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[EXTERNAL] CLASS DIFFERENCES IN ACHIEVEMENT - Coggle Diagram
[EXTERNAL] CLASS DIFFERENCES IN ACHIEVEMENT
CULTURAL DEPRIVATION
WORKING CLASS SUBCULTURE [SUGARMAN]
According to cultural deprivation theorists, large sections of the working class have different goals, beliefs, attitudes and values from the rest of society, and this is why they fail
SUGARMAN argues the W/C subculture has 4 key features that act as a barrier to educational achievement:
FATALISM: belief in fate, nothing you can do to change your status
COLLECTIVISM: value being part of group> succeeding as an individual
IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION: seeking pleasure now> making sacrifices to get future rewards
PRESENT-TIME ORIENTATION: seeing present as more important that future, so not having long-term goals
its argued that W/C parents pass on these beliefs to their children through primary socialisation
their children internalise them and this results in their underachievement
e.g valuing immediate gratification may encourage valuing earning money over education
Sugaman argues that these values stem from the fact M/C jobs are secure carers offering continuous individual advancement
This encourages ambition, long-term planning and willingness to invest time & effort into gaining qualifications
W/C jobs however are less secure and have no career structure where individuals can advance
LANGUAGE
Argued that class differences in how parents use language, affects achievemnt
they claim language used in W/C households is deficient
as a result their children fail to develop the necessary language skills needed for success
HOWEVER TROYNA & WILLIAMS argue the problem is actually teachers having a 'language hierarchy', labelling m/c speech as the highest, followed by w/c speech and black speech at the bottom
SPEECH CODES [BERNSTEIN]
RESTRICTED CODE:
typically used by w/c
has limited vocabulary
based on the use of short, often unfinished grammatically simple sentences
context-bound (speaker assumes listener shares same set of experiences)
ELABORATE CODE:
Typically used by M/C
has wider range of vocabulary
based on longer, grammatically complex sentences
more varied, communicates abstract ideas
context-free (spells out meanings explicitly for listener)
These differences in speech codes give M/C children an advantage at school and put W/C children at a disadvantage
this is bcus elaborate code is used by teachers, textbooks and exams
Early socialisation into elaborate code means M/C children are fluent users by the time they start school
therefore they 'feel at home' at school and are more likely to succeed
By contrast, W/C children lack the code that takes lace in schooling, so feel excluded and are less successful
CRITICISM: GAINE & GEORGE criticise Bernstein for exaggerating and oversimplifying differences between class speech patterns, which have probably reduced further since he conducted his research
PARENTS EDUCATION
Argued that parents attitudes towards education are a key factor
DOUGLAS concluded that w/c parents placed less value on education
As a result, they were less ambitious for their children, gave them less encouragement and took less interest in their education
this meant their children had less motivation, lowering their achievemnt
FEINSTEIN argues that parents own educational level is an important factor
Since M/C parents tend to have higher qualifications, they're able to give their children an advantage by how they socialise them
PARENTING STYLES:
parents with higher education emphasise consistent discipline and high exceptions of their children
by contrast parents with fewer qualifications are more likely to apply harsh or inconsistent discipline that emphasises 'doing as you're told'
FEINSTEIN says this prevents a child from learning independence, leading to poorer motivation
PARENTS EDUCATIONAL BEHAVIOURS:
Parents with higher qualifications are more aware of what's needed to assist their children educational progress
e.g reading to them, teaching them letters, poems, rhymes
parents with higher education are more successful in establishing good relationships with teachers
USE OF INCOME:
Parents with higher qualifications not only have higher incomes, but spend I in ways that promote their Childs achievemnt
BERNSTEIN & YOUNG found that M/C mothers were more likely to buy educational toys, books and activities to stimulate development
W/C children are more likely to lack these resources so their children dont require these skills needed to progress
CRITICISMS:
VICTIM BLAMING
KEDDIE argues W/C children are simply culturally different not deprived, the education system puts them at a disadvantage
MATERIAL DEPRIVATION
Refers to poverty and lack of material necessities such as adequate housing and income
HOUSING
poor housing can affect pupils achievemnt both directly and indirectly
e.g overcrowding can have a direct affect by making it harder for the child to study
this could be because there is less room for educational activities, nowhere to do homework, disturbed sleep form shaming beds/bedrooms etc
families living in temporary accommodation may find themselves having to move frequently, resulting in constant changes of school and disturbed education
DIET & HEALTH
HOWARD notes that young people from poorer homes have lower intakes of energy, vitamins and minerals
poor nutrition affects health e.g weakening the immune system
this may result in more absences from school due to illness & concentration difficulties in class
Children from poorer homes are also more likely to have emotional or behavioural problems
WILKINSON states that among 10 year olds, the lower the social class the higher the rate of hyperactivity, anxiety which negatively effects their achievement
BLANDEN & MACHIN found that children from low income families were more likely to engage in 'externalising' behaviour (tantrums) which are likely to disrupt their schooling
FINANCIAL SUPPORT & COST OF EDUCATION
Lack of financial support means that children from poor families have to do without equipment and miss out on experiences that would enhance their achievement
BULL refers to this as 'the costs of free schooling'
TANNER ET AL found that the cost of items such as transport, uniform, books, stationary etc place a heavy burden on poor families
As a result poor children may have to make do with hand-me-downs, and cheaper but unfashionable equipment
this may result in them being stigmatised to bullied by peers
lack of funds also means that children from lower-income families often need to work
RIDGE found that children in poverty take on jobs such as baby sitting, cleaning and paper rounds
this has a negative impact on their schoolwork
FEAR OF DEBT
Going to uni usually involves getting into debt to cover the cost of tuition fees, books & living expenses
attitudes towards debt may deter W/C students from going to uni
w/c students who fo go to uni are likely to receive less financial support from their families
CULTURAL CAPITAL [BOURDIEU]
Refers to the knowledge, attitudes, values, language and abilities of the middle class
Bourdieu sees middle class culture as a type of capital as it gives an advantage to those who possess it
through their socialisation, the M/C are more likely to develop intellectual interests and the understanding of what the education system requires for success
This gives the M/C an advantage in school where such abilities and interests are highly valued and reward with qualifications
this is bcus the education system isnt neutral-it favours and transmits the dominant m/c culture
EDUCATIONAL & ECONOMIC CAPITAL
Bourdieu argues that educational, economic and cultural capital can be converted into one another
e.g M/C children with cultural capital are better equipped to meet the demands of the school curriculum and Gain qualifications (gaining educational & economic capital)
similarly wealthier parents can convert their economic capital into educational capital by sending their children to private schools & paying extra tuition