Sociology- Class and Educational Achievement

What are examples of external factors relating to class?

Material deprivation and cultural deprivation.

What are examples of internal deprivation?

Expectations within schools.

What does Douglas suggest? (External factors)

-Children from working class families are less likely to stay on at school because exclusion and truancy rates are higher among the W/C.

-Focuses on how material deprivation effects parental support, argues that lower income families are disadvantaged because of material deprivation.

What does Sugarman believe? (External factors)

-Middle class children have different values to working class children.

-M/C: deferred gratification, future orientation, individualism.

-W/C: instant gratification, present time orientation, fatalism.

-Schools value M/C values more.

What does Bernstein believe? (External factors)

-The way children speak is different and it effects their chances.

-M/C: elaborated code with complex grammar and large vocab, giving them an advantage.

-W/C: restricted code with simple grammar and limited vocab giving them a disadvantage.

What does Reay believe? (External factors)

-Middle class mum's in primary schools ensure their children achieve by having knowledge of the system and can afford to pay for help to spend more time with children.

What do Ball, Bowe and Gerwitz believe? (External factors)

-There are 3 types of parents: privileged skilled choosers (cultural/economic capital to manipulate the system), semi skilled choosers (strong motivation but don't have the economic capital) and disconnected choosers (more concerned with happiness than education).

What does Bourdieu believe? (External factors)

-Middle class children are advantaged by their habitus. Schools favour these values and the working class children experience a cultural clash.

-Leads to the reproduction of inequality.

What does Rutter believe about school? (Internal Factors)

-Quality of schools are key to success or failures

-Teachers should show a genuine interest and should have high expectations.

What does Becker believe about school? (Internal factors)

-Found teachers stereotyped students based on their work, conduct and appearance.

-The M/C are seen to be 'ideal' and are given 'halos' whilst W/C are seen to be the furthest away from this.

What do Cicourel and Kitsuse believe about school? (Internal factors)

-Found that careers counsellors assessed students largely on social class.

-M/C students tend to be labelled as more academic.

What does Rist believe about school? (Internal factors)

-Found teachers used information about their pupils home background, to place pupils into separate groups.

-M/C more likely to be given more encouragement.

-Labelling begins early.

What does Keddie believe about school? (Internal factors)

-Teachers do not distribute knowledge within the classroom.

-Higher ability students have higher ability knowledge (abstract, theoretical etc)

-Lower ability students have lower ability knowledge (descriptive and common sense).

What do Rosenthal and Jacobson believe about school? (Internal factors)

-Told a school that they had a new test which could identify who is higher ability.

-Those who were selected in being higher ability actually achieved 47% better.

-Shows teachers interacted with spurter students differently and convey higher expectations.

What does Hargreaves believe about school? (Internal factors)

-Highlights how damaging factors prevents W/C pupils from achieving status.

-Value systems don't align and creates frustration.

What does Lacey believe about school? (Internal factors)

-Attempts to explain why sub-cultures form.

-Differentiation causes polarisation (pro school and anti school subculture).

What does Ball believe? (Internal factors)

-As setting and streaming was fazed out and replaced with mixed ability teaching, polarisation of sub-cultures decreased.

-However, found that teachers were still likely to differentiate.

What is Class Identity by Louise Archer?

-Schools value the M/C habitus more and because this is the habitus of schools, the M/C gain a 'symbolic capital'.

-By not being W/C and not having the same habitus you would feel 'symbolic violence'.

What are Nike identities?

Symbolic violence led them to seek alternative ways of creating status through wearing brands like Nike.