Educational Sociology - Key terms

Achieved Status

the status we achieve during our life and work

Ascribed status

the status we are given at birth

Correspondence theory

how what goes on in schools ‘corresponds’ with what goes on in the workplace

Cultural reproduction:

ensuring that each generation is socialised into accepting the dominant culture as a common one shared by all

Deschooling

approach to education which advocates the abolition of schools as pointless and stifling institutions

Hidden curriculum

the informal ways in which conformity and the acceptance of failure and inequality are encouraged in working-class young people by schools

Ideological state apparatus (ISA

social institutions such as the education system which use ideology to reproduce and legitimate the values and culture of the ruling class

Macro-sociological

broad, and often structuralist, sociological perspectives on society

Meritocracy

an organisation, culture or society where people are selected according to merit

Particularistic standards

where a person is treated as an individual

Role allocation

how society is structured to ensure people have roles suited to their skills and talents

Social integration

the feeling that one belongs to the group

Social solidarity

pride in, and identification with, the greater social group

Social selection

sorting people by allocating them to the most appropriate job for their talents

Social reproduction

to transmit common values to the next generation

Universalistic standards

where people are treated in the same way as everyone else

Value consensus

where norms and values are shared by members of a society

A–C economy

the drive to get as many pupils a grade C or above at GCSE

Counter-culture

subculture within a school which is opposed to the school’s norms and values

Differentiation

when teachers treat pupils differently according to which set they are in

Ethnographic studies

studies which focus on cultures or subcultures and the values, norms and experiences within them

Hidden curriculum

the informal ways in which conformity and the acceptance of failure and inequality are encouraged in working-class young people by schools

Ideal type

a mental picture which teachers have of an of ‘ideal’ pupil in terms of work standards, appropriate conduct, attitude and appearance

Halo effect

where a teacher assumes that a pupil who is ‘good’ in one way is ‘good’ in others as well – even if this is not so

Participant observation

where the researcher joins a group of people and observes them from within the group

Polarisation

the formation of subcultures in the top stream (such as elitism) and especially the bottom streams (often anti-school)

Self-fulfilling prophecy

when teachers stereotype or label a child this can have a very real impact on the pupil’s identity and success or failure. This can hold back pupils who are labelled negatively, such as ‘dull’ or ‘troublesome’, or favour children labelled ‘bright’

Setting

where pupils are allocated to different groups only for specific lessons

Streaming

where pupils are allocated to ability groups and stay in these for all lessons

Subculture

a group within society with its own norms and values, which may often be different from, or conflict with, those of the wider society

Deviance

behaviour that goes against the norms and values of society

Subculture

a group within society with its own norms and values, which may often be different from, or conflict with, those of the wider society

Compensatory education

initiatives aimed at compensating for material deprivation in low-income, inner-city areas

Cultural capital

attitudes, values, linguistic skills, associated with a middle-class background

Cultural deprivation

cultural factors that influence educational achievement

Educational triage

how working-class and/or black pupils are more likely to be allocated to lower sets than middle-class children performing work of the same standard

Elaborate code

linguistic code of the middle class which is similar to the language of textbooks and the classroom

Habitus

refers to the lifestyle, values and expectations that develop out of the experience of particular social groups

Linguistic code

different speech patterns in working-class and middle-class cultures

Material deprivation

the impact of poverty, lack of money and resources in the home

Restricted code

linguistic code of the working class in which meanings are less clearly spelled out

Coeducational

schooling where boys and girls are taught together

Ethnocentric

excluding ethnic-minority cultures by reflecting a predominantly White, middle-class perspective

11-plus exam

essentially a type of intelligence test designed to allocate children to a school suited to their abilities

Comprehensivisation

a system with one type of school for all children, regardless of their social background, gender, ethnicity, belief system and ability

Educational triage

where schools under pressure from the A*–C economy allocate more resources to brighter students

Equality of access

policies designed to ensure all pupils have access to schools of similar quality

Equality of outcome

policies designed to ensure that children on leaving school have similar opportunities within higher education and careers

Free schools

state-funded independent schools

Globalisation

the way that increased cultural and economic interchange between countries is making the world increasingly interconnected

Late developers

pupils whose intelligence and ability improve as they get older

Neoliberalism

philosophy (closely associated with the New Right) which argues that the state should play a minimal role in public services including education, health and welfare

Parity of esteem

where all schools are supposed to havesimilar standards of provision

Tripartite system

the system of the 1944 Education Act which set up grammar schools, secondary modern schools and secondary technical schools.

Grammar schools (tripartite)

schools seen as best suited for academics

Secondary Technical schools (tripartite)

schools seen as suitable for students with an aptitude for technical subjects

secondary modern

schools seen as best suited for more practical students

Marketisation of schools

the introduction of market principles such as competition into the education system.

City technical college

funded by central government and private industry. specialised in STEM subjects

open enrolment

parents have the right to choose which school they send their child to

Formula funding

schools are financed mainly on the basis of number of students enrolled in the school

League Tables

the ranking of schools in terms of their test and exam results

Vocational education and training

An education and training system designed to teach works skills to meet the needs of industry

Education Action Zones (EAZ’s)

a programme designed to raise the attainment of low-income inner city areas

Excellence in Cities (EIC)

a programme which replaced EAZ’s with similar aims

Sure Start

a programme designed to raise the health and education of the under-fives and their families in the most deprived areas of England

Academies

under the new Labour government they were designed to replace ‘failing’ schools

academy trusts

charitable trusts which provide the overall policy and direction of academies

Vocational GCSE’s and A-Level’s

new exams introduced in hope of raising the status of vocational courses to the same level as their academic alternatives

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

a cash allowance payable to students aged 16-10 from low-income families in further education

Tuition Fees

fees that most students in. England are required to pay for a university education

Specialist schools

Secondary schools specialising in specialist subject areas

New Deal for Young People

a programme designed to reduce youth unemployment

Educational Triage

the division of students into three groups based on their predicted GCSE outcomes

Sponsored Academies

underperforming schools were instructed by the department of Education to become an academy.

Converted Academies

Schools which accept an invitation from the Department of Education to ‘convert’ to an academy.

Free schools

Non-profit making, state-funded schools set up by a variety of groups approved by the department of education

Grant maintained schools

schools funded directly by the government and allowed to opt out of local authority control

Independent Commission on Fees

an independent organisation set up in 2011 to measure the impact of increasing university fees

Student Premium

an additional payment payed to schools based on the number of students on free-school meals that attend. intended to raise the attainment of students in these schools

Social mobility strategy

a government strategy to measure the effect of social class on social mobility and to improve the chances of upward mobility and to improve the chances of upward mobility for students from low income families

Academy Chains

a number of academies that join together to share policy and expertise

Multi-academy trust

a charitable organisation that governs academy chains

Global educational league tables

rankings based on international comparisons based on educational attainment

PISA

a programme for international student assessment

progress 8

a measure of school performance based on the progress students have made from the end of primary school to GCSE

EBacc

The English Baccalaureate. A GCSE programme of five core subjects for all students. also used to measure school performance

Selective Schools

schools which select their pupils

Tutor-proof

tests in which results cannot be improved by teachers.

differential educational attainment

the different attainment levels of different groups

social stratification

a system of social inequality which people are grouped at different levels

social class

the system of social stratification In western society in which people are divided in terms of: wealth, income, power, and status

Fatalism

accepting a situation rather than making efforts to improve it. (fate/fated)

Immediate gratification

focusing on pleasure of the moment rather than long-term reward

present-time orientation

a focus on the present rather than the future

collectivism

Emphasis on the group rather than the individual.

Formal-Learning-type skills

skills used in formal learning (counting, reading, writing)

particularistic meanings

meanings tied to a specific social context which are not readily available to outsiders

Universalistic meanings

meanings which aren’t tied to a specific context

Positive discrimination

discriminating in favour of a specific group (to promote DEI)