external factors in class differences

Question 1

Explaining class differences

Answer 1

On average, mc families perform better than wc. They do better at GCSES, stay longer in full time education and take great majority of uni places.

Question 2

Private schools

Answer 2

Better off parents can afford to send their children here. Average class sizes are less than half of those in state schools. Although they only educate 7% of Britain’s children’s, they account for nearly half of all students entering the elite universities.

Question 3

Internal factors

Answer 3

Factors within schools and the education systems, interactions between pupils and teachers and the inequalities.

Question 4

External factors

Answer 4

Factors outside the education system, influence of home and family background and wider society.

Question 5

Cultural deprivation: study (Centre for Longitudinal Studies)

Answer 5

A nationwide study by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (2007) found that by the age of 3, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are already up to 1 year behind than more privileged ones. Argue that the most basic values, attitudes and skills are needed for educational success (through primary socialisation in the family). Many wc families fail to do this adequately; they grow up culturally deprived and therefore underachieve.

Question 6

CD- language

Answer 6

An essential part of process of education: effects their cognitive development. Tait et al (2002) found that parents who use language to challenge their children’s understanding, their cognitive performance improved.

Question 7

CD- Fernstein (2008) and language

Answer 7

Educated parents are more likely to challenge their children in language, and more likely to use praise to develop a sense of their own competence.

Question 8

CD- Engelmann (1966) and language

Answer 8

Claim language used in lower class homes is deficient, as they communicate by gestures, single words or disjointed phrases. As a result children fail to develop necessary language skills and are unable to use abstract thinking and take advantage of opportunities that school has to offer.

Question 9

CD- Bernstein (1975) and speech codes

Answer 9

Identifies the restricted code used by the wc, with limited vocabulary, short unfinished, grammatically simple sentences. Speech is predictable or with gestures instead and is often descriptive not analytic. It is context-bound: speaker assumes that listener shares same set of experiences. As well as the elaborated codes, used by the mc, wider vocab, more complex, longer, varied and is context-free.

Question 10

CD- Bernstein (1975) and speech codes analysed

Answer 10

Gives mc children an advantage at school as the elaborated code is used by teachers, textbooks and exams. Not only is it the ‘correct’ way to speak and write but it is also a more effective tool for analysing and reasoning (essential skills in education. Early socialisation into the elaborated code means mc children are fluent users, thus wc are excluded when lacking the code.

Question 11

CD- Bernstein (1975) and speech codes evaluation

Answer 11

Critics argues Bernstein is a cultural deprivation theorist because he describes wc speech as inadequate however he unlike other theorists, he recognises that school and not just home, influences children’s achievement. He argues wc children fail not just because they are culturally deprived, but because schools fail to teach them the elaborated code.

Question 12

CD- parents education and wc parents (Douglas)

Answer 12

Douglas (1964), a study showed that wc parents placed less value on education, as a result, were less ambitious for their children and gave less encouragement. Visited schools less often, less likely to discuss their children’s progress with teachers and therefore resulted in children have lower levels of motivation and achievement.

Question 13

CD- Fernstein (2008) and parents education

Answer 13

He argues that parents own education is most important factor in effecting their children’s achievement, since mc parents tend to be better educated, they are able to give their children an advantage by socialising them.

Question 14

CD- Fernstein (2008) and parents education socialising them

Answer 14

They do this through their parenting style, by emphasising consistent discipline, having high expectations, supporting and encouraging active learning and exploration. Less educated parents are harsh, inconsistent, ‘do as you’re told’; preventing child from independence and self-control. Parents educational behaviours: educated parents are more aware of what is needed to assist their child’s education progress. Their use of income.

Question 15

CD- wc subculture

Answer 15

Large sections of the wc share different goals, beliefs, attitudes and values from the rest of society and this is why they fail at school.

Question 16

CD- Sugarman (1970) and wc subculture

Answer 16

Wc subculture has 4 key elements that act as a barrier to educational achievement: fatalism (that ‘whatever will be, will be’ and there is nothing you can do to change your status), collectivism (valuing being part of a group, rather than succeeding as an individual), immediate gratification (seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices for rewards in the future) and present-time orientation (seeing the present are more than important than the future and not having long-term goals). Sugarman argues these stem from the fact mc jobs are secure careers with individual advancement, which encourages ambition and long term planning, opposed to wc jobs. Parents pass their values of their class to their children.

Question 17

CD- compensatory education

Answer 17

Compensatory education programmes aim to tackle problems of cultural deprivation by providing extra resources to schools and communities in deprived areas. They intervene early in socialisation process. In Britain this may be things like Education priority areas, Education Action Zones and Sure Start.

Question 18

CD- Keddie (1973) and the CD myth?

Answer 18

Keddie describes CD as a myth and a victim-blaming explanation. She dismisses the idea that failure at school can be blamed on culturally deprived home background and points out that a child cannot be deprived of its own culture and wc children are just culturally different, not deprived. They fail because they are put at a disadvantage by an education system that is dominated by mc values. Schools should recognise and build on its strength and challenge anti wc prejudices.

Question 19

CD- Troyna and Williams (1986) and the CD myth?

Answer 19

They also argue that the problem is not the child’s language but the schools attitudes towards it. Teachers have a ‘speech hierarchy’.

Question 20

CD- Blackstone and Mortimore (1994) and the CD myth?

Answer 20

They argue that wc parents are interested in their childrens education, but lack because they work longer or less regular hours, or are put off by schools mc atmosphere. They may want to help but lack knowledge and education to do so and wc pupils have less effective systems of parent-school contacts making it harder.

Question 21

Material Deprivation

Answer 21

This refers to poverty and lack of material necessities: housing and income. Barely 1/3 of pupils eligible for free school meals achieve 5 or more GCSES at A-C grades (Department for Education 2012). Flaherty (2004) money problems is a significant factor in younger children’s non-attendance. Exclusion and truancy are more likely for children from poorer families. 90% of ‘failing’ schools are in deprived areas.

Question 22

MD- housing

Answer 22

Poor housing can affect pupils achievement indirectly and directly. Overcrowding can make it harder for a child to study, less room for educational activities, nowhere to do hw and disturbed sleep from sharing beds or bedrooms. Young children especially, development can be impaired through lack of space for safe play and exploration, families living in temporary accommodation, having to move frequently, constant changes of school and disrupted education. Can effects child’s health and welfare: risk of accidents, cold or damp, psychological distress, infections = more absences.

Question 23

MD- Howard (2001) and diet and health

Answer 23

They note that young people from poorer homes have lower intakes of energy, vitamins and mineral, weakening the immune system and lowering children’s energy levels = more absences and difficulties concentrating in class.

Question 24

MD- Wilkinson (1996) and diet and health

Answer 24

Children from poorer homes are more likely to have emotional or behavioural problems, among 10 year olds, the lower the social class, the higher the rate of hyperactivity, anxiety and conduct disorders; likely to have a negative effect on education.

Question 25

MD- Blanden and Machin (2007) and diet and health

Answer 25

Children from low income families were more likely to engage in ‘externalising’ behaviour (fighting and temper tantrums), which is likely to disrupt schooling.

Question 26

MD- financial support and the costs of education

Answer 26

Lack of financial support means children from poor families have to do without equipment and miss out on experiences that would enhance their educational achievement. Bull refers to this as ‘costs of free schooling’. Tanner et al found that the cost of items such as transport, uniforms, books, computer and calculators, place a heavy burden on poor families. Poor children have to make do with hand-me downs and cheaper but unfashionable equipment= isolation, stigmatisation and bullying.

Question 27

MD- Smith and Noble (1995) and financial support and the costs of education

Answer 27

Add that poverty acts as a barrier to learning: inability to afford private schooling or tuition and poorer quality local schools.

Question 28

MD- Ridge and financial support and costs of education

Answer 28

Children from low-income families often need to work, children taking on jobs, often have a negative impact on their schoolwork.

Question 29

MD- fear of debt

Answer 29

Going to uni usually involves getting into debt to cover the cost of tuition fees, books and living expenses. This deters wc students.

Question 30

MD- Callender and Jackson (2005) and fear of debt

Answer 30

Found from a nationwide questionnaire survey of nearly 2,000 students: wc students are more debt averse. They found attitude to debt was important when deciding to go to uni or not and debt averse students were over 5 times less likely to apply.

Question 31

MD- tuition fees and fear of debt

Answer 31

Increases in tuition fees from 2012, to a maximum of £9,000 per year. Increased debt burden will deter even more wc students.

Question 32

MD- financial support and fear of debt

Answer 32

Wc students who do go are likely to receive less financial support from their families. 81% of highest social class received help from home whereas only 43% of the lowest class did.

Question 33

MD- Reay (2005) and fear of debt

Answer 33

Found wc studuents more likely to apply to local universities so they could live at home, and save on travel costs, gave them less opportunity to go to highest status unis. More likely to work part time to fund their studies.

Question 34

Cultural or material factors?

Answer 34

Material factors play a part, but some children from poor families do succeed. Example: cultural, religious or political values of family may sustain motivation, despite poverty. Feinstein shows that educated parents make a positive contribution to child’s achievement regardless income level. Mortimore and Whitty argue material inequalities have the greatest effect. Robinson argues tackling child poverty would be most effective way.

Question 35

Bourdieu- 3 types of capital

Answer 35

Uses capitals to explain why mc are more successful. Cultural capital: knowledge, attitudes, values, language. Gives an advantage. Mc children acquire ability to grasp, analyse and express abstract ideas= advantage in school. Wc children lack cultural capital and feel education is not for them and respond by truanting or not trying. Educational and economic capital: mc children are better equipped to meet schools demands, wealthy parents convert economic capital to educational capital (private schools). Mc parents are likely to afford houses in catchment area of schools placed in high exam league tables (‘selection by mortgage’).