Internal- Subcultures

Question 1

What are the two different kinds of subcultures?

Answer 1

Pro-school subcultures and anti school subcultures.

Question 2

Two pieces of evidence for pupils subcultures?

Answer 2

David Hargreaves’s - Social relations in a secondary school and Colin Lacey-Hightown grammar.

Question 3

What did Hargreaves find in his study into the impact of streaming?

Answer 3

The process of differentiation (sorting pupils into ability streams) leads to polarisation (formation of subcultures). Positive subcultures typified by high levels of self esteem and engagement. Negative subcultures felt rejected by school and engaged in counter-school activities to recover self esteem. Hargreaves argued hat inside school processes, such as labelling, exaggerated the success and failure of specific groups within school.

Question 4

How was Lacey’s research different to Hargreaves? (Pupil subcultures)

Answer 4

Hargreaves= Secondary school (significant number of WC pupils). Lacey= Grammar school full of 11+ successes.

Question 5

Why did Lacey do his research into pupil subcultures?

Answer 5

He wanted to see if streaming would have the same effect on successful people (all passed the 11+).

Question 6

What did Colin Lacey find?

Answer 6

He found that subcultures did affect successful children in the same way. Differentiation still led to polarisation and the formation of counter school subcultures. He argued in school processes could create failure amongst previously successful pupils.

Question 7

What are some characteristics of pro school subcultures?

Answer 7

Status gained through academic success, committed to school values, usually MC, same values as school leading to pro-school subculture, placed in higher streams.

Question 8

What are some characteristics of anti school subcultures?

Answer 8

Likely to have a self fulfilling prophecy of educational failure, usually WC, placed in lower streams, suffer a loss of self esteem/worth and seek alternative ways to gain status- they then reject, criticise and undermine school values.

Question 9

How many responses is there to pupil subcultures?

Answer 9

4

Question 10

What are the 4 variety of responses to pupil subcultures? What do they mean?

Answer 10

Ingratiation- teachers pet
Ritualism- going through the motions and avoiding trouble
Retreatism- daydreaming and mucking about
Rebellion- outright rejection of everything the school stands for

Question 11

What does Furlong argue about the 4 variety of responses?

Answer 11

Pupils will show different responses throughout their time depending on many factors.