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