ethnic differences in achievement

Question 1

What are the 3 internal (within school) factors in ethnic differences in achievement?

Answer 1

Institutional racism
Labelling
Student responses

Question 2

What are the 3 external (outside school) factors in ethnic differences in achievement?

Answer 2

Material depravation
Cultural depravation
Racism

Question 3

What do official statistics show about ethnic differences in education?
Who performs the best, worst, and average? Include statistics

Answer 3

Achievement is correlated to ones ethnic identity
Based on Attainment 8 score (average across all GCSE results)
Best- Asian ppl 55.8
Average= 50.8 (white)
Worst- Afro-Caribbean 48.3

Question 4

What is institutional racism?

Answer 4

The hidden, unconscious and unintended discrimination embedded in policies, curriculum, and staffing

Question 5

What are the 3 factors institutional racism displays itself in?

Answer 5

Marketisation
Ethnocentric curriculum
Staffing

Question 6

What is marketisation?
How is institutional racism displayed in marketisation? (2)

Answer 6

Education being ran as a business
-UCAS: white students with similar A-level results are more successful than ethnic minorities at gaining places at university
-Gilborn: white students are 2x as likely to be selected for ‘gifted and talented’ programmes than black students

Question 7

What percent of students in the UK ae from BAME backgrounds, compared to teachers?
How does this display institutional racism? (2)

Answer 7

Students- 17%
Teachers- 7%
BAME students do not have role models
Teaching is considered being from a middle class background, little BAME in middle class

Question 8

What is an ethnocentric curriculum?
How is this shown in the UK, E.g?

Answer 8

An education system reflecting the culture of one group, usually the dominant culture in society
In the UK, the education system reflect white/western culture e.g. english=shakespeare, history= world wars, PE= football, rugby

Question 9

How does the ethnocentric curriculum display inequality?

Answer 9

Privileges certain groups over others, as they present a distorted view of history and culture

Question 9

What is labelling?
What is the self-fulfilling prophecy? E.g?

Answer 9

Defining a person or group in a certain way, giving them labels
People act in response to their labels>labels become true
E.g. students labelled as underachievers will eventually live up to their label

Question 10

Archer defined 3 types of pupil identity decided by their teachers, what are they?

Answer 10

Ideal pupil identity
Pathologized pupil identity
Demonised pupil identity

Question 10

What is the ideal pupil identity
Stereotypes? (3)

Answer 10

Typically Asian
Middle class
Succeeds through natural ability and hard work

Question 10

What is the pathologised pupil identity
Stereotypes? (2)

Answer 10

Typically White
Succeeds through hard work, rather than success

Question 10

What is the demonised pupil identity
Stereotypes? (3)

Answer 10

Typically Afro-Caribbean
Working class
Underachiever

Question 11

Archers stereotypical pupil identities leads to negative labelling.
How does negative labelling link to ethnicity and education? (2)

Answer 11

-White pupils live up to their ideal pupil identity (self-fulfilling prophecy)=achievement
-Black pupils live up to their demonised identity (self-fulfilling prophecy)=underachievement

Question 12

What is setting and streaming?
What does Foster suggest about this?

Answer 12

A system of dividing students into groups of the same ability in particular subjects
Teacher stereotypes of black students>put in lower sets>self fulfilling prophecy>underachievement

Question 13

What are 3 examples of discipline in schools?
What 2 things did sociologists find about discipline amongst black people?
How might this make black students feel?

Answer 13

Detentions, exclusions, isolations
Blacks students are more likely to be excluded and disciplined for poor behaviour
Unfair>absence>anti-school subculture

Question 14

What are the 3 types of student responses?

Answer 14

-Anti-school subcultures
-Failed coping strategies
-Rejection of labels

Question 15

What is setting/streaming and discipline linked to?

Answer 15

Labelling

Question 16

What is an anti-school subculture?
Sewell found an anti-school subculture within the school called ‘the rebels’, give 3 characteristics of this

Answer 16

Students who do not agree with the values, norms, rules, and ethos of the school
-Rejected the values of the school
-Opposed the school by joining a peer group
-‘Black Machismo’=strong, aggressive, masculine pride

Question 17

What did Mizra find with failed coping strategies?
What did they find with black girls?
How does this put them at a disadvantage?

Answer 17

Some pupils are not able to cope with the racist labels teachers attach to them
Black girls would avoid these teachers by being selective of who they ask for help
Not getting support from teachers>poor grades>underachievement

Question 18

What did Fuller study?
How does this show rejection of labels?
What makes this unique?

Answer 18

A group of black girls in London who rejected the labels of their teachers, who put them in lower sets
They pushed themselves and exceeded their teachers expectations
Labelling doesn’t always lead to negative outcomes

Question 19

Some educational achievements of ethnic minority groups are well above the national average, e.g?
Why might this be?

Answer 19

Asians
Cultural differences

Question 20

Girls in nearly all ethnic groups perform better than boys, what does this suggest?
Which sociological perspective is this?

Answer 20

Gender is more influential
Feminism

Question 21

What are the 3 external factors in ethnic differences?

Answer 21

Material depravation *Racism Cultural depravation

Question 22

What is material depravation? Why are ethnic minorities subject to material depravation? What did Palmer find?

Answer 22

The inability to afford basic resources Typically from poorer economic backgrounds Nearly 1/2 of ethnic minority children live in low-income families, compared to 1/4 of white children

Question 23

What is racism? How might this impact ethnic minorities? (2)

Answer 23

When a person is treated worse because of their race or ethnicity -Normalises racism by non BAME peers and teachers (bullying>time-off>low attendance=bad grades) -Less likely to feel represented in careers, leading to lower aspirations

Question 24

What s cultural depravation? Why are ethnic groups subject to cultural depravation? (3)

Answer 24

Where minority ethnic groups have inferior norms, values, and experiences -From lower socioeconomic backgrounds -Feel less welcome e.g. to museums

Question 25

Compare the culture of Asian and Afro-Caribbean families

Answer 25

-Asian- parents value education, strict parents who discipline their children, married parents -Afro-Caribbean- parents don't value education, parents do not discipline their children, broken and unstable homes

Question 26

What did Lupton find?

Answer 26

Asian children with Muslim backgrounds are well-behaved at school and work because their parents expect children to be respectful

Question 27

What ethnic difference can be found in family structure?

Answer 27

Afro-Caribbean students are more likely to have a 'broken family' structure e.g. lone-parent

Question 28

What did Sewell find about family structure? What is the impact of this?

Answer 28

57% of Black Carribean families with dependent children were headed by a single parent, compared to 25% of white families Black boys lack role models and discipline>more vulnerable to peer pressure>gang culture

Question 29

What is an alternative explanation to ethnic differences in culture? What does Labov argue about this? What does Labov see the issue with?

Answer 29

Black culture is not inferior, just different Teachers make little attempt to understand the language of young black individuals e.g. BEV (black english vernacular) The educational system favours white culture

Question 30

What are 3 arguments against the view that ethnicity is the biggest factor influencing educational underachievement?

Answer 30

1. Some ethnic minorities do better than white students 2. Gender is more important 3. Social class is more important

Question 31

Give 3 examples of material depravation and how it affects education

Answer 31

Wifi -cannot study at home Stationary -cannot participate/detention Meals -poor diet>hungry/tired

Question 32

Give 3 examples of cultural depravation and how it affects education

Answer 32

-Parental interest, can extend their learning time e.g. dining table -Parental attitudes, impacts students greatly and shapes childs support for education -Language codes, e.g. elaborated code=wider vocabulary

Question 33

How did Wood find racism in wider society? What did he find? What does this explain? What impact does this have?

Answer 33

Sent over 1000 applications, using 3 applications (1 white, 2 ethnic) 1/16 ethnic minority applications were offered an interview, whereas 1/9 white Why members of ethnic minorities are more likely to face unemployment Negative affect on their education