soc - edu

• What is a striking feature of education in Britain?

  Difference in achievement by social class
• What comparison do sociologists primarily make regarding class differences in achievement?

  Between working class and middle-class pupils
• How do most sociologists determine a pupil's social class?

  By parental occupation
• What types of occupations are considered middle class?

  Professionals and white-collar workers
• What types of occupations are considered working class?

  Skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers
• How does social class background influence educational success?

  It significantly affects children's chances of success
• How does the class gap in achievement change as children age?

  It grows wider as children get older
• What is one explanation for class differences in achievement?

  Better-off parents can afford private schools
• What percentage of children in Britain attend private schools?

  7%
• What percentage of students entering elite universities are from private schools?

  33%
• How many pupils did Eton send to Oxbridge in three years?

  211 pupils
• What is the focus of most sociological research regarding class differences?

  Why middle-class pupils do better in state schools
• What are the two categories of factors explaining class differences in educational achievement?

  • Internal factors: within schools, such as:
  • Labelling
  • Self-fulfilling prophecy
  • Pupil subcultures
  • Class identities
  • External factors: outside schools, such as:
  • Cultural deprivation
  • Material deprivation
  • Cultural capital
• What does cultural deprivation refer to?

  Failure to acquire necessary cultural skills
• By what age are disadvantaged children already behind in development?

  By age three
• What do cultural deprivation theorists argue about working-class families?

  They fail to socialise their children adequately
• What are the three main aspects of cultural deprivation?

  • Language
  • Parents' education
  • Working-class subculture
• How does language affect children's cognitive development?

  It influences their ability to benefit from schooling
• What did Hubbs-Tait et al (2002) find about parental language use?

  Challenging language improves cognitive performance
• What type of language do less educated parents typically use?

  Simple descriptive statements
• What do cultural deprivation theorists claim about lower-class language?

  It is deficient and limits children's skills
• What are the two types of speech code identified by Basil Bernstein?

  Restricted code and elaborated code
• What characterizes the restricted speech code?

  Limited vocabulary and simple sentences
• What characterizes the elaborated speech code?

  Wider vocabulary and complex sentences
• Why do middle-class children have an advantage in school?

  They are fluent in the elaborated code
• What do critics argue about Bernstein's view on working-class speech?

  It is inadequate and culturally biased
• What do cultural deprivation theorists say about parents' attitudes towards education?

  They significantly affect children's achievement
• What did Douglas (1964) find about working-class parents' values?

  They placed less value on education
• How do educated parents support their children's achievement?

  By emphasizing discipline and high expectations
• What behaviors do educated parents engage in to assist their children?

  Reading, teaching, and homework help
• How do better-educated parents use their income?

  To promote children's educational success
• What does Feinstein note about parental education?

  It influences achievement regardless of class
• What do cultural deprivation theorists argue about working-class subculture?

  It reflects different goals and values
• What are the four key features of working-class subculture according to Sugarman?

  • Fatalism: belief in fate
  • Collectivism: group over individual success
  • Immediate gratification: seeking pleasure now
  • Present-time orientation: focus on the present
• How do middle-class jobs influence values and attitudes?

  They encourage ambition and long-term planning
• How do working-class jobs affect values and attitudes?

  They lead to less secure and fewer opportunities
• What is the aim of compensatory education programs?

  • Tackle cultural deprivation
  • Provide extra resources to schools
  • Intervene early in socialization
• What is a well-known example of a compensatory education program in the US?

  Operation Head Start
• What was the aim of Operation Head Start?

  To develop skills and achievement motivation
• What was Sesame Street's role in relation to Head Start?

  To transmit values and skills for success