Topic 7 - material factors + deprivation as a cause of under attainment Flashcards
material poverty + deprivation?
Leonard Feinstein (2003) analyzed data from the 1970 Birth Cohort study and found that early test scores at 22 months predicted later educational attainment at 26 years, with family background playing a key role. However, children from poor backgrounds who performed well early were often overtaken by wealthier peers as they progressed.
Introduction?
Over the past 40 years, wealth distribution in Britain has become more unequal. Traditional working-class jobs like mining and manufacturing have declined, leading to higher unemployment and deprivation. Many rely on benefits, while others work low-wage jobs due to limited qualifications. Consequently, their children are less likely to succeed in education.
Which children are likely to experience material deprivation?
Family debt
Some ethnic minorities
Children from benefit dependent families such as the disabled
Children from lone-parent families
Workless households
Those living in London + the south of England
Large families with many children
Family breakdown + instability
Poor levels of parental education + skills
Children in former industrial areas ( southwales)
Poverty + Policy?
Government data shows a strong link between child and adult poverty, with people struggling to escape the effects of poverty from their childhood. Educational qualifications are directly tied to earning potential, and while some succeed without formal education, it’s rare. The father’s education level is the largest predictor of adult poverty, with children having a 7.5% higher chance of poor academic performance if their father did poorly in school. For most, education is the best path out of poverty.
The New Right?
The New Right attributes low school attainment in part to lone parenting, while other sociological perspectives link it to poverty and material deprivation. Parental qualifications can limit children’s ambitions, and many homes lack books and educational resources. Poor living conditions often lead to health issues, with overcrowding and homelessness affecting health and behavior. Poor areas also face high crime rates, limited public services, and poor nutrition, all contributing to low educational attainment. Studies show links between obesity, poor diet, and reduced intelligence. Lone parents, often poor, face difficulties maintaining a household on a single income, and their children have limited learning resources like books and computers. Social pressures related to clothing and status also affect children in poverty, leading to families working longer hours to afford consumer goods.
