subcultures

• •Setting and streaming involves separating children into different classes by ability.•Each ability group is then taught separately to others – thus leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy.
• a-c economy

  A-C Economy Where schools focus a disproportionate amount of their resources on making sure ‘middling’ students get 5 A*-Cs,
• •Pupil subcultures = a group of pupils who share similar values and behaviour patterns.
• POLARISATION

  “ pupils respond to streaming by moving towards one of two opposite poles or extremes – pro and anti-school subcultures
• pro subculture

  •More likely to be from M/C background•Placed in high sets•Positively labelled – given praise and encouragement•Develops positive relationships with school and teachers•Committed to values of the school – e.g. meritocracy, hard work, respect for authority•High academic achievement
• anti subculture


  •More likely from W/C background•Placed in low streams•Often negatively labelled as underachieving, lazy or badly behaved•Develops negative views of schools and teachers who have undermined their self-esteem•Rejects values of the school – reject authority, rules and hard-work (gain status from peers instead of teachers through ‘bad behaviour’)•Low academic achievement•
• Evidence: David Hargreaves (1967


  •Interviewed boys in secondary modern schools•Subculture formed due to triple failures=Ø Failing 11+ØPlaced in low streamsØLabelled ‘worthless louts’ by the teachersØ•Found high status went to those who flouted the school rules!
• Evidence: Woods (1981)- Pupil responses

  •Wood’s state that the division between pro and anti-school subculture is too simplistic. Instead there are a variety of pupil responses to the culture of the school....•1.Ingratiation: follows schools norms and values, “teachers pet”2.Ritualism: going through the motions and staying out of trouble3.Retreatism: daydreaming and mucking about4.Rebellion: Outright rejection of school
• Furlong (1984)- pupils were not committed to one response, and act differently to different teachers and subjects!