Identity, class and girls' achievement Flashcards
In 2013, what % of girls on FSM got 5 A*-C GCSE’s?
41%
what is one reason for the class differences in girls’ achievement according to Archer et al?
conflict between W/C girls’ feminine identities and ethos of school.
what term does Archer use to understand the conflict for W/C between their feminine identities and the ethos of the school?
symbolic capital
what does symbolic capital refer to?
the status, recognition and sense of worth we are able to obtain from others
how did W/C girls gain symbolic capital?
performing W/C feminine identities from peers
how did the girls studied by ARCHER create a valued sense of self?
adopting hyper-heterosexual feminine identity
how did the girls studied by ARCHERs feminine identity bring them into conflict with school?
often punished for wearing too much jewellery, wrong clothing, makeup etc.
teachers saw their preoccupation with appearance as a distraction preventing them from engaging with education
how does BOURDIEU describe the school’s ‘othering’ of the girls?
Symbolic violence - the harm done by denying someone symbolic capital (defining their culture as worthless)
how did having a boyfriend bring impact the girls?
brought symbolic capital but lowered aspirations and got in the way of schoolwork. They aspired to ‘settle down’
why did ‘being loud’ as part of their feminine identities bring them into conflict with the school?
Didn’t conform to the school’s ideal female pupil identity as passive and submissive to authority
how did some girls cope with the conflict between symbolic capital and educational capital?
defined themselves as ‘good underneath’ which reflects their struggle to achieve a sense of self-worth within education ststem which devalues their W/C feminine identities.
what did EVANS find in her study of 21 W/C girls from South London?
girls wanted to go to uni to increase earning power to help their families. Their motivation reflected their W/C feminine identities.
what is a part of the W/C habitus according to ARCHER
preference for the local
how did the girls in EVANS’ study self-exclude from elite universities?
wish to remain at home and contribute to families
