Achievement and class differences

• Labelling- to label someone is to attach meaning or definition t them
• studies show that teachers often attach labels to students based on stereotypical assumptions
• self fulfilling prophecy -

  1. teachers label students
  2. teacher treats students accordingly
  3. pupils internalises label and becomes the pupil the teacher thought they were
• Streaming-pupils separated into different ability groups and taught separately
• Habitus - learned, taken for granted ways of thinking, being and actin that are shared by a particular social class
• Symbolic capital- schools have middle class habitus so middle class students have a head start
• symbolic violence- school playing down and saying its wrong to be working class habitus, devalue it , deny working class children symbolic capital, seen as inferior and not given status
• Nike identity- symbolic violence led working class to seek alternative ways of self-worth leading them to adopt Nike identity, however it led to conflict with the schools dress code
• attitudes to higher education (working class)-

  • unrealistic (wouldn’t fit in)
  • Undesirable (wouldn’t suit their preferred lifestyle or habitus)
  • Positive preference
  • Self exclusion