external factors in class differences Flashcards
(35 cards)
Explaining class differences
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.
Private schools
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.
Internal factors
Factors within schools and the education systems, interactions between pupils and teachers and the inequalities.
External factors
Factors outside the education system, influence of home and family background and wider society.
Cultural deprivation: study (Centre for Longitudinal Studies)
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.
CD- language
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.
CD- Fernstein (2008) and language
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.
CD- Engelmann (1966) and language
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.
CD- Bernstein (1975) and speech codes
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.
CD- Bernstein (1975) and speech codes analysed
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.
CD- Bernstein (1975) and speech codes evaluation
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.
CD- parents education and wc parents (Douglas)
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.
CD- Fernstein (2008) and parents education
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.
CD- Fernstein (2008) and parents education socialising them
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.
CD- wc subculture
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.
CD- Sugarman (1970) and wc subculture
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.
CD- compensatory education
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.
CD- Keddie (1973) and the CD myth?
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.
CD- Troyna and Williams (1986) and the CD myth?
They also argue that the problem is not the child’s language but the schools attitudes towards it. Teachers have a ‘speech hierarchy’.
CD- Blackstone and Mortimore (1994) and the CD myth?
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.
Material Deprivation
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.
MD- housing
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.
MD- Howard (2001) and diet and health
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.
MD- Wilkinson (1996) and diet and health
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.
