External Factors

Hyman and Sugarman

• Cultural deprivation + sub-cultural values

• Parental attitudes + involvement significantly contributes to the success of a student

• Different social classes have set values + attitudes that affects their view on education

• Hyman → Working class looks for immediate gratification instead of looking for higher paying jobs. The middle class looks for the highest paying jobs

• Sugarman → Middle class jobs offered more opportunities for promotions + wage increase

Cultural deprivation

People who lack the correct culture to succeed in education due to limitations at home. e.g. improper socialisation

Douglas

• Parental interest

• Longitudinal study on w/c + m/c children with similar IQ and found that m/c children still left with a higher education qualification

• M/C parents showed more interest in their child’s education by attending parent/teacher meetings + encouragement

Criticisms of douglas

• Blackstone and Mortimore

• W/C parents may not be able to attend parent teacher meetings as they cannot take time off from their manual jobs - this does not mean that they are less involved

• They may be less comfortable with meeting their teachers due to their previous negative experiences

Bernstein

• Language codes

• W/C - restricted code (limited vocabulary) which can put them at a disadvantage

• M/C - elaborated code which has a broader vocabulary + grammar

• Schools follow and elaborated code which benefits the M/C

• Restricted code can prevent the students from understanding their teachers/textbooks

• M/C students have a higher chance of attainment due to the formality + detail that they can produce in their work

Criticisms of Bernstein

• Labov

• Doesn’t acknowledge that middle class vary their use of restricted code

• 1973 study showed that their code was only different, not informal

• Middle class include unnecessary detail whereas working class get straight to the point