Sociology Education Topic 3 Flashcards
(28 cards)
Linguistic skills
Some pupils speak a different language and some pupils speak an informal version of English
Bereiter and Engelmann
states that black Caribbean language is ungrammatical and disjointed, which means they cannot convey abstract ideas
Attitude and values
Some sociologist argue that some black pupils have a fatalistic outlook on life, meaning they want immediate gratification and limited motivation to achieve for in a long term
Material deprivation and racism
many minority ethnic groups are victims of racism in wider society, subsequently they face direct r indirect discrimination at work or in the housing marker, and in turn, they may in low paid jobs or unemployed. This impacts upon the children’s educational achievement.
What problems are ethnic minority are likely to face?
—> half of ethnic minority children live in low-income households
—> ethnic minority households are 3Xs more likely to be homeless
—> Almost half of Bangladesh and Pakistani workers earned under £7 an hour
—> Ethnic minorities are twice as likely to be unemployed.
Reasons for greater risk of material deprivation resulting from unemployment
—> live in economically depressed areas with high unemployment rates + low wage rates
—> tradition of purdah in Muslim households prevents women from working outside the house
—> lack of language, skills and foreign qualifications not recognised by UK employees
—> Asylum seekers may not be allowed to take work
Family structure
Higher rates of lone-parent families in black ethnicities
Moynihan
Found that many black families are headed by a lone mother, leading to lower achievement of black boys due to how they do not have a male role model
Comparison between black and Asian pupils
Pryce
Asians —> higher achievers because their culture is more resistant to racism and gives them a greater sense of self-worth
Black Caribbeans —> less cohesive an less resistant to racism, this leads to black pupils having low self-esteem and underachieve
Sewell
Absence of fathers lead to black boys underachieving, problem is lack of fatherly nurturing or ‘tough love’. This results in black boys finding it hard to overcome the emotional and behavioural difficulties of adolescence. Street gangs of other fatherless boys offer black boys ‘perverse loyalty and love’
What did Sewell find out from the interview of black boys
Successful academic black boys greatest barrier was pressure from other boys
Gillborn and Youdell
Race
Not peer pressure but institutional racism within educational system itself that systematically produces the failure of large number of black boys
Asian families
Lupton
Adult authority in Asian families similar to the model that operates in schools. —> parents more likely to be supportive of school behaviour policies
McCulloh
Ethnic minority pupils are more likely to aspire to go university than White British pupils.
Black pupils
Gillborn and Youdell
Teachers had racialised expectations of black pupils and expected more discipline problems and saw their behaviour as threatening.
Jenny Bourne
Schools tend to see back boys as a threat and label them negatively leading to exclusion —> ffects achievement
Fuller - study of group of back girls
High achieving black girls maintained a positive self-image by rejecting teachers’ stereotypes. They channelled their anger about being labelled into educational success. Did not seek teacher approval, but valued education.
2 important points from Fuller’s study
- Pupils may still succeed even when they refuse to conform
- Negative labelling does not always lead to failure
Mirza
Racist teachers discouraged black pupils from being ambitious through the kind of advice they gave them about careers and option choices.
Mirza and girls strategies
Black girls strategies disadvantaged them, by restricting their opportunities. These strategies included being selective about which staff to ask for help, choosing certain options and getting on with their work without taking part of class discussions.
Sewell
Black boys responses to teacher racist labelling
Conformist - keen to succeed, accepted school’s values
Innovators - pro-education, anti-school. Valued education, not teacher’s approval
Retreatist - disconnected from school + black subcultures outside of it
Rebels - rejected school goals, conformed to stereotype of ‘black macho lad’
Asian pupils
Wright
Teachers assumed they spoke poor English —> left them out of class discussions or used simplistic childish language when speaking to them.
Asian pupils felt frustrated when teachers mispronounced their names.
Teachers did not see them as a threat but a problem they could ignore.
Archer 3 identities
Ideal pupil identity - white MC masculinised identity, normal sexuality. Achieving in right way through natural ability
Pathologised pupil identity - Asian feminised identity, asexual. Over achiever who succeeds through hard work.
Demonised pupil identity - Black or white WC hyper-sexualised identity. Unintelligent, culturally deprived and under-achiever.
Chinese pupils
Seen as having achieved success in the wrong way —> through hard work rather than natural ability.
Could never legitimately occupy the identity of ‘ideal pupil’.
