Ethnocentric Curriculum Flashcards
1
Q
What is the ethnocentric curriculum
A
- Focus of the curriculum on one particular ethnic group to the detriment or exclusion of other groups
- Ball - ‘little Englandism’ in national curriculum focuses on triumphs of the British Empire
- little to no reference to Asian culture African Caribbean culture represented by slavery and civil rights
2
Q
Who is disadvantaged by the ethnocentric curriculum
A
- Asian students
- Chinese students
- black African and Caribbean students
- White W/C students
3
Q
How are students from minority ethnic backgrounds disadvantaged
A
- Portrayal of role models in the curriculum - often from the white elites
- When minority ethnic groups are mentioned, often based upon negative experiences or being civilised by white Europeans
- Outside of curriculum, focus on Christian holidays, western sports, uniforms not reflecting cultural differences.
4
Q
Evidence
A
- Policies in 60s and 70s targeted assimilation rather than integration
- Troyna and Williams, and David - curriculum provides advantages for white British students
- Coard - Curriculum saw white as good and black as primitive
- Tikly et al - Black African and Caribbean students excluded from learning about their own heritage
5
Q
How policy reinforces the ethnocentric curriculum
A
- changes to National Curriculum in 2013 focused on History
- Michael Gove - ‘Island Story’ from Magna Carta to development of internet
- Multi-cultural education from 1990s to specifically target underachieving groups
- Aim High and attempts to decolonise the curriculum
6
Q
Evaluations
A
- White achievement lower than all social groups apart from black-Caribbean, but curriculum is focused on them
- Ethnocentrism in schools can lead to further clashes between the habitus of education and students own habitus
- Some aspects of educational capital are universal - maths and sciences
- Impact of globalisation on educational policy
