Labelling and Social Class

All notes taken from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQMgVK3qYYc

What is labelling?

• Interactionist approach

• Labelling refers to the process of attaching a label to somebody based on the perceptions of others

• Teachers place a series of labels, consciously on students

Who is labelled?

• Students of different social classes

• Students of different ethnic groups

• Students of different genders

• Intersectionality of labelling can have multiple impacts

What is Becker’s 1971 theory of the ideal pupil?

• High school teachers had perceptions of an ‘ideal pupil’- one that resembled middle-class values

• Judgements made upon presentation of work, appearance, conduct in the classroom, language skills and personality traits

• Middle-class students had traits closer to those of teachers and were seen as ideal- the working class furthest away

What is the process of labelling?

1. Behaviour is observed

2. Label is attached

3. Behaviour is reinforced

4. Label is reinforced

5. Student internalises the label

6. Student accepts or rejects the label

• If the student accepts the label and performs according to the expectations, this is referred to as a self-fulfilling prophecy

What is research to support labelling and social class?

• Rist (1970)- American kindergarten- good pupils labelled positively as ‘Tigers’ whilst poor pupils labelled as ‘Clowns’

• Cicourel and Kituse (1963)- guidance counsellors classified students into future careers based partly on social class

• Rosenthal and Jacobsen (1968)- students labelled positively as ‘spurters’ achieved more progress than control group

What is the evidence of labelling in contemporary education?

• Setting and streaming

• Performance targets for students

• Gifted and talented programmes

• Educational triage

• Pupil Premium

What are the evaluations of labelling?

• Not all students of lower social class accept labels- other factors such as gender and ethnicity are important in determining reaction

• External influences in determining what label is applied- family background, material deprivation, cultural backgrounds

• Links to other concepts within education- setting and streaming, identity formation, university choice