Ethnic differences in achievement Flashcards
(56 cards)
describe ethnic differences in achievement in a nutshell.
trends in statistics have shown chinese pupils to achieve the best in education, whereas black carribean and gypsy Roma pupils have fallen behind. some sociologists identify ethnic differences in achievement as the result of factors outside of school (external) language skills, family structure, attitudes + values and material deprivation. - which place minority ethnic groups at a disadvantage. However, some sociologists argue ethnic differences occur through factors inside the school environment (internal) - notably, the ethnocentric curriculum, labelling, pupil subcultures and institutional racism.
outline what cultural deprivation theory is
sees the underachievement of some ethnic groups as the result of a lack of socialisation in the home. The 3 main aspects of the theory is intellectual and linguistic skills, attitudes and values, and family structure and parental support
what do Bereiter and Engelman argue about the language spoken by low income black American families
the language spoken lowers educational success, they see it as ungrammatical and incapable of expressing abstract ideas
describe how intellectual and linguistic skills affect black families as a form of cultural deprivation
many children in low income black families lack intellectual stimulation and enriching experiences. This leaves them poorly equipped for school because they have not been able to develop reasoning and problem solving skills
how do official statistics show that children who do not speak English at home is not a major factor in low educational success? give an example of a sociologist
- in 2010 pupils with English as their first language were only 3.2 points ahead, from people as English as their second language.
- Gillborn and mirza note that Indian people do well despite not having English as their first language
what do cultural deprivation theorists argue about the attitudes and values of black pupils?
black pupils fail due to a lack of motivation. some black pupils are socialised into a fatalistic subculture that does not value education. most children are socialised to make sacrifices for the long term which equips them for success
what do cultural deprivation theorists argue about the failure to socialise children adquatly is caused by.
the result of dysfunctional family structure.
what did moynihan say?
argues that because many black families are headed by a lone mother, their children are deprived of proper care because she has to struggle financially,
The father’s absence also means that boys lack an adequate role model of male achievement. So, he sees cultural deprivation a cycle where inadequately socialized children from unstable families go on to fail school.
what did the New right view- Charles Murray argue
Argues the high rate of lone parenthood and a lack of positive male role models lead to the underachievement of some minorities.
what did pryce argue
sees family structure as contributing to the underachievement of black Caribbean pupils in Britain. Argues that Asians are higher achievers because their culture gives them a greater sense of self-worth. However, black Carribean culture is less resistant to racism so many black pupils have low self-esteem and achievement
how does Gillborn criticize Sewell?
argues that it is not peer pressure but institutional racism within the education system that produces the failure of large numbers of black boys.
what does sewell argue about fathers, gangs and culture?
argues that it is not the absence of fathers as role models that lead to black boys underachieving, it is the lack of fatherly nurturing/love. So, street gangs of other fatherless boys offer black boys with “preserve loyalty and love” (media inspired role model of anti-school black masculinity).
So, many black boys are influenced by anti-educational peer group pressure. Speaking standard English and doing well at school was seen as joining the white establishment.
describe asian families- ethnic differences in achievement
Indian and Chinese pupils benefit from supportive families that place a high value on education and an “Asian work ethic”
Lupton= argues that adult authority in Asian families is similar to schools. For example, respected behaviour towards adults was expected of children, which also meant that parents were more likely to be supportive of school’s behavioral policies.
describe white working class families- ethnic differences in achievement
A survery of pupils in 2014= found that ethnic minority pupils are more likely to aspire to go to university than white british pupils.
This low level of aspiration and achievement may be the result of a lack of parental support.
Teachers also blamed poorer levels of behaviour and discipline in white working-class pupils due to lower levels of parental support and the negative attitude that the WWC had towards education. Ethnic minority parents were more likely to see education as a way up in society.
lists all the criticisms of cultural deprivation theory
Driver= criticizes cultural deprivation theory for ignoring the positive effects of ethnicity on achievement, he shows that the black Caribbean family, provides girls with positive role models or strong independent women, which is why black girls tend to be more successful than black boys.
Lawrence= black pupils underachieve not because of low self-esteem but racism
Keddie= sees cultural deprivation as victim blaming. She argues that the ethnic minority are culturally different not culturally deprived, schools are biased in favor of white cultures.
These critics oppose compensatory education because they see it as a way of imposing white culture on children. They propose 2alternativess:
Multicultural education= values minority cultures and includes it in the curriculum
Anti-racist education= a policy that challenges the prejudice and discrimination in school
Driver= criticizes cultural deprivation theory for what reason?
Driver= criticizes cultural deprivation theory for ignoring the positive effects of ethnicity on achievement, he shows that the black Caribbean family, provides girls with positive role models or strong independent women, which is why black girls tend to be more successful than black boys
According to Lawrence, why do black pupils underachieve?
Lawrence= black pupils underachieve not because of low self-esteem but racism
What does Keddie argue about cultural deprivation?
Keddie= sees cultural deprivation as victim blaming. She argues that the ethnic minority are culturally different not culturally deprived, schools are biased in favor of white cultures.
Q: Why do these critics oppose compensatory education?
A: These critics oppose compensatory education because they see it as a way of imposing white culture on children.
Q: What are the two alternatives proposed to compensatory education?
A: Multicultural education = values minority cultures and includes it in the curriculum
Anti-racist education = a policy that challenges the prejudice and discrimination in school
Q: What is material deprivation?
A: Material deprivation = a lack of those physical necessities that are seen as essential or normal for life in today’s society. The working class are more likely to face poverty and material deprivation, which can lead to low educational achievement.
Q: According to Palmer, how are ethnic minorities affected by material deprivation?
A: Almost half of all ethnic minority children live in low-income households
Ethnic minorities are almost twice as likely to be unemployed compared with whites
Ethnic minority households are around 3 times as likely to be homeless
Almost half of Bangladeshi and Pakistani workers earned under £7 per hour
Ethnic minorities are more likely to engage in shift work
Q: What are the reasons why ethnic minorities are at greater risk of material deprivation?
A: Many live in economically depressed areas with high unemployment and low wage rates
A lack of language skills, and foreign qualifications not recognized by employers
Asylum seekers not allowed to take work
Racial discrimination on the labour + housing market
