External factors on ethnicity

Question 1

Material Factors

Answer 1

educational failure is the result of material factors such as housing and income, which ethnic minorities are more likely to face

Question 2

Cultural Differences

Answer 2

Cultural factors which may explain why Chinese and Indian children do well in school and why Black Caribbean Children and White children do not do so well include:
-Parental control and expectation, and the value parents place on education.
-Single parent families, and the absence of a male role model (for boys)
-Peer group pressure and an anti-school ‘street’ culture
-Language barriers
-Student aspirations to go on to higher education.

Question 3

Cultural Capital (ethnicity)

Answer 3

Francis and Archer (2007) found that a high value is placed on education by Chinese parents, coupled with a strong cultural tradition of respect for one’s elders. High educational aspiration transmits from parents to children, and students derive positive self-esteem from constructing themselves as good students. (Although in a later 2010 paper, Francis warned against the stereotype that all Chinese parents are pushy, most middle class white parents are also pushy!)