Cultural Capital- what does this refer to
The knowledge, attitudes, values, tastes and abilities of the MIDDLE CLASS
Cultural Capital
-through socialisation, what do MC children acquire (2)
They acquire and understanding of what the education system requires for success-
MC culture is a type of capital as it gives an advantage to those who possess it as it is valued by the education system
Cultural Capital
Give examples of cultural capital (2)
- The elaborated code
- the value people attach to education
cultural capital
what does French Marxist Bourdieu state
-that there are important links between the class structure, home background, culture and experiences in schooling which results in social and cultural inequalities being transferred from one generation to the next (schools work in a way that MC stay MC and WC stay WC)
cultural capital
what does Bourdieu blame for giving MC people privileges and advantages which enable them to succeed
he blames the class system and the education system
cultural capital
why is cultural capital an advantage for MC people (2)
- because their culture and its language, interests, attitudes etc are highly valued
- they are therefore able to meet the demands of the curriculum and so be rewarded
cultural capital
in Bourdieu’s eyes, what are schools (2)
schools are biased in favour of the MC -schools reproduce the culture of the dominant class rather than transmitting the culture of society as a whole
Cultural capital
Who tested Bourdieu’s ideas
Sullivan- she used questionnaires to conduct a survey of 465 pupils in 4 schools to asses their cultural capital
Cultural capital
What did sullivan ask the students (3)
-She assessed the children’s cultural capital and asked if they read, their TV habits a d whether they visited galleries, museums and the theatre
- she tested their vocab and knowledge
- she found that those who read complex watched serious TV documentaries developed a wider vocab and greater cultural knowledge
Cultural capital
Other than Sullivan, who else supported Bourdieu’s idea
Ball and Gerwitz also state that middle class parents are more privileged, they have more cultural capital and are able to ensure that their children secure a place in the school of their choice
