subcultures

• subculture

  -group of pupils that share similar values & behaviour patterns

  -emerge as response to way pupils have been labelled

  -though streaming
• pro-subculture

  -higher streams

  -middle class

  -committed to school values

  -gain status through academic success > 'approved' way
• anti-school subculture

  -low streams

  -working class

  -search for alternative status from peers

  -truanting

  -inverting the school's values
• Lacey (1970)

  proposed 2 concepts to explain how subcultures develop

  -differentiation

  -polarisation
• differentiation

  -process > teachers categorising pupils

  -according to how they perceive their ability, attitude and/or behaviour

  -streaming
• polarisation

  -process > pupils respond to streaming

  -moving towards one of two opposite 'poles' / extremes
• self fulfilling prophecy

  -joining subculture means you're labelled

  -then fall into label

  -move to one pole and either succeed or fail
• Ball

  abolishing streaming
• Ball : abolishing streaming

  -studied comprehensive school in favour of abolishing banding

  -Ball found when banding was abolished, pupils had lesser reason to polarise to subcultures
• Ball : differentiation

  -differentiation still occurred

  -teachers continued to label working & middle class differently

  -reflected in exam results

  -self fulfilling prophecy taken place
• Furlong> A03

  -attachment to subculture not permanent

  -acting differently in lessons with teacher
• Woods> AO3

  4 other responses to labelling:

  -ingratiation

  -ritualism

  -retreatism

  -rebellion
• ingratiation


  -being 'teacher's pet'
• ritualism

  -going through motions

  -staying out of trouble
• retreatism

  -daydreaming

  -mucking about
• rebellion

  -outright rejection of everything school stands for