sociology education topic 2 - social class paper 3

Gilbourne and Youdell

inside school factors: research in the extent of labelling in school

teachers saw ability as something fixed which determined potential - ability can be measured based on ‘cognitivie ability’

working class / black pupils experienced discrimination from teachers - treated many of the ‘clever’ middle class students differently by being punished less than the wokring class and black peers, reflecting teacher labelling in schools

this made black and working class children were placed in lower sets, making them negatively labelled, based on teachers’ belief. they also were placed into lower levels of GCSE, with these both creating a self-fulfilling prophecy based on labelling

keddie

inside school factors: labelling and streaming in comprehensive schools:

the higher the social class the higher set pupils were in - kids in middle classes were in the ‘A'‘ stream, and working class in ‘C’ stream based on percieved ability

teachers percieve the middle class pupil as the ideal pupil - this led to a self-fulfilling prophecy,

teachers withhold higher grade knowledge from lower stream pupils - they modified their methods of information depending on the stream taught, with this showing the power of labelling

thus students who are labelled as bright were given greater access to higher valued knowledge

Ball

inside school factors: a high correlation between parents occupations and the bands children are placed in

the division of the 3 ability bands found about 2/3rds of band 1 pupils had middle class parents compared to 1/6th in band 2, showing working class children were more likely to be negatively labelled

band 1 pupils were more prepared for exams - they were taught at a faster pace, and talk in the classroom was on the subject and more orderly compared to lower bands, resulting in a self-fulfilling prophecy

comprehensive schools, even when mixed, the national curriculum and examinations will still socially divide pupils

The teacher in a mixed-ability class may still have preconceptions of different types of children and rank them according to perceived academic ability. They are likely to be set different tasks and pupils may receive varying amounts of encouragement

Abraham

inside school factors: streaming, labelling and subcultures are interconnected and continue to affect progress

teachers unconsciously discriminate against working class pupils because they are found in lower sets - sets are based on social class origins with higher set kids being less reprimanded, while lower classes had a sin-bin for bad students.

students who felt labelled reacted by creating anti-school subcultures - the school behaviour system showed more deviance in lower sets, showing lower sets caused negative student behaviour, with those less academic developing anti-school subcultures

McKnight et al

outside school factors: poor educational performance can be attributed to socio economic disadvantage and poverty, with children raised in poverty or material deprivation have the lowest levels of educational attainment, seen within tests and quantity to university

the sutton trust - money can buy success, seen with A level private schools were 25 times more likely to be given a uni place. with over 40% of undergrads at Oxbridge had attended private schools such as Eton and Harrow

Smith and Noble

material outside school factors: working class often experience barriers to learning based on material disadvantage

barriers which can result due to economic deprivation:

1. the inability to afford uniforms, trips and transport from school, leading to isolation, bullying and being stigmatized

2. more likely to suffer with ill health, effecting attendance

3. parents cannot afford private tuition or private education

4. lower likelihood of computer

5. marketisation of schools reduces opportunities for under subscribed schools

Reay et al

material outside school factors: private education converts economic capital into cultural and social capital, with this economic capital being shown with:

1. most students who attended the fee-paying schools came from professional or managerial role (83% and 93%)

2. the private education converted economic to cultural and social capital e.g. developing strong language and and writing ability / learning high culture

3. social capital - middle classes develop stronger contacts at private schools with friends to aply to unis were contacts are reinforced

4. money buys place for the top classes, it also buys tuition, with 25% of private students having extratuition

   1. working class students are more likley to work longer hours, reducing their chances of achieving high grades required for entry into elite universities

Callender and Jackson

material outside school factors: the fear of debt or material deprivation prevents working class students from going into higher education.

• students were 4 times less likely to go into debt from higher education than those with a ‘relaxed attitude’ with the people most fearing being the working class

the introduction of loans and tuition fees has increased the number of students in paid employment during term times

• 90% of students have taken out a student loan, with 70% saying they were struggling financially and half the students having term rime jobs to pay for food or fent

students from the poorest homes were more likely to be working the longest hours:

• meant they often missed lectures, with more hours meaning lower end of year results and degrees

Sugarman

cultural (outside school) factors: middle class subcultures contain different attitudes, values, and orientation, which may helpt to explain class difference:

1. fatalism - acceptance rather than the middle class belief of optimism

2. immediate gratification - thinking now rather than deferred gratification

3. present time orientation - reducing time in education as they don’t like it currently compared to middle class orientation

4. collectivism - loyalty to the group rather than being individualistic

Douglas

cultural (outside school) factors:

middle class parents are more interested in their child’s performance, which was important as it can spur to high attainment as the children grew older e.g. cultural capital

middle class children provide greater attention and stimulus from their parents:

1. importance to children’s early years, since in many causes, performance in 1st year is reflected in secondary schools

2. with primary socialisation, middle class parents encourage children to do a wide range of activites, while working class parents provided less interest and support - cultural deprivation

Feinstein - add-on to Douglas

cultural (outside school) factors:

demonstrates a similar pattern to Douglas, where:

1. only good nursery’s improved educational achievements

2. schools attended made little difference, with the average or below average ability doing poor in school

3. parental interest has a larger effect than financial deprivation

4. the most important factor is parents encouragement e.g. Cultural actors which are more important than social factors

Bernstein

cultural (outside school) factors:

class differences in speech pattern show differences in educational attainment with:

restricted code - shortened speech, making explicit speech, with ‘short, grammatically simple often unfinished sentences’

elaborated code - verbalises many meanings taken for granted in restricted code

formal education is conducted in terms of elaborated code, giving middle classes a natural advantage and making restricted coide inferior

middle class students feel more comfortable with abstract, providing an inbuilt advantage in higher education

Ball et al

cultural (outside school) factors: white middle class parents are in a better position than working class / ethnic parents ensuring their children get into their school of choice

1. white middle-class parents possess more cultural capital than most working class and ethnic minority parents - more likely to ‘play the system’, such as making an impression with the head teacher and making private appointment

2. gaining knowledge of the education systems and manipulating them requires stamina - this si with the time and money to do this and appeal requests taking time and effort

white middle classes have advantages with material

1. middle class can afford transport to distant schools

2. more easily move house to an area for a good school reputation

3. can afford coaching to attend grammar schools

4. afford childcare for younger children, giving more time tot ake older children to distant schools

Solution - education action zones (EAZ’s)

set up in 1998 to raise motivation and attainment of pupils in ‘deprived; low income and inner city schools

By 2003, there were 73 EAZ’s, each given £1 million to invest into education, funded by the government as well as external businesses, with each zone ran by Action Forums made up of parents and representatives from local schools

Support for EAZ

Flaherty et al - children raised in poverty have the lowest level of education attainment and the solution is giving funding to reach levels they would not be able to without scheme sin place e.g. homework and breakfast clubs

Against EAZ’s

1. pupils who benefited were disproportionately female, white and middle class

2. Trolwer - warns that initiatives will not significantly reduce inequality in education without changing social inequality in wider society

solution - Academies

designed to replaced ‘ failing comprehensive schools’, with the aim to:

1. drive up educational standards

2. enabling greater choice and diversity in schooling

these would be sponsored by rich individuals, businesses, faith groups and charities, contributing up to £2 million, with central government contributing £25 million to each academy

Support for Academies - Chub and Moe

1. education is intended to serve the wider public purposes determined by politicians

2. the 2 ways of children getting better shools was private schools or moving homes

3. private and state schools can compete, encouraging schools growth and raising standards

Evaluation for academies - Stephen Gorad

1. improvement by academies was due to not taking students who: are disables, have free meals

2. the influence of sponsors e.g. Christian academies teaching creationism alongside evolution

3. teachers say academies fracture the state education system and open up privatisation

Solution - expansion of further and higher education

New labour wanted to widen education to lower classes thorugh from 1990 to 2005, where the amount of students doubled from 2.23 million to 5.05 million over that time frame

the education maintenance allowance (EMA) was introduced to reduce the class gap, with a weekly cash allowance for 15-19 year olds in lower classes

support for expansion of further and higher education - Shultz

1. individuals should be taught to make maximum contribution to society

2. making society meritocratic will maximise potential

3. encouraging economic growth and equipping knowledge and opportunity to enter university and college

against expansion of further and higher education - Rueda et al

1. despite increasing student numbers, the class gap has been steadily widening

2. this was seen with a gain of 24% in middle classes in higher education, with only a 9% increase in lower classers

   1. new labours policy did the opposite of closing the class gap, with the introduction of tuition fees and scrapping maintenance grants

Solution - Comprehensivisation

comprehensive schools replaces the tripartite system (secondary modern, technical and grammar) system which cam before, ensuring equality of opportunity in education for all

Support for comprehensivisation - Hasley

1. middle classes more likely get spaces at grammar schools and discriminated against working class pupils, expanding class divisions

2. the new system offered a fair system addressing the problems and form all social class received the seamed curriculum and education

c

criticism - comprehensivisation - ben and chitty

1. private schools still exist

ben and Chitty

1. lack of standardisation as smarter students are still taken to grammar schools