pupil subcultures

What is a pupil subculture?

• A group of pupils with shared norms, values and attitudes towards school

How can pupil subcultures affect achievement?

• Anti school subcultures may reject school values and lead to underachievement

• Pro-education subcultures encourage academic success

Which sociologist found working class boys formed anti-school subcultures?

Willis

What does Willis suggest about subcultures and ethnicities?

• Similar anti-school subcultures may be formed amongst some ethnic groups

What did Mirza (1992) find out about black girls?

• The myth of underachievement

• Black girls in her study achieved better results than white pupils and black boys

How did Black girls respond to teacher racism in Mirza’s study?

• They were aware of racism but worked harder to prove teachers wrong

• Creating a self refuting prophecy

What kind of subculture did Mirza find among Black girls?

• Sometimes anti-school

• But still strongly pro-education

• Valuing qualifications and future success