cultural deprivation (ethnic differences)

• Cultural deprivation theory


  Reason for ethnic minority pupils' underachievement
• CD theorists say ethnic minority pupils lack intellectual stimulation and enriching experiences, making them ill-prepared for school and likely to fail
• Bereiter & Engelmann say the language spoken by black families is ungrammatical/disjointed and doesn't express abstract ideas, so it's inadequate for educational success
• Concerns about EAL students falling behind are dismissed, and Gillborn & Mirza (2000) say Indian pupils excel despite English being their second language
• Sewell's theory on black boys' underachievement


  • Lack of fatherly nurturing/tough love (firm, fair respectful discipline)
  • Turning to street gangs where they get perverse loyalty & love, with the male role model being one of anti-school black masculinity
• Sewell says black boys' underachievement comes from their cultural differences in socialisation and poor attitude to education
• Academic black boys are labelled 'sell-outs' and subject to peer pressure by the gangs
• Gillborn (2008) says the issue isn't peer pressure, it's institutional racism in the education system that is reproducing black boys' failure
• Sewell's theory on Asian pupils' achievement


  • Supportive families that place high value in education
  • Asian work ethic
• Lupton (2004) says the adult authority in Asian families is like the ones in school, where children's respect to adults is expected, which has a knock-on effect to school as Asian parents are more likely to support the behaviour policies
• Cultural deprivation theory on lack of motivation in black pupils


  • They aren't socialised into the mainstream culture - ambition, competitiveness, sacrifices for future goals
  • They are socialised into a fatalistic live for today attitude that doesn't value education
• McCulloch (2014) found that ethnic minorities aspire to university more than the white working class
• Lupton found that teachers blame lack of parental support for white working class pupils' failure, as they had no poverty markers (FSM)
• Evans (2006) argues that white working class street culture is brutal, so pupils learn to withstand intimidation & intimidate others, which they take into school, making it a power game that causes disruption and therefore educational failure
• Cultural deprivation theory on family structure and parental support


  • Failing to properly socialise children comes from having a dysfunctional family structure
  • Black lone mothers struggle without a breadwinner and male role model, so children are deprived of care and model of male achievement, making them inadequate parents themselves
• Murray (1984) argues high rates of lone parents and lack of male role models leads to minorities' underachievement
• Scruton (1996) says low achievement in minorities is because they don't embrace mainstream British culture
• Pryce (1979) found that Asian culture makes them more resistant to racism and gives them self-worth, while Black Caribbeans are less resistant, causing low self-esteem and underachievement
• Critics are opposed to compensatory education, and instead propose multicultural education and anti-racist education
• Cultural deprivation theory


  Lack of motivation causes black pupils to fail, they aren't properly socialised into the mainstream culture
• CD theorists say this is a reason for ethnic minority pupils' underachievement
• Children from poor black families lack intellectual stimulation and enriching experiences, making them ill prepared for school and likely to fail
• Bereiter & Engelmann say the language spoken in black families is ungrammatical/disjointed and doesn't express abstract ideas, so it's inadequate for educational success
• Concerns about EAL students falling behind are dismissed, as Gillborn & Mirza (2000) say Indian pupils excel despite English being their second language
• Sewell (2009)


  Black boys' underachieve because of a lack of fatherly nurturing/tough love (firm, fair respectful discipline)
• Instead, the fatherless boys turn to street gangs, where they get perverse loyalty & love. Here, their male role model is one of anti-school black masculinity
• Sewell says black boys' underachievement comes from their cultural differences in socialisation and poor attitude to education
• Academic black boys are labelled 'sell-outs' and subject to peer pressure by the gangs
• Gillborn (2008) says the issue isn't peer pressure, it's institutional racism in the education system that is reproducing black boys' failure
• Sewell says Indian & Chinese pupils benefit from supportive families that place high value in education

  Asian work ethic
• Lupton (2004) says the adult authority in Asian families is like the ones in school where children's respect to adults is expected
• This has a knock-on effect to school, as Asian parents are more likely to support the behaviour policies
• Black pupils are socialised into a 'fatalistic live for today' attitude that doesn't value education, which is why they underachieve
• McCulloch (2014) found white working-class pupils also underachieve, and ethnic minorities aspire to university more than the white working-class
• Lupton studied 4 working-class schools and found teachers blame lack of parental support for white working-class pupils' failure, as they had no poverty markers like FSM
• Evans (2006) argues white working-class street culture is brutal, so pupils learn to withstand intimidation & intimidate others, which causes disruption and educational failure
• CD theorists say failing to properly socialise children comes from having a dysfunctional family structure
• Moynihan (1965) says black lone mothers struggle with finance without a breadwinner and male role model, so children are deprived of care and model of male achievement, making them fall behind in school and become inadequate parents themselves
• Murray (1984) argues high rates of lone parents and lack of male role models leads to minorities' underachievement
• Scruton (1996) says low achievement in minorities is because they don't embrace mainstream British culture