class differences in achievement (external)

Question 1

Adonis and Pollard

Answer 1

see private education as a major way in which privileges are passed on through generations

Question 2

what is cultural deprivation?

Answer 2

theory that many working-class children are inadequately socialised and therefore lack the ‘right’ culture to be successful in education

Question 3

intellectual development as a factor of cultural deprivation

Answer 3

the development of thinking and reasoning skills. WC homes lack the books, educational toys and activities that stimulate a child’s development.

Question 4

Bernstein and Young (intellectual development)

Answer 4

found that MC mothers are more likely to choose toys that encourage thinking and reasoning skills

Question 5

language as a factor of cultural deprivation- Bereiter and Engelmann

Answer 5

claim language used in WC homes if deficient

Question 6

Bernstein (language)

Answer 6

claims MC people use the elaborate code to talk in and WC people use the restricted code. WC children fail because they are not taught the elaborate code, not because of cultural deprivation.

Question 7

what is the elaborate code?

Answer 7

• used by MC
• has wide vocabulary, based on longer, more complex sentences
• speech is more varied, communicating abstract ideas

Question 8

what is the restricted code?

Answer 8

• used by WC
• has limited vocabulary, based on short, unfinished, and simple sentences

Question 9

attitudes and values as a factor of cultural deprivation- Douglas

Answer 9

found WC parents were less ambitious for their children, gave less encouragement, and placed less value on education

Question 10

Feinstein (attitudes and values)

Answer 10

found WC parents’ lack of interest was the main reason for their child’s underachievement

Question 11

Hyman (attitudes and values)

Answer 11

claims lower classes believe they have less opportunity for advancement and so place little emphasis on education

Question 12

Sugarman (attitudes and values)

Answer 12

argues the WC subculture has 4 main values:
- fatalism (belief in fate)
- collectivism (valuing being part of a group more than individual achievement
- immediate gratification (seeking pleasure now instead of making sacrafices for your future)
- present-time orientation (seeing the present as more important than the future)

Question 13

2007 study by centre for longitudinal studies

Answer 13

found that, by the age of 3, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are already up to a year behind those from privileged backgrounds

Question 14

Feinstein (parents’ education)

Answer 14

argues parents’ own education is the most important factor affecting children’s achievement. Since MC parents tend to be more educated, their children gain an advantage. Due to:
- parenting style (educated parents emphasise consistent discipline, high expectations active learning and exploration. Less educated parents’ inconsistent discipline means children have poorer motivation and problems with teacher interaction)
- parents’ educational behaviour (educated parents more aware of what helps children progress- good teacher relationships etc.)
- language (way parents communicate affects children’s cognitive development)
- use of income (educated parents spend their income to promote child’s development e.g. educational toys)

Question 15

criticisms of cultural deprivation theory

Answer 15

• ignores the importance of material factors such as poverty
• ignores the impact of school factors e.g. negative labelling
• blames the victim for failure (WC simply have a different culture from the school, putting them at a disadvantage)

Question 16

what is material deprivation?

Answer 16

living in poverty with a lack of material necessities such as adequate housing

Question 17

how is poverty linked to educational achievement?

Answer 17

• exclusion and truancy more likely from children with poorer families
• nearly 90% of ‘failing schools’ are located in deprived areas
• Flaherty: money problems in the family are a significant factor in non-attendance of a young child at school

Question 18

how can poor housing affect a student’s achievement?

Answer 18

overcrowding or cold/ damp homes means pupils have nowhere quiet to do homework or study. Being homeless or living in temporary accommodation may mean frequent moves and changing schools, also causing psychological distress

Question 19

how can poor diet affect a student’s achievement?

Answer 19

Howard: young people from poorer homes have a lower intake of energy, vitamins and minerals, weakening the immune system which might result in absences from school and difficulty concentrating.

Question 20

how can lack of financial support affect a student’s achievement?

Answer 20

• children from poor families miss out on enriching experiences and lack necessary equipment
• Tanner: found the cost of items such as transport, uniform and books place a burden on poor families
• poor children stigmatised or bullied for lacking the right uniform and having second-hand clothes

Question 21

how can lack of financial support affect a student’s probability to attend higher education?

Answer 21

• Callender and Jackson: found WC students more debt-averse. They saw more costs than benefits of going to university, influencing their decisions
• more likely to have to take on paid work and not stay on for post-16 education, so would not receive necessary qualifications to apply for higher education

Question 22

material factors as only part of why so many WC students underachieve- what other factors

Answer 22

• cultural factors
• equality of the school
• religious/ political views of the family

Question 23

what is compensatory education?

Answer 23

programmes that aim to tackle the problem of cultural deprivation by providing extra resources to schools and communities in deprived areas.

Question 24

what is Operation Head Start (USA)

Answer 24

multi-billion dollar scheme of pre-school education in poorer areas, aiming to ‘enrich’ the deprived children’s environments to develop skills and instil achievement motivation. Included: improving parenting skills, setting up nursery classes and home visits by educational psychologists

Question 25

what is Sure Start (UK)

Answer 25

children's centres aiming to tackle poverty and social exclusion. All young children in most disadvantaged areas had access to care and family support with parental employment. Working with parents to promote physical, intellectual and social development of babies and young children, so they could flourish at home and break the cycle of disadvantage.

Question 26

what is cultural capital?

Answer 26

the knowledge, attitudes, values, language, tastes and abilities that MC parents transmit to their children.

Question 27

Bordieu

Answer 27

argues that educational success is largely based on possession of cultural capital, thus giving MC students an advantage. He believes that this gives WC children the double burden of having to learn content and the language used. He identifies that the examination system legitimises class inequality through structural inequalities which are ingrained in society. Cultural capital lead to further conflict between the two classes.

Question 28

Who does cultural capital benefit?

Answer 28

MC children as cultural capital is highly valued in schools, as they acquire the ability to grasp, analyse and express abstract ideas

Question 29

Who does cultural capital hinder?

Answer 29

WC children as school devalues their culture as inferior, and lack of cultural capital leads to exam failure

Question 30

Sullivan (challenging Bordieu)

Answer 30

use of questionnaires over 4 schools assessing cultural capital. Showed pupils with higher cultural capital were more likely to be successful at GCSE. Found that, even where pupils of different classes had the same level of cultural capital, MC pupils still did better due to the resources and aspirations of MC families

Question 31

What does cultural capital include?

Answer 31

taste, experiences, knowledge, language and manners

Question 32

How might taste give a MC an advantage at school?

Answer 32

- better vocabulary - advanced conversations with teachers - wider understanding of different cultures - greater understanding of why certain subjects are relevant encouraging them to be ambitious - love of learning, wanting to succeed

Question 33

How might experiences give MC children an advantage at school?

Answer 33

- ambition grown from work experiences - networking - privileged children have tuition, helping them to succeed - better references for the future, gained by connections - love of learning, wanting to succeed

Question 34

How might knowledge give MC children an advantage at school?

Answer 34

- head start in schooling, as already know the basics - access to tuition helps succeed - helping students to become experts in chosen topics - better thinking and reasoning skills - adaptability - greater engagement at school if understand key concepts - gaining greater qualifications

Question 35

How might manners give MC children an advantage at school?

Answer 35

- more able to cope with formal situations (interviews) - greater relations with teachers (easier to ask for support in class) (gaining more respect for better references) - less likely to get in trouble and miss out on learning - fitting into expected school culture - preparation for the work place

Question 36

How might language give MC children an advantage at school?

Answer 36

- speaking other languages develops brain - knowledge of the elaborate code helps with the understanding and excelling in tests, communication of abstract ideas and communication with teachers - developing better language develops your brain - speaking properly gains respect from teachers

Question 37

What is private education?

Answer 37

independent schools financed from the fees paid by the parents of those attending. The old, established private schools often have charitable status, enabling them to reduce their tax burden

Question 38

How does the New Right view private education?

Answer 38

claims it exists because of the free market individuals and families who have the right to spend their money as they wish. evidence- most parents who send their children to private schools do so because they believe it will improve their chances of obtaining better qualifications

Question 39

How do Marxists view private education?

Answer 39

maintaining divisions in society and ensuring that class inequalities are reproduced. evidence- about 7% of pupils go to private schools (18% male 15% female post-16), and a higher proportion of privately educated students go into higher education than those from the state sector.