Internal Explantions In Class Differences Flashcards
(9 cards)
What are interactionist sociologists?
Work within social action approach with their roots in interpretive sociology. They have concentrated their attention on the internal process of school. They criticise others for failing to give sufficient attention to the impact of school and figures within it through in depth qualitative studies.
They try to understand the meaning of interaction and individuals define situations and how they see themselves. To them the view of yourself and self concept is produced in interactions with others.
How do interactionist see education?
They argue pupils self concept is influenced by teachers and others. They see education as directed by meaning and definitions which are negotiated in school and class differences are socially constructed in the classroom. Teachers have specific expectations of pupils and more general expectations of particular streams/sets, if label is fixed start to interpret pupils behaviour in light of label which can affect self concept of individual and they might conform and begin to act in terms of it. ( self fulfilling prophecy)
What is labelling
HARGREAVES ET AL identified three stages of the way teachers get to know pupils:
- speculation: teacher makes guesses about the type of pupil based on factors such as ability and enthusiasm for work, how likeable, appearance, personality and discipline. So teachers are tentative in their views and willing to amend.
-elaboration: teachers hypothesis is tested and confirmed or contradicted become more confident in their judgement of pupils.
-stabilisation: teachers know the pupil soo not surprised or puzzled by their actions pupil will be evaluated in terms of the label.
BECKER found classifications, judgements and evaluations of students are made in terms of a standard ‘ideal pupil’ and pupil from middle class non manual backgrounds come closest to this ideal. He believed this can have significant effects on attitude and behaviour.
CICOUREL + KITSUSE found rather than evaluating pupil on the basis of their ability social class background was the most influential factor. Middle class origin were seen as natural prospective college students.
What is self fulfilling prophecy?
ROSENTHAL + JACOBSON examined the effects and consequences of teachers teachers definitions and expectations in an elementary school in California where all pupil sat a standard intelligence test and they selected random names of pupil that would make rapid progress which occurred a year later. Soo researcher concluded that it was due to higher expectation and teacher must have communicated and conveyed their higher expectation.
Fuller research on comprehensive school group of WC black girls that were aware of teachers low expectations where anti school but pro education.
However interactionists have been accused of generalising the effects of labelling and all teachers give the same label and it leads to a SFP. They see pupil as passive but they do have the ability and power to resist labels nd prove teachers wrong also negative labels can also motivate students.
What is setting and streaming?
Ways of grouping pupil according to their ability. Setting is whole classes are put into different groups for particular subjects whereas streaming gripping them for all subjects. Low sets can undermine pupils confidence and discourage them from trying and teachers may have lower expectations, ambitions and give less knowledge.
KEDDIE found teachers taught differently to different sets. Highers expected to behave better, do more work nd given more different educational knowledge which gives greater opportunities for educational success whereas lowers are likely to underachieve as they are not given access to knowledge required for educational success.
BALL found top stream pupil were warmed up by encouragement to achieve highly and to follow academic courses of study whereas low stream cooled out nd encouraged to follow lower status vocational and practical courses so achieved lower levels of academic success nd leaving school early. Higher a pupils social class the greater chance of being allocated to a top stream. So ball concluded sets/streams contribute to underachievement of WC as it deprives those who are labelled as failures in the bottom streams of status nd soo often rebel against the school
What are pupil subcultures?
HARGREAVES found bottom stream pupil often rebel against school nd develop an alternative set of values, attitudes nd behaviour in opposition to the academic aims (anti school or counter school subcultures). This provides a means for pupil to improve their own self esteem by achieving the success and status by peer groups that are denied by school.
LACEY (study of boys grammar school) found that streaming polarised boys into pro school or anti school subculture. MC we’re committed to the values of the school gained their status through the approved academic route as they share similar values to school.
What are pupils class identities?
BOURDIEUs concept of habitus is used by archer et al to analyse the interaction between WC and underachievement. Habitus refers to the taken for granted watts of thinking, being and acting that are shaped by a particular social class. It includes lifestyle and consumption preferences outlook on life and expectations about what is moral and realistic for certain people. They claim MC have power to define their habitus as superior and impose it into the education system. Soo pupils what are socialised into middle class values gain symbolic capital. Status and recognition from the school.
ARCHER found WC felt to be educationally successful they’d have to change ways they talked and presented themselves thus for WC pupil success is often experienced as a process of losing yourself. Many pupil were conscious that society looked down soo this symbolic violence led them to create alternative ways of self worth, status and values by constructing meaningful class identities for themselves by investing in ‘styles’ (Nike) which were policed by peer groups and not conforming was social suicide which earned symbolic capital.
She also concluded WC pupils investment in Nike identities is not only a causes of educational marginalisation by school but also expresses their particular lifestyle so they choose self elimination and self exclusion from education. It doesn’t fit with their identity or way of life.
The clash between WC identity and the habitus of higher education is a barrier to success. Soo WC forced to choose between maintain WC identity or conform to middle class habitus
What is the school?
BUTTER ET Al argues that good schools makes a difference to life chances of all pupil. Which include teachers being well prepared for lessons, setting and marking work regularly, have high expectations of academic performance, set examples of behaviour, emphasis on praise and reward. Also has an ethos and mixture of abilities in school.
What is marketisation and selection?
Schools need to achieve a good league table position if they are to attract pupils and funding. Which creates the A-to-C economy where schools ration their time, effort and resources concentrating them on pupil they perceive as having potential to boost league table position. This process is called educational triage where they categorise pupil to those who pass, with potential and hopeless case (WC and black pupil)
Marketisation leaves pressure under school to select more able, MC to gain a higher position so they can attract other able pupil to make school popular nd increase funding so they can be more selective screen out more difficult pupil whereas unpopular are obliged to take them nd get worse results further reducing funding. Leads to increased social class segregation.
BARTLETT believes marketisation leads to green skimming and silt shifting which has created a polarised education system.
