sociology class differences in education

• Children of higher professionals

  1. 3x more likely than children manual workers to get 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE
• Children of higher professionals


  5x more likely to go to University
• Factors causing class differences in achievement

  • External factors
  • Internal factors
• External/Home Background Factors


  • Cultural factors (socialisation, education, speech etc)
  • Material factors (physical necessities e.g. adequate housing, diet, income)
• Cultural Deprivation Theory


  'culture' - all the norms, values, beliefs, skills, knowledge society or group regards important. Transmitted next generation via socialisation
• Different classes socialise their children differently
• Some w.c. parents fail to transmit appropriate norms, values, skills etc – that is 'right' for educational success
• Factors in Cultural Deprivation Theory


  • Intellectual stimulation
  • Language
  • Parents education
  • Working class subculture
• Intellectual stimulation


  W.C less likely to give toys/activities to stimulate thinking and reasoning skills, less likely to read to them. When they start school, they are at a disadvantage compared to m.c.
• Language


  Bernstein distinguishes between elaborate and restricted speech codes. W.C. use Restricted Code: less analytic, more descriptive, limited vocabulary, formed of simple sentences or gestures. Particularistic – assumes listener shares particular meanings that speaker holds, speaker does not spell them out. M.C use Elaborative Code: more analytic, wide vocabulary, and complex sentences. Universalistic – speakers spell out their meanings explicitly, and don't just assume listener shares them. Elaborated code crucial as used in education, by teachers, exams, textbooks, university interviewers, gives m.c. educational advantage
• Parents Education


  M.C. parents better educated, children gain an advantage. Educated emphasise consistent discipline, high expectations, active learning, and exploration. Less educated – inconsistent discipline, leads poorer motivation, problems interacting with teachers. Educated more aware what helps children progress e.g. form good relationships with teachers, see value educational visits. Language – essential part education. Way parents communicate affects children's cognitive development. Educated spend income to promote children's development e.g. educational toys
• Factors in Working Class Subculture


  • Immediate Gratification
  • Fatalism
  • Low Value on Education
• Immediate Gratification


  Wanting rewards now, rather willing make sacrifices and working hard for future rewards – m.c. practice deferred gratification
• Fatalism


  Belief 'whatever will be, will be'. W.C. do not believe they can improve their position through own individual efforts
• Low Value on Education


  W.C. do not value or see education beneficial. W.C. parents show less interest in children's education and give them less support e.g. less likely than m.c. parents to attend parents evening
• Evaluation of Cultural Deprivation Theory


  • Ignores importance of material factors e.g. poverty
  • Ignores impact of school factors e.g. labelling
  • Blames the victim – w.c. are not culturally deprived, they just have different culture placing them at a disadvantage
• Material Factors


  • Poor Housing
  • Poor Diet
  • Low income
• Poor Housing


  Overcrowding, cold/damp rooms, nowhere quiet to do homework. Being homeless or in temporary accommodation frequent moves and changes of school
• Poor Diet


  Lead illness, absences from school, lack concentration in class (due hunger)
• Financial Costs Education


  Low income, afford fewer educational opportunities e.g. trips, computers, private tuition. May be stigmatised/bullied lacking right uniform, or latest fashion item. W.C students more debt averse – saw more costs than benefits of going to university e.g. fees, this influenced their decisions. At university they receive less financial support
• Cultural Capital


  Combines cultural and material. Marxist Bourdieu – m.c. more successful than w.c. parents possess more capital or assets. Economic Capital – wealth m.c. families own. Cultural Capital – attitudes, values, skills, knowledge etc. Educational Capital – m.c. use greater economic and cultural capital give children an advantage using it to obtain educational capital – qualifications. Allows children to get m.c. jobs and more economic capital, reproducing m.c. advantages generation to generation
• Internal Factors


  • Labelling
  • Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
  • Streaming
  • Pupil Subcultures
• Labelling


  Labels are meanings or definitions we attach to someone/something make sense of them. M.C. Labelled – 'bright', 'motivated', 'cooperative'. Becker teachers label m.c. 'ideal pupils' preferring to teach m.c. Underlies for many of the other issues within schools causing underachievement
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy


  Prophecy is a prediction, self-fulfilling it becomes true because it has been made. Teachers create SFP through labels they have made for children. 'What teachers believe, pupils achieve'. Teachers label m.c. bright more likely to succeed, label w.c. negatively more likely to fail
• Streaming


  Institutionalised form of labelling. Puts all pupil's same ability into the same class/stream. 'Bright' pupils grouped together in the top stream, 'thick' grouped together bottom stream. Lacey calls this differentiation – 'way of separating sheep from the goats', and educating them differently. Often creates SFP. Douglas: IQ pupils labelled bottom stream fell over time, whereas top stream increased. Lower streams denied access to same curriculum – e.g. not put forward higher exams
• Pupil Subcultures


  Subculture – group whose beliefs, values and attitudes differ wider societies. Be in response to labelling. Pro School Subculture – formed those higher streams, accept school's values and goals of hard work, regular attendance, respect for teachers. Enjoy school, participate enthusiastically, intend to continue in education. Anti-School Subculture – formed lower streams, reject school values, often invert them, dislike school, flout its rules, disrespect teachers, avoid doing schoolwork, play truant, sabotage uniform. Lacey Status and Subcultures – school derives lower stream of a status by labelling them failures, pupils create own status hierarchy gain status from peers e.g. breaking rules
• Pupil Subcultures lead SFP pro school work hard and successful, anti-school mess about, truant and fail
• Evaluation of Pupil Subcultures: ignores external factors
• Class Identities and Achievement


  Archer: Bourdieu's concept habitus understand relationship between pupils w.c. identities and underachievement. Habitus social classes habitual way of thinking, being, acting e.g. lifestyles and expectations what is normal for 'people like us'. M.C. has power define habitus as superior, imposing it on the education system, school holds m.c. values. Symbolic Capital and Symbolic Violence – school commits symbolic violence by devaluing w.c. habitus, judging clothing/accent/interests, treating them inferior, denying symbolic capital (recognition and status). Nike Identities: symbolic violence leads pupils create alternative class identities, gaining symbolic capital though peers consuming branded goods. Leads conflict m.c. school habitus. Losing Yourself – succeeding school means inauthentic, changing how you present yourself to fit in. Nike identities authentic but cause conflict with school
• Working Class Identity and Educational Success

  Ingram 'fitting in' problem w.c. grammar school boys. Tension between neighbourhood's habitus and their m.c. school. Faced being judged worthless wearing 'street' clothes, or worthless in their community for not. Evans even successful w.c. girls faced hidden barriers. Felt identity would not 'fit in' with habitus elite universities. Girls strong attachment to family and intended remain home to study
• Educational Policies


  • Marketisation Policies
  • Grants/Fees/Loans
  • School leaving age
  • Compensatory Education
• Schools greatly influenced government policies
• Marketisation Policies increased streaming
• Grants/Fees/Loans, School leaving age, Compensatory Education impact home background factors such as material or cultural deprivation