Ethnicity Flashcards
(26 cards)
Cultural Deprivation
What is cultural deprivation in the context of ethnicity and education?
It refers to ethnic minority students being held back due to a lack of reasoning skills, problem-solving abilities, or poor language skills, often associated with speaking the restricted code.
Cultural Deprivation
What evidence contradicts the cultural deprivation explanation?
Chinese, Indian, and Bangladeshi students outperform white British students, suggesting language or culture are not the main barriers.
Cultural Deprivation
What is Moan’s vicious cycle of cultural deprivation?
Inadequate primary socialisation → School failure → Devaluing education → Becoming inadequate parents.
Cultural Deprivation
What is fatalism and how does it relate to black students?
Fatalism is the belief that outcomes are beyond one’s control. Black students may blame exams or teachers instead of their own actions.
Family Structure and Role Models
What is the typical structure of Afro-Caribbean families according to the data?
Over 50% are lone-parent families, 90% of which are matrifocal (headed by a woman).
Family Structure and Role Models
Why might the lack of a father figure affect educational achievement?
It can mean less discipline, fewer role models, and reduced aspirations.
Family Structure and Role Models
What does Patricia Morgan (New Right) say about single-parent families?
She claims they “breed delinquents.”
Family Structure and Role Models
What does Tony Sewell argue causes black male underachievement?
Lack of tough love, absence of a father figure, and influence of street and gang culture.
Evaluations of Cultural Deprivation
What does Driver argue in response to cultural deprivation theory?
It ignores the positive impacts of ethnicity—e.g., matriarchal families may empower black girls.
Evaluations of Cultural Deprivation
What is Lawrence’s criticism of New Right explanations?
Black underachievement is due to racism in schools, not lack of self-esteem.
Evaluations of Cultural Deprivation
What does Keddie say about the idea of cultural deprivation?
BAME students are culturally different, not deprived. Schools are ethnocentric.
Ethnocentric Curriculum
What does ‘ethnocentric curriculum’ mean?
A school system focused around the dominant white British culture, ignoring or misrepresenting minority cultures.
Ethnocentric Curriculum
How much of the GCSE curriculum references black history?
Just 11%, often focusing on negative topics like slavery or colonialism.
Material Deprivation & Class Links
What percentage of BAME children live in low-income households?
Around 50%, compared to 25% of white children.
Material Deprivation & Class Links
How does shift work affect educational support?
Parents working night shifts may not be available to help with homework or attend school events.
Material Deprivation & Class Links
Why might BAME students receive less cultural capital?
Parents have less time and money for enriching experiences like museum visits or tutors.
Material Deprivation & Class Links
Why can living in deprived areas affect achievement?
Poor schools (Ofsted ‘failing’), overcrowding, and increased anti-school subcultures.
Wider Racism and Institutional Discrimination
What is institutional racism?
When schools (and other institutions) function in ways that disadvantage ethnic minorities, even without overt racism.
Wider Racism and Institutional Discrimination
What did Rex argue about racism in housing?
Discrimination pushes ethnic minorities into poor housing, linking back to material deprivation.
Wider Racism and Institutional Discrimination
What did Wood find about employment discrimination?
Ethnic minorities were 50% less likely to get interview offers than white applicants.
Wider Racism and Institutional Discrimination
What is the consequence of undervalued overseas qualifications?
Migrant children may adopt fatalistic attitudes, seeing hard work as pointless.
Intersectionality & Overlap of Factors
What does Connolly argue about class, gender, and ethnicity?
These factors interact differently for different groups—there is no “one-size-fits-all” explanation.
Intersectionality & Overlap of Factors
How do Chinese students challenge material deprivation theories?
86% of female Chinese FSM (Free School Meals) students achieve 5 A*-C grades—outperforming non-FSM white girls (65%).
Evaluate sociological explanations for differences in educational achievement between ethnic groups. (30 marks)
Sociological explanations for differences in educational achievement between ethnic groups can be broadly grouped into cultural, material, and institutional factors. While some ethnic groups, such as Indian and Chinese pupils, consistently outperform white British students, others, notably Black Caribbean and Gypsy Roma, underperform. Sociologists have offered various explanations, including cultural deprivation, material deprivation, and institutional racism. However, these theories vary in how convincingly they explain disparities, and some face significant criticisms.
One major explanation is cultural deprivation theory, which argues that some ethnic minority pupils are socialised into cultures that do not equip them with the skills needed for academic success. For example, Bernstein distinguishes between the restricted and elaborated code; ethnic minorities who speak English as an additional language may use the restricted code, which is less valued in schools. This might affect communication with teachers and comprehension of exam questions. However, this view is challenged by the fact that Bangladeshi, Indian, and Chinese pupils—many of whom speak English as an additional language—outperform white British pupils, suggesting that language alone cannot explain differences.
Linked to cultural deprivation is family structure. Murray and the New Right argue that high levels of lone-parent households among Black Caribbean families lead to a lack of male role models and discipline, which in turn causes lower educational achievement. Sewell develops this further by arguing that the absence of “tough love” and the influence of street culture leads Black boys to seek status through anti-school subcultures, often reinforced by peer pressure. However, this has been criticised by Driver, who points out that Black girls from similar family backgrounds often succeed in education, showing that lone parenthood does not necessarily result in underachievement.
Material deprivation also plays a significant role. Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Black African families are more likely to live in low-income households, face unemployment, and live in deprived areas, all of which can hinder educational success. Palmer found that half of ethnic minority children live in poverty, compared to a quarter of white children. They are also more likely to attend underfunded schools and lack access to cultural capital such as books, private tutors, and educational trips. However, the success of materially deprived groups like Chinese pupils (with 86% of FSM Chinese girls achieving 5 A*-C grades) shows that material deprivation cannot be the sole explanation.
Another significant explanation is institutional racism within the education system. Gillborn argues that schools operate in ways that disadvantage ethnic minority students, through processes such as teacher labelling, setting, and exclusions. Black boys, for example, are often stereotyped as aggressive and disruptive, leading to lower sets and more exclusions, which then create a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is supported by Wright, who found that Asian girls were often overlooked by teachers and seen as passive, affecting their engagement. Moreover, the ethnocentric curriculum—highlighted by Keddie—prioritises white British culture, ignoring black and Asian histories or representing them negatively (e.g. through a focus on slavery or colonialism). This can lead to feelings of marginalisation and disconnection from school.
In addition, Rex and Wood et al. argue that racism in wider society translates into housing, employment, and income inequality, which in turn feeds into education. For example, ethnic minorities are 50% less likely to be offered job interviews than white applicants (Wood), affecting their upward mobility and aspirations. This systemic inequality affects parental involvement, access to good schools via catchment areas, and the ability to support children’s education.
However, critics argue that focusing too heavily on ethnicity can ignore intersectionality. Connolly suggests that class, gender, and ethnicity interact in complex ways. For instance, middle-class Black girls may outperform working-class white boys, showing that ethnicity is only one part of the picture. Additionally, Lawrence criticises cultural explanations like those of Sewell, arguing that Black underachievement is due not to peer culture or absent fathers but to systemic racism within the school system, suggesting these theories risk blaming the victim.
In conclusion, while cultural and material deprivation help explain some aspects of ethnic differences in achievement, they are too deterministic and fail to account for the success of some minority groups. The most convincing explanation is institutional racism, as it incorporates both the internal processes of schooling and the external inequalities in wider society. Nonetheless, understanding the interplay of class, gender, and ethnicity, as Connolly suggests, offers a more nuanced and holistic explanation.
