CULTURAL DEPRIVATION | External factors for class differences in education

CULTURAL DEPRIVATION

What is cultural deprivation?

• Cultural deprivation refers to the lack of cultural resources and experiences that are needed for educational success.

• People from disadvantaged working class backgrounds lack basic cultural equipment like aspirations and motivation to succeed, self-discipline and language skills.

• What are the values inside of a working-class subculture?

Sugarman argues the working-class subculture has four key features:

• Fatalism - A belief in fate and that there is nothing they can do to change their status or destiny.

• Collectivism - Valuing being part of a group more than succeeding as an individual.

• Immediate gratification - Seeking pleasure now rather than making certain sacrifices in order to get rewards in the future.

• Present-time orientation - Seeing the present as more important than the future and so not having long terms goals.

• What sociologist can be associated with the working-class subculture and what were their views?

• Barry Sugarman.

• Working-class parents pass on their beliefs and values to their children.

• Children then internalise them as a result which results in underachievement at school.

Why is language an essential part of educational achievement

Usually middle class parents who have good qualifications use language in a way that challenges their children to evaluate their own understanding and improve cognitive performance.

Contrasting, parents with fewer qualifications and are normally working class use language in ways that require children to use language that only requires simple descriptive statements.

How does parent’s use of language affect their children’s educational success?

Cultural deprivation theorists see that language used in working class families is deficient and their children fail or perform worse as a result since they haven’t developed necessary language skills to outperform middle class children.

What is a criticism of language between classes being essential part of educational achievement?

Troyna and Williams argued that the problem isn’t a child’s language but instead is the schools attitude towards it as teachers tend to have a speech hierarchy where they label middle class speech over working class speech and give more attention to children who fill the criteria for middle class speech, causing them to be more successful in education.

What sociologist can be linked with speech codes?

Basil Bernstein

What did the sociologist argue regarding speech codes? What are the features of their two types?

Bernstein argues that there are two types of speech code:

The restricted code -

• Typically used by the working class

• Limited vocabulary

• Based on short, unfinished and grammatically simple sentences

• Speech at involve single words or gestures

• Context bound

The elaborated code -

• Typically used by the middle class

• Wider vocabulary

• Based on longer, grammatically complex sentences

• Speech is varied and communicates abstract ideas

• Context-free

Why do the differences in speech code give middle-class children an advantage?

The elaborated code is the language normally used by teachers and textbooks and exams which is the ‘correct’ way to speak and write.

Early socialisation into the elaborated code allows middle class children to surpass working class children immediately, causing children who use the restricted code to feel excluded and be less successful.

Criticisms of speech codes?

Gaine and George criticise Bernstein for exaggerating and oversimplifying the differences between the working class and middle class speech patterns which also may have changed since his research.

How does parent’s education affect a child’s educational success?

Douglas sees that working class parents place less value on education which means that they are less ambitious for their children and give less encouragement while taking less interest in education (like less visits to school and less meetings with teachers to discuss their child’s progress).

This causes children to have less motivation and achievement in school.

What sociologist can be linked to parents education?

Leon Feinstein

What does Feinstein argue?

Feinstein argues that parents with higher qualifications emphasise consistent discipline and higher execrations on their children which supports achievement by encouraging learning and motivation.

In contrast, parents with less qualifications are more likely to apply harsh and inconsistent discipline or no discipline whatsoever which prevents the child from learning independence and self control, leading to poor motivation at school and issues with teachers.

What are some criticisms of cultural deprivation?

• Victim blaming

• Labelling

• Parental interest

What is victim blaming in terms of a criticism of cultural deprivation?

Victim blaming as a criticism argues that cultural deprivation theory blame victims for their own failure. Sees working class students as lacking cultural qualities needed for success but ignores inequalities built into the education system and wider society which can be to blame for underachievement.

What is labelling in terms of a criticism of cultural deprivation?

Labelling in terms of a criticism is that cultural deprivation itself contributes to underachievement by acting as a negative label that teachers apply to working class students which leads to a self fulfilling prophecy.

What is parental interests in term of a criticism of cultural deprivation?

Critics reject the view that working class parents aren’t interested in their children’s education as most people want their children to do well at school because they know it will lead to a better job.

Argued working class parents show less interest or don’t attend school events as a result of working longer hours and inflexible jobs.