social class

Question 1

what did the centre of longitudinal studies find to do with cultural deprivation

Answer 1

by the age of 3 children from disadvantaged backgrounds are already up to one year behind those from privileged homes and the gap widens with age:
- many sociologists argue that this is the result of cultural deprivation - most of us begin to gain the basic values, attitudes and skills that are needed for educational success through primary socialisation in the family

Question 2

what do cultural deprivation theorists say about cultural deprivation in working class family’s

Answer 2

many working class family’s fail to socialise their children adequately these children will grow up to be culturally deprived and will lack cultural equipment that they need to do well at school so they underachieve

Question 3

what has language got to do with cultural deprivation

Answer 3

Bereiter and Engelmann claim that language used by working class family’s is deficient and describe that this language uses gestures, single words or disjointed phrases

Question 4

what do bereiter and engelmann say the result of working class spoken language is

Answer 4

they fail to develop the necessary language skills, they grow up incapable of abstract thinking and unable to use language to explain, describe, enquire or compare

Question 5

what is the restricted speech code

Answer 5

• typically used by the working class
• limited vocab
• short often unfinished grammatically simple sentences
• speech is predictable and mainly involve only a single word or even just a gesture
• context bound - speaker assumes that the listener shares the same experiences

Question 6

what is the elaborated speech code

Answer 6

• typically used by the middle class
• wider vocab, and is based on longer grammatically more complex sentences
• context free
• speaker doesn’t assume that the listener shares the same experiences and so they use language to spell out their meaning explicitly for the listener

Question 7

how does the differences in different speech codes impact different classes

Answer 7

gives middle class children an advantage at school and put working class pupils at a disadvantage as the elaborated speech code is used by teachers and textbooks meaning the middle class pupils are already fluent at this so they feel at home in the school environment

Question 8

what is one criticisms of Bernstein

Answer 8

his distinction between the classes is over simplified even if there was a clear working class in the 1960s this isnt the case today

Question 9

who came up with the speech code theory

Answer 9

Bernstien

Question 10

what did JWB Douglas’ longitudinal research into the factors influencing education achievement find

Answer 10

• middle class parents visited the school more frequently to discuss their children’s progress
• they wanted their children to stay at school beyond the minimum school leaving age
• they gave children greater attention and stimulus during their early years

Question 11

what are 3 criticisms of Douglas

Answer 11

1. working class parents may have less time to visit the school because of the demands of their jobs
2. working class parents may be put off visiting the school by the way teachers interact with them
3. more middle class than working class children attended a school where there was an established system of parent school contact

Question 12

what does Barry Sugarman say about Fatalism (WC and MC)

Answer 12

WORKING CLASS: a belief in fate that whatever will be will be and there is nothing you can do to change your status
MIDDLE CLASS: emphasis that you can change your position through your own effort

Question 13

what does Barry Sugarman say about collectivism (WC and MC)

Answer 13

WORKING CLASS: valuing being a part of a group more than succeeding as an individual
MIDDLE CLASS: an individual shouldn’t be held back be held back by a group

Question 14

what does Barry Sugarman say about immediate gratification (WC and MC)

Answer 14

WORKING CLASS: seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices in order to get rewards in the future
MIDDLE CLASS: values deferrers gratification, making sacrifices now to get rewards in the future

Question 15

what does Barry Sugarman say about present time gratification (WC and MC)

Answer 15

WORKING CLASS: seeing the present as more important then the future and so not having long term goals or plans
MIDDLE CLASS: future time orientation that sees planning for the future as important

Question 16

what are two criticisms of Sugarman

Answer 16

1. he was writing at a time when it was more common for working class children to bring home money for disadvantaged households
2. it is now compulsory to stay in education till 18 and lack of job opportunity’s often make it pointless to leave school as soon as possible

Question 17

what is compensatory education

Answer 17

programmes which aim to tackle the problem of cultural deprivation by providing extra resources to schools and community’s in deprived areas, the intervene early in socialisation process for example:
- sure start
- EMA, pupil premium

Question 18

what does nell keddie say about cultural deprivation

Answer 18

-cultural derivation is a myth and sees it as a victim blaming explanation
- she dismisses the idea that failure at school can be blamed on a culturally deprived home background
- she says that a working class children aren’t culturally deprived but culturally different
- WC children fail because they are put at a disadvantage by an education system that is dominated by the working class

Question 19

what are three facts/ statistics about material deprivation

Answer 19

1. according to the department for education in 2012 barely 1/3 of pupils eligible for free school meals achieve a 5 or more at GCSE
2. money factors in the family are a significant factor in younger children’s none attendance at school
3. 1/3 of regular truants leave school with no qualifications

Question 20

what is an example of poor housing affecting pupils education

Answer 20

overcrowding can have a direct effect by making it harder for the child to study, overcrowding means less room for educational activities, nowhere to do homework, disturbed sleep from sharing beds or bedroom.

Question 21

what is an example of housing affecting young children’s education

Answer 21

young children’s development may be impaired through lack of space for safe play and exploration, family’s living in temporary accommodation may find themselves having to move frequently resulting in changes of schools and a disturbed education

Question 22

what is an indirect effect on a child’s education based on poor housing

Answer 22

children in crowded homes run a greater risk of accidents
cold or damp housing can also cause ill health and such health problems will result in greater absences from school

Question 23

how can a poor diet and health affect a child’s education

Answer 23

Howard notes that students from poorer housing have lower intake levels of vitamins, minerals and energy. This may weaken their immune system meaning that they have more absences from school

Question 24

why might children from poorer homes have emotional and behaviour issues

Answer 24

Wilkinson 1996 argues that among 10 year olds the lower the social class the higher the rate of hyperactivity, anxiety and conduct disorders all of which will affect their child’s education

Question 25

how does poverty act as a barrier to learning

Answer 25

smith and noble: pupils may have lack of equipment and may miss out on certain experiences ( transport, trips, books etc).
pupils from poorer households often need to work to bring money home so many pupils may take up jobs such as babysitting - this effects their education because their time for school work at home is reduced

Question 26

what are the restrictions on working class choice of university’s

Answer 26

• wc children are more likely to apply to local university’s so they can live at home and save on a accommodation costs, this tends to mean that they loose access to the best unis
• wc students are more likely to take part in part time jobs to help fund their studies making it harder to gain high degrees

Question 27

what does pierre bourdieu say about cultural and material factors

Answer 27

they both affect educational achievement and aren’t separate but interrelated

Question 28

how does the education system give an advantage to middle class pupils

Answer 28

as their abilities and interests are highly valued and rewarded with qualifications, this is because the education system isn’t neutral but favours and transmits the dominant middle class culture

Question 29

how do working class pupils see the education system

Answer 29

that it devalues their culture as ‘tough’ and ‘inferior’, their lack of cultural capital leads to exam failure

Question 30

what does bourdieu say about educational and economical capita

Answer 30

that they can be converted into one another:
for example
- middle class children are better equipped with the skills and knowledge required by the education system, similarly wealthier parents can convert their economical capital to educational capital by sending their children to better more costly schools

Question 31

what is selection by mortagage

Answer 31

parents being able to move/afford houses in the catchment area of schools that are high on the league table

Question 32

what does Whitty argue

Answer 32

material inequality’s have the greatest effect on achievement and for this reason argues that tackling child poverty would be the most effective way to boost achievement