Pupil subcultures

What is differentiation according to Lacey?

Lacey defines differentiation as the process by which teachers:

• categorise pupils based on ability, behaviour, and attitude

Streaming is a form of differentiation because it:

• places pupils into different ability groups

• gives higher status to top streams

• gives lower status to bottom streams

This creates a hierarchy within the school.

What is polarisation in Lacey’s study?

Polarisation is the process where pupils respond to streaming by dividing into two opposite groups.

Lacey found that streaming led to:

• a pro-school subculture

• an anti-school subculture

Pupils move towards one of these “poles” based on their position in the school hierarchy.

What is meant by inversion of values in anti-school subcultures?

Inversion of values means turning school values upside down.

Instead of valuing:

• hard work

• obedience

• punctuality

Anti-school pupils value:

• rule-breaking

• disruption

• defiance

This provides an alternative way of gaining status.

What did Hargreaves find about pupil subcultures?

Hargreaves found working-class boys in lower streams experienced “triple failure”:

1. Failed the 11+ exam

2. Placed in low streams

3. Labelled as “worthless”

They responded by forming delinquent subcultures, where:

• status came from breaking school rules

This further reinforced underachievement.

What did Stephen Ball find about streaming and subcultures?

Ball studied a school that abolished banding (streaming).

Findings:

• polarisation decreased

• anti-school subcultures became less influential

However:

• labelling still occurred

• middle-class pupils were still seen as more able

This shows subcultures depend on streaming, but inequality can still persist without it.

What does Ball’s study show about differentiation and polarisation?

• Differentiation continued (teachers still labelled pupils)

• But polarisation declined (less division into subcultures)

This suggests:

• subcultures are not inevitable

• but teacher labelling alone can still produce inequality

How are pupil subcultures linked to wider education policies?

Subcultures are influenced by marketisation policies, such as:

• league tables

• school competition

These increase:

• streaming and differentiation

• unequal treatment of pupils

This creates more opportunities for subculture formation and inequality.

What 4 alternative pupil responses did Woods identify?

Woods argued pupils respond in different ways, not just pro- or anti-school:

• Ingratiation → trying to please teachers

• Ritualism → going through the motions

• Retreatism → disengaging/daydreaming

• Rebellion → rejecting school completely

This shows pupil responses are more complex and varied.

What did Furlong argue about pupil behaviour?

Furlong found pupils do not stick to one subculture.

Instead, they:

• move between different responses

• behave differently depending on the teacher or lesson

This challenges the idea that subcultures are fixed and permanent.

Criticisms of labelling theory

• Too deterministic: it assumes pupils passively accept labels and they have no choice but to fail

• Fuller found some pupils resist negative labels and still achieve success

• Marxist argue labelling theory focuses too much on the teachers behaviour and ignores wider society. Labelling reflects a system that reproduces class inequality and teachers act within a system shaped by capitalism and marketisation