Cultural Deprivation Flashcards
(25 cards)
What is the definition of cultural deprivation?
Cultural deprivation refers to the argument that working-class pupils are likely to be culturally deprived due to inadequate socialisation, leading to norms and values that do not align with academic success.
This perspective is often associated with the New Right.
What are the norms and values of working-class communities that may hinder academic success?
Working-class communities may prioritize:
* Practical skills over intellectual pursuits
* Immediate needs such as money over long-term educational goals
These factors can lead to less emphasis on academic achievement.
What norms and values do middle-class communities promote that contribute to academic success?
Middle-class communities often promote:
* Regular study habits
* Participation in extracurricular activities
* Values of ambition, self-discipline, and academic success
* Education as a route to success and upward social mobility.
How does the language exposure differ between working-class and middle-class children?
Working-class children may have:
* A narrower range of vocabulary
* Limited linguistic styles
Middle-class children typically experience:
* Richer language environments
* A wider vocabulary and more complex grammatical structures.
What is the concept of immediate gratification in the context of educational attainment?
Immediate gratification refers to focusing on present pleasures rather than delaying for future rewards, impacting decisions like leaving school early for work.
Middle-class children are more likely to delay gratification for long-term success.
What does present time orientation mean?
Present time orientation is the focus on the present rather than considering future implications.
This can affect working-class children’s motivation and academic aspirations.
Define fatalism in the context of working-class culture.
Fatalism is the acceptance of one’s situation without effort to change it, leading to a lack of motivation in the classroom among working-class children.
What is collectivism in terms of working-class values?
Collectivism emphasizes loyalty to a group over individual achievements, which can conflict with the individualistic nature of academic success.
What did Barry Sugarman argue about working-class children’s educational attainment?
Sugarman argued that cultural differences between working-class and middle-class children contribute to lower educational attainment among the working-class.
What was the main finding of Douglas’s longitudinal study?
Douglas found that parental interest was the single most important factor in determining children’s success in education.
What role do middle-class parents play in children’s education according to Douglas?
Middle-class parents are more likely to:
* Show interest in their children’s education
* Make frequent school visits
* Encourage continued education.
What did Feinstein conclude about the impact of parents’ education on children’s achievement?
Feinstein concluded that parents’ education is the single most important factor affecting children’s achievement, with educated parents providing significant advantages.
Fill in the blank: The restricted code is used by _______.
[working-class]
Fill in the blank: The elaborated code is used by _______.
[middle-class]
What are the characteristics of the restricted code?
Characteristics of the restricted code include:
* Limited vocabulary
* Short, grammatically simple sentences
* Context-bound communication.
What are the characteristics of the elaborated code?
Characteristics of the elaborated code include:
* Extensive vocabulary
* Longer, complex sentences
* Context-free communication.
What is Nell Keddie’s perspective on cultural deprivation?
Keddie argues that cultural deprivation is a myth and a victim-blaming explanation; working-class culture is not inferior, just different.
What criticism is made regarding Douglas’s and Feinstein’s studies?
Critics argue that working-class parents may be less able to engage due to work commitments and may feel intimidated by the middle-class norms of schools.
What is victim blaming in the context of cultural deprivation theory?
Victim blaming refers to attributing the educational disadvantages of working-class children to their culture rather than to systemic inequalities.
What was Barry Sugarman’s study?
Sugarman conducted questionnaires and structured interviews with 540 year 11 boys across 4 London secondary schools.
EVAL OF SUGARMAN
Members of the working-class are realistic rather than fatalistic…
Working-class subculture may be a response to the circumstances of working-class life. If they had the necessary resources to defer gratification (money), they may do so. Similarly, if they realistically had opportunities to succeed in the future, they may be more focussed on them rather than the present. Their norms and values are not different, they are just unable to express them in the same was as the middle-classes are.
Sugarman’s methodology could also be criticised as he used interviews and questionnaires…
The validity of the responses could be low because people may just give the answers that they feel are expected of them, or what they think the interviewer wants them to say. Therefore, their responses may not give an accurate indication of how they behave in other day-to-day situations.
What was Douglas study?
Longitudinal study of over 5,000 British children up to the age of 16.
Feinstein (2003 & 2008)
Parents education is the single most important factor affecting children’s achievement and since middle-class parents are better educated, they are able to give their children an advantage by how they socialise them.
Educated parents emphasize consistent discipline and high expectations of their children and this supports their achievement by encouraging active learning and exploration.
They are better able to access expert advice on childrearing and can use their income to support their children’s educational success with toys and books and activities.
They are more likely to read to their children and teach nursery rhymes and activities like painting and drawing (Bernstein)
EVAL A03
It may be that working class parents are less able to make frequent visits to schools due to working unsociable hours, and having limited rights to request time off for parents evenings.
Working class parents may be intimidated by the middle class habitus (norms, values, attitudes) of schools. They may have had negative experiences at school themselves, and find it difficult to interact with teachers in the same way that middle-class parents are able to.
Both these sociologists used data about teacher’s perceptions of parental interest which may be invalid. Teachers may stereotype working class parents. Teachers may have more favourable perceptions of middle class parents, because of the way they interact with the teachers when they attend school events.
