Pupil identities and subcultures Flashcards
(20 cards)
what are subcultures?
- group of people within a culture that differentiates from the parent culture which it belongs
- maintaining some of the foundation principles
- developes some of their own norms and values
what is symbolic capital?
- the status, recognition and sense of worth that students receive from others
what is symbolic violence?
- using symbolic capital in a neg way
what is the working class dilemma?
- working class pupils trying to achieve symbolic capital
- from their friends or academic capital by rejecting the working class identity
characteristics of pro school subcultures:
- committed to school values
- gain approval/status through academic success
- involved in wider life of school
characteristics of anti school subcultures:
- lower streams
- rejection of school values
- truanting
- disruption
- not doing homework
Mac an Ghaill (1994) types of pro school subcultures:
- the academic achievers
- the new enterprisers
Mac an Ghaill: the academic achievers
- seek to achieve academic success by focussing on traditional academic subjects
- Maths, English, Science
Mac an Ghaill: the new enterprisers
- rejected traditional curriculum
- motivated to study subjects like business and computing
- they see this as a route to academic success
how pupil subcultures are formed: Lacey
- differentiation
- polarisation
Differentiation: Lacey
- process of how teachers categorise pupils according to how they perceive their ability, attitude and behaviour
- streaming is a form of differentiation= categorises people into diff classes
Polarisation: Lacey
- process by which pupils respond to differentiation
- moving towards one of the two opposite poles
- extreme pro or anti
How schools shape pupil identities: Peer groups and symbolic capital
- reinforcing acceptable behaviours by ostracising those that don’t conform and giving status to those that do
How schools shape pupil identities: Symbolic violence- Archer
- schools impose forms of symbolic violence against students whose identities are shaped by designer clothing or hyper-heterosexual feminine behaviour
- suggests to those students that education is not for them
How schools shape pupil identities: schools environments- Reay
- students align their ability with the type of school they attend
- poor performing schools= poor students so more likely to form an anti school subculture
- vice versa
How schools shape pupil identities: Ethnocentric curriculum- Ball
- current one is very focused on middle class white british culture
- ‘little englandism’
- turn ethnic minorities and girls who feel excluded away from education
How schools shape pupil identities: Subject choice
- schools reinforce gender stereotypes in subjects
- girls=expressive subjects
- boys= instrumental
- this reinforces gender identity
- achieved by stereotypical images in school
How schools shape pupil identities: Uniforms
- reinforces gender roles
- girls= wear skirts, blousers
- boys= shirts, ties
- shape class identity with schools demanding standards otherwise being sent home
- don’t take how to ethnic minorities dress into account
How schools shape pupil identities: subcultures
- rejection by school can lead to w/c and m/e groups to identify as being authoritarian
- reject authority in all walks of life
- Willis= ‘lads’ study
How schools shape pupil identities: Labelling
- positive and negative labels impacts self esteem
- students negatively labelled may assume academic achievement isnt part of their identity
- look to vocational courses in the future
