Education - Class (External) Flashcards
Centre for Longitudinal Studies (2007) and class achievement:
By the age of three, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are already more than a year behind those from a more privileged background.
Summarise ‘cultural deprivation’ theory and W/C children.
W/C children are not properly socialized into the basic values, attitudes, and skills (or cultural equipment) necessary for educational success; unlike M/C children, they are ‘culturally deprived’.
Give three examples of ‘cultural equipment in cultural deprivation theory.
- Reasoning skills
- Communication
- Self-discipline
What are the three main aspects of cultural deprivation theory?
- Language
- Parents’ education
- W/C subcultures
Hubbs-Tait et al (2002) and cognitive development:
The cognitive performance of children improves when parents use language that challenges their children.
Feinstein (2008) and W/C language:
Less educated parents are less likely to use the language Hubbs-Tait et al (2002) speaks of, resulting in lower performance. They are also less likely to use praise, this would help the child to develop a sense of their competence.
Bereiter and Engelmann (1966) and W/C language:
The language in lower-class homes is ‘deficient’: communication is through gestures, single words, and disjointed phrases. Children therefore never learn to communicate to understand ideas or have abstract thinking.
Bernstein’s (2008) and Restricted code:
Restricted code: W/C: short, often unfinished, grammatically uncomplex sentences: context-bound, assumes listener knowledge of events
Bernstein’s (2008) and Elaborated code:
Elaborated code: M/C: longer, grammatically more complex sentences with wider vocabulary: context-free, does not need listener knowledge of events
Why do different speech codes put W/C at a disadvantage in education?
- Schools value elaborated code as ‘correct’ so M/C children immediately feel more comfortable in education, whereas W/C children will feel excluded.
- Elaborated code is generally more useful for analysis and comprehension, making education easier.
How is Bernstein (2008) different from other cultural deprivation theorists?
He strikes a balance between internal and external factors: that how W/C children are socialized affects their education, but so does the school as it fails to teach them the elaborated code.
Douglas (1964) and the value of education:
W/C parents place less value on education so encourage educational achievement less, giving their children lower levels of motivation to try in school.
Feinstein (2008) and parents’ education:
Parents’ educational backgrounds are the most important factor affecting a child’s achievement and M/C parents are often better educated.
How do educated parents’ parenting styles affect achievement?
- Educated parents emphasize consistent discipline and high expectations of their children, supporting achievement and exploration.
- Less educated parents often use harsh or inconsistent discipline that inhibits independence and self-control.
How do educated parents’ educational behaviours affect their children’s achievement?
- More aware of what is needed to assist their child’s education so are more likely to read to their children, teach them numbers and letters, etc.
- More likely to establish good relationships with teachers.
How do educated parents’ use of incomes affect their children’s educational achievement?
- More income
- More likely to spend income on the promotion of children’s educational success
- More understanding of proper nutrition for better development
Bernstein and Young (1967) and use of income:
- M/C mothers are more likely to buy educational toys, books, and activities to stimulate development.
- W/C mothers lack the resources for such investments
How does the ‘W/C subculture’ affect educational achievement?
Large sections of the working class have developed a subculture with different values and goals from the mainstream, discouraging mainstream educational success.
Sugarman (1970) and subculture:
The W/C subculture has 4 features that block educational success
- Fatalism: emphasizes that no amount of effort will change your status
- Collectivism: values being in a group more than individual success
- Immediate gratification: discourages making sacrifices for the future
- Present-time orientation: sees the present as more important than the future
What is the source of the W/C subculture, according to Sugarman (1970)?
- M/C jobs are secure and offer prospects for continuous individual growth, encouraging ambition and long-term planning.
- W/C jobs are insecure and have no career structure, encouraging fatalism and present-time orientation
Summarise the aim of compensatory education.
To intervene early in socialization to provide resources in deprived areas to mitigate cultural deprivation.
Summarise ‘Sure Start’
3,500 local Sure Start children’s centres in the most deprived areas providing integrated education, care, family services, etc. to promote the physical, intellectual, and social development of the babies. Austerity has led to the underfunding or foreclosure of most centres.
Give three studies that criticize cultural deprivation theory.
- Keddie (1973)
- Troyna and Williams (1986)
- Blackstone and Mortimore (1994)
Keddie (1973) and cultural deprivation:
W/C children are culturally different, not deprived; they are disadvantaged by a system that is dominated by middle-class values.
