social class and attainment

• cultural capital is a theory by Bordieu that explains the knowledge, attitudes, and values of the classes. the middle class capital is said to be valued more by many insitutions
• cultural deprivation is the lack of opportunities to learn and develop skills and knowledge
• cultural factors 1- sugarman


  subcultural values; fatalism and immediate gratification are values held by the working class, whilst deffered gratification and control are middle class values.
• cultural values 2 - bernsteine


  language codes

  • restricted; working class, simple, basic
  • elaborate; middle class, analytical and detailed
• cultural values - douglas


  research found that working class parents dont involve themselves in their childs education. this may be due to previous bad experiences, embarrassment or just inability to travel to the school (cost)
• material factors - 1

  housing~

  • overcrowding - lack of peace for study time
  • deprivation - mould, lack of heating will cause illness and absence
  • moving - disturbance from not staying in one school
• material factors - 2

  diet and health

  • low energy - Howard
  • anger, outbursts and tantrums in the home - Blanden + Machin
  • vitamin lack
  • discomfort
• material factors - 3

  resources

  • lack of required equipment for school; this may lead to using in affective alternatives - Tanner
  • living in deprived areas means local schools are the only ones available - these may be in bad league table positions, with bad reputations - Smith & Noble
• in school factors - 1

  ability factors

  • beachside comprehensive - ball
  • gatekeepers - keddie
  • educational triage (and how it pushes aside the working class) - gilbourn and youdell
• in school factors - 2

  self fulfilling prophecy

  if pupils are labelled negatively they may begin to believe that they are true.

  EVALUATION - fullers research of young black females which showed that in retaliation to their labels; the girls worked hard enough to excel in their results
• in school factors - 3

  labelling

  teachers judge students (usually on CAGE factors) and will treat them better/worse due to them.

  Becker - ideal pupil ; teachers have an example of an ideal pupil which they compare all pupils too, usually middle class white students (due to their cultural capital & habitus)
• in school factors - 4


  status frustration - hargreaves

  • pupils who are in low sets rebel in a way to gain status instead of academic validation.
• ARCHER


  nike identities

  • the working class try to achieve status through their wearing of branded fashion which is shown off at school. this makes them clash with schools and their values
• ARCHER


  symbolic capital

  • the middle classes advantage of their habitus
• ARCHER


  culture clash

  • the values and ideas (habitus) of the working class clash with the middle class and school; the WC feel alienated at school.
• How can social class influence parenting styles?

  Middle-class parents might focus more on "concerted cultivation," while working-class parents might lean towards "natural growth."
• How might weekend activities differ between a middle-class student and a working-class student?

  A middle-class student might go to a museum or theatre, while a working-class student might play football in the local park.
• What is an Anti School Subculture?


  Peer group that discourages learning and disrupts
• What is Restricted Speech Code?


  Limited vocabulary typically used by working class
• What is Elaborated Speech Code?


  Wide vocabulary and complex sentences used by middle class
• What is Economic Capital?


  Money and materials for producing goods
• What is Educational Capital?


  Competencies acquired through school education
• What is the main benefit of adding sociologists to essays?

  Boosts AO1 and AO3 marks
• What are the three areas covered in the study material?

  1. In-School (Internal) Factors
  2. External (Out-of-School) Factors
  3. Statistics & Patterns of Achievement
• Who proposed the Labelling Theory in 1971?

  Howard Becker
• What method did Howard Becker use in his research?

  Interviews with 60 Chicago high school teachers
• What did Howard Becker find about teachers' perceptions of students?

  Middle-class students seen as ideal pupils
• What is the impact of labels according to Becker's findings?

  They lead to self-fulfilling prophecies
• What research did Rosenthal and Jacobson conduct in 1968?

  Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• What method did Rosenthal and Jacobson use for their study?

  Field experiment in a California primary school
• What was the finding of Rosenthal and Jacobson's study?

  Teachers' expectations shape student achievement
• Who conducted research on Educational Triage in 2000?

  Gillborn and Youdell
• What method did Gillborn and Youdell use in their research?

  Classroom observations and interviews
• What did Gillborn and Youdell find regarding teacher priorities?

  Teachers neglected students labelled as hopeless
• What research did Ball conduct in 1981?

  Banding
• What method did Ball use for his study on banding?

  Participant observation at Beachside Comprehensive
• What was Ball's finding regarding streaming and class inequalities?

  Streaming reinforces class inequalities
• Who proposed the theory of Cultural Capital in 1984?

  Pierre Bourdieu
• What does Bourdieu's theory state about middle-class families?

  They possess cultural capital valued by schools
• What impact does cultural capital have on middle-class pupils?

  They are more likely to succeed in school