Labelling and Social Class
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
Becker (1971)- ‘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?:
Behaviour is observed
Label is attached
Behaviour is reinforced
Label is reinforced
Student internalises the label
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
Research to support:
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
Evidence of labelling in contemporary education:
Setting and streaming
Performance targets for students
Gifted and talented programmes
Educational triage
Pupil Premium
Evaluations:
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
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
Becker (1971)- ‘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?:
Behaviour is observed
Label is attached
Behaviour is reinforced
Label is reinforced
Student internalises the label
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
Research to support:
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
Evidence of labelling in contemporary education:
Setting and streaming
Performance targets for students
Gifted and talented programmes
Educational triage
Pupil Premium
Evaluations:
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
