1.1.2 Education: Ethnic Differences in Achievement

Question 1

Ethnic differences in achievement

What percentage of Chinese students get a 5+ in English and maths at GCSE

Answer 1

83.8%

Question 2

Ethnic differences in achievement

What are the major trends in ethnic achievement?

Answer 2

White and Asian pupils on average do better then Black students

Question 3

Internal Factors

What are some criticisms of Gillborn’s view of institutional racism?

(2)

Answer 3

• Sewell argues that institutional racism and internal factors are not strong enough to create underachievement. Instead, he focuses on external factors such as anti-school subcultures, the influence of peer groups, and absent fathers.
• Critics argue that Asian overachievement displays that the educational system isn’t racist but Gillborn critiques this, saying that Asian overachievement is as attempt to make the system seem meritocratic.

Question 4

Internal Factors

What way do critical race theorists argue that access to opportunities make education institutionally racist?

Answer 4

Opportunities such as the ‘gifted and talented’ programme aim to benefit bright pupils but Gillborn argues that statistics suggest white pupils are over twice as likely as black pupils to be identified as clever and gifted.

Question 5

Internal Factors

What way do critical race theorists argue that assessments make education institutionally racist?

(and name)

Answer 5

Gillborn (2008) argues that ‘the assessment game’ is rigged so as to validate the dominate culture’s superiority.

Question 6

Internal Factors

What way do critical race theorists argue that the ethnocentric curriculum makes education institutionally racist?

Answer 6

The ethnocentric curriculum is a curriculum which reflects the culture of one ethnic group. It builds racial bias in education as Languages, literature, history and music are centred around a ‘specifically British’ curriculum.

Question 7

Internal Factors

What way does Gillborn argue that marketisation and segregation make education institutionally racist?

Answer 7

Marketisation gives schools scope to select students, allowing negative stereotypes to influence admissions.

Question 8

Internal Factors

What are the five ways that critical race theorists such as Gillborn argue education is institutionally racist?

Answer 8

• Marketisation and segregation
• The ethnocentric curriculum
• Assessment
• Access to new opportunities
• The ‘New IQ-ism’

Question 9

Internal Factors

What is locked-in inequality?

Answer 9

• for critical race theorists, the history of institutional racism is so large, there no longer needs to be concious attempts at racism, but its self-perpetuating. - locked in

Question 10

Internal Factors

What do Tonya and WIlliams argue about examining racism?

Answer 10

• We must go beyond individual teachers, and examine how institutions consistently discriminate against minority ethnic groups.
• Acknowledge a difference betweenindividualracism andinstitutional racism

Question 11

External Factors

What are some reasons for minority ethnic groups being at higher risk of low income?

(3)

Answer 11

• Many live in low income areas
• Lack of language skills and foreign qualifications not being recognised.
• Asylum seekers may not be allowed to take work

Question 12

External Factors

What are Palmer’s statistic on material deprivation in ethnic minorities?

Answer 12

Almost half of those in minority ethnic groups live in low income families

Question 13

External Factors

What are the criticisms of cultural deprivation theory?

(3)

Answer 13

• Keddie - victim blaming. Not culturally deprived, but culturally different.
• Labelling theorists - argue that underachievement lies not in low aspirations, but in teacher’s stereotyping.
• Critical race theorists - argue that the educational system as a whole is institutionally racist.

Question 14

External Factors

What are the main factors affecting ethnic differences in education?

(3)

Answer 14

• Cultural deprivation
• Material deprivation and class
• Racism in wider society

Question 15

External Factors

What does Sewell argue about Asian families?

Answer 15

Chinese and Indian families benefit from a supportive family which has an ‘Asian work ethic’

Question 16

External Factors

What is Gillborn’s view on racism within education?

Answer 16

Argues that it is not peer pressure or absent fathers, but institutionalised racism within the educational system which results in the underachievement of Black boys

Question 17

External Factors

What is Sewell’s view on absent fathers

Answer 17

• Results in a lack of ‘fatherly tough love’ which pushes young boys to seek this elsewhere which they find in gangs.
• Also feel pressure from peer group to join these subcultures
• deficit view

Question 18

External Factors

What is the cultural deprivation belief about family structure?

Answer 18

• failure to socialise children properly is the result of inadequate family structure.
• For example, in Black families, lone single mothers is a common family type which results in young black boys not being disciplined properly and not having a role model.
• This view has been heavily criticised

Question 19

External Factors

What did Platt and Parsons find about minority ethnic groups aspirations?

Answer 19

found that among 7 - 14 year olds, minority ethnic group girls and boys had higher career aspirations than their White counterparts and were more likely to aspire to highly-paid jobs.

Question 20

External Factors

What do cultural deprivation theorists argue about norms and values

Answer 20

• lack of aspiration is a large aspect of underachievment
• Some minority ethnic groups are socialised into having a fatalistic attitude which doesn’t value education.