ethnicity external factors

stats for ethnicity & achievement

2021 - average score for all ethnic groups together - 50/90

~ white, Pakistani, Black African - results close to the national average

~ Chinese - 19% higher than the national average

~ Indian - 11% higher than the national average

~ Black Caribbean - underachieve by 6%

what are the external factors that affect educational achievement

• material deprivation

• cultural deprivation

• family structure & support

• absent fathers & gangs

• Asian families

• white working class families

• racism in wider society

what is material deprivation

lack of physical necessities to live & thrive in a normal society due to a lack of wealth or income

how does material deprivation cause ethnic minorities to underachieve

ethnic minorities (particularly Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean families) experience higher levels of poverty than White British families

~ ethnic minorities are twice as likely to be unemployed compared to white people

~ ½ of ethnic minority children live in low income households, compared to ¼ of white children

~ ethnic minorities are more likely to be engaged in low-paid insecure jobs

~ BAME communities are more likely to work in shift patterns - e.g. night shift → less opportunities for children to see their parents to discuss school, receive less help with homework, parents may be unable to attend parents evenings

evaluation of material deprivation

• explains why Pakistani, Bangladeshi, & Black students underachieve due to economic barriers - heavily evidenced viewpoint

• doesn’t explain why Chinese & Indian students still perform well despite poverty - suggests that material deprivation & social class factors do not completely override the influence of ethnicity

how does cultural deprivation cause ethnic minorities to underachieve & sociologist

Engelmann

language - argues that children from low income Black families lack intellectual stimulation & enriching experiences
leaves them poorly equipped schools because they have not been able to develop reasoning & problem solving skills
argues that the language spoken is inadequate - no grammar, disjointed, slang

criticisms of cultural deprivation & sociologist

• the Swann Report - showed that language is not a major factor in underachievement - 2010, pupils with english as their first language were only 2.3 points ahead of those without

• Gillborn - found that Indian pupils do well in school despite English often not being their first language

how does family structure & support cause ethnic minorities to underachieve & sociologist

Murray - suggests that many Black families are headed by single mothers - boys, in particular, lack a strong male authority figure to instil discipline & encourage ambition

this absence can result in:

~ high levels of deviance - young black boys may turn to peer groups & street culture for a sense of belonging & identity, rather than focusing on school

~ lower aspirations - without a father figure reinforcing the importance of education & employment, they may be less motivated to succeed academically

how do absent fathers & gangs cause ethnic minorities to underachieve & sociologist

with the absence of a ‘tough love’ father figure, Black boys are easily influenced by street & gang culture

encourages a ‘hyper-masculine’ anti-school subculture which rejects school values & rules → underachievement & increased levels of detentions & exclusions

Black culture is more susceptible to racism due to the legacy of slavery → weakened Black family structures

how do Asian families cause Asian students to achieve highly & sociologist

Lupton

due to strong family support, pressure, values that emphasise discipline & hard work

~ extended family provides educational support, guidance, & reinforces high expectations

~ many first generation immigrant parents make sacrifices for their children’s education - working long hours to afford tuition - education is seen as a pathway out of poverty

~ Asian families encourage obedience to teachers → better classroom behaviour & fewer disciplinary issues compared to some Western cultures

example for Asian families

Asian ‘Tiger Mum’ - strict, high pressure parenting - push their children to excel through rigorous study schedules, extra tuition, limited social distractions - while this can lead to high achievement, it can also create stress & mental health issues for students

how do white working class families cause white students to underachieve

more likely to lack strong parental involvement

~ tend to place more emphasis on immediate employment

~ less likely to engage with teachers or enforce educational discipline at home

~ many young people in deprived white areas feel pressure to fit in with peers who reject education - academic success is viewed as ‘selling out’

~ some white working class communities feel economically & socially displaced due to immigration → resentment toward ethnic minority students who achieve more

how does racism in wider society cause ethnic minorities to underachieve & sociologist

Rex

found: racial discrimination in housing & employment → social exclusion & economic hardship, limiting educational opportunities (access to private tutors, educational materials)

field experiment: sent identical job applications with different ethnic names

found: white applicants were twice as likely to get an interview compared to black & asian applicants

criticism of Rex

doesn’t explain why some ethnic groups still succeed despite discrimination