...In school factors can have a big impact on the social class differences in education achievement. However, it isn’t the only factor. In school factors include labelling; this is done by both students and teachers. Pupils will be labelled based on social class; a working class child is more likely to be labelled as ‘stupid’, and other degrading names. This labelling can lead to the self-fulfilling prophecy; this disadvantages them because the teacher is favouring other students. However, teachers are more likely to label a middle class child as smart, intelligent etc. Which makes them feel good and they achieve. This puts them at a starting advantage over their working class peers. Marxists would say this is creating inequality, and reproducing the ruling class ideology as they are above working class from an early age. Class size is also an in school factor; a small class means more one to one time with a teacher. Only middle class can afford public schools, and therefore have smaller class sizes and therefore are more likely to achieve more due to more time with the teacher. A middle class child is more likely to be placed in a higher set, as Bowles and Gintis says. This means they are more likely to be taught to a higher grade, which means they will perform better in the exam as they will be prepared for the exam. Some people may also argue that public schools have better teacher standards, only middle class can afford the public schools, which means they get this higher teaching...
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...Assess the view that social class differences in educational achievement are the result of internal processes such as labelling. Many sociologists would agree school processes such as labelling have an effect on a child’s educational achievement. However there are many other school processes that cause underachievement. To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to them. For example, teachers may label a student as smart, thick, hardworking or troublemaker. Studies have shown that teachers often attach such labels regardless of the pupil’s actual ability or attitude. Instead they label pupils on the basis of stereotyped assumptions about their class background. Becker carried out an important study of labelling. He carried out interviews with 60 Chicago high school teachers. His findings were that they judged pupils according to how closely they fitted an image of the ‘ideal pupil’. Pupils work, conduct and appearance were key factors influencing teacher’s judgments. Middle class children were seen as the closest to ideal by teachers however lower working class children were seen as furthest away from it because they regarded them as badly behaved. Cicourel and Kitsuse’s study of educational councilors in an American high school shows how such labelling can disadvantage working class students. Cicourel and Kitsuse found inconsistencies in the way the councilors assessed students’ suitability for courses. Although they claimed to judge students according...
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...rewards are based on achievement/ability or similar. Partial answer: [fair rewards] • Immediate gratification: wanting rewards now, or leaving school as soon as possible to get a job, or similar. • Cultural capital: the values, etc that the middle class transmit to their children or that confer advantage in the education system. • Compensatory education: additional educational opportunities/resources directed at deprived or under-achieving pupils. • Cultural deprivation: a lack or deficit of values (or of norms, attitudes, skills or knowledge). Partial answer [immediate gratification / a lack of culture] • Vocational education: relating to a career or specific work roles. • Ethnocentric curriculum: the subjects taught in school being biased towards one particular culture. One mark for a partially satisfactory answer. 02 Suggest three ways/reasons ... (6 marks) Two marks for each of three appropriate ways. One mark will be awarded where there is a partially appropriate answers. Marxists see school as being similar to the world of work: • A hierarchy of authority • Fragmentation of work/learning • Extrinsic rewards • Based on competition • Alienation • Status differences. Boys’ educational under-achievement: • Lack of male teacher role models • Feminisation of assessment • Boys’ poorer literacy • Laddish subcultures • Decline of traditional ‘male’ jobs. Educational policies that may...
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...Outline and assess the view that teacher labelling causes social class differences in educational achievement The labelling theory suggests that teachers judge pupils by their characteristics that relate to class, gender and ethnicity. For example teachers are likely to label middle class pupils as bright and more able to achieve in education, whereas, teachers would see working class as less able pupils. The attachment of labels has important consequences for how others see a person and how he/ she comes to view themselves. Because the teacher judges pupils by their characteristics, the functionalist theory argues that the working class lack culture, which includes values, norms and language. Once labelled a deviant the label can attach to the whole identity of the student, not just the deviant act. Teachers perceive the ‘ideal pupil’ to be one who conforms to middle class standards of behaviour, which, according to Dune and Gazeley note that teachers tend to perceive the ‘ideal pupil’ as middle class. However there are other school factors which cause social class differences in educational achievement, such as, the self-fulfilling prophecy, streaming and pupil subculture. Interactionist sociologists have carried out studies on the effects of labelling. Interactionist sociologist’s study-small case, face-to-face, interactions between individuals, such as the classroom or the playground. Interactionist theories of education focus towards looking at what goes on inside education...
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...A and elsewhere assess the view that social class differences in educational achievement are the result of school processes such as labelling. Some sociologists would explain the social class differences in educational achievement as being caused by internal factors. These are factors within schools and the education system that could cause these differences. One internal factor is labelling. To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to them. Studies show that teachers often attach labels to pupils regardless of their ability or attitude, but instead based on stereotyped assumptions about their class background, labelling working-class pupils negatively and middle-class pupils positively. Howard Becker carried out an important study on labelling and found that teachers judged pupils according to how closely they fitted an image of the ‘ideal pupil’. We can see how the process of labelling can affect pupils by looking at Aaron Cicourel and Johm Kitsuse’s study of educational councillors. The study found that the counsellor judged pupils largely on their social class; this therefore put them at a disadvantage as middle-class students were placed on higher level courses. The self-fulfilling prophecy is another internal factor that can be linked to social class differences in achievement. A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that comes true simply by virtue of it being made. Some sociologists argue that labelling can effect pupil’s achievement by creating a self-fulfilling...
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...Education and differences in educational achievement- past questions and mark schemes (CLASS, GENDER and ETHNICITY) January 2006 (a) Explain what is meant by cultural capital. (Item 1A, line 8). (2 marks) Two marks for an appropriate explanation or definition, such as the values, knowledge, attitudes, skills, tastes etc. possessed by the upper/middle class, or the values, knowledge etc. that give one class an educational advantage. (c) Identify three features of the restricted speech code (Item 1A, lines 10-11). (6 marks) Two marks for each of three appropriate features identified, such as: • used by the working class; • short/incomplete sentences; • often reduced to gestures; • context-bound/particularistic meanings/speaker assumes audience shares same frame of reference; • not used in education; • a product of repetitive, unskilled work; • a product of positional/rigid family structures. (e) Examine the reasons why females now tend to achieve more than males in the education system. (20 marks) Candidates will consider a range of reasons, such as the impact of feminism, equal opportunities policies, role models, changes in the family and work, changes in the curriculum and assessment, changes in girls aspirations, teacher attention and classroom interaction, selection, league tables etc. Concepts and issues such as meritocracy, patriarchy, pupil subcultures, labelling, de-industrialisation, marketisation, the hidden curriculum...
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...Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the view that factors and processes within the school are the main cause of differences in the educational achievement of different social classes: There are many internal factors which affect the educational achievement of children within a school. Internal factor are factors inside the education system which explain class differences in achievement, such as poor teaching, type of school and how students are treated. Labelling plays an important role in different achievement between classes. To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to someone, these could be positive or negative. As it says in Item A positive or negative labelling of pupils by teachers can have important effects on performance. Studies have shown that teachers often attach labels regardless of the pupil’s actual ability or attitude. Instead, they labelled the pupils on the basis of stereotyped assumptions about their class background, labelling working- class children negatively and middle- class children positively. A self- fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that comes true simply by the virtue of having being made. Interactionists argue that labelling can affect pupils’ achievement by creating a self- fulfilling prophecy. For example a teacher labels a pupil and on the basic of this label makes predictions about him. The teacher treats the pupil accordingly, acting as if the prediction they made is already true. The pupils then internalises...
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...In this essay, the view that social class differences in educational underachievement are the result of school processes such as labelling will be assessed. Internal and external factors will be assessed with the use of researchers such as: Bernstein, Bereiter & Engelmann, Keddie and Howard. Internal factors such as labelling have been shown to effect education achievement. To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to them. Becker carried out a study on labelling on 60 Chicago high school teachers, and found that they judged pupils according to how closely they fit an image of the ideal pupil. The pupils work, conduct, and appearance were key factors to the teachers’ judgements. Becker found that middle class children were closer to the image of the ideal pupil whereas the working class children were furthest away and seen as badly behaved. Cicourel & Kituse’s study of educational counsellors in an American high school shows how this labelling can disadvantage working class student. They found that the way in which counsellors would assess the student’s suitability for courses. They judged students on the basis of their class and/or race. Where students would have the same grades, they work more likely to label middle class pupils as having college potential and to place them on higher level courses. Rist did a study on an American kindergarten and found that the teachers used information about the children’s home, background and appearance to place them in separate...
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...In this essay, the view that social class differences in educational underachievement are the result of school processes such as labelling will be assessed. Internal and external factors will be assessed with the use of researchers such as: Bernstein, Bereiter & Engelmann, Keddie and Howard. Internal factors such as labelling have been shown to effect education achievement. To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to them. Becker carried out a study on labelling on 60 Chicago high school teachers, and found that they judged pupils according to how closely they fit an image of the ideal pupil. The pupils work, conduct, and appearance were key factors to the teachers’ judgements. Becker found that middle class children were closer to the image of the ideal pupil whereas the working class children were furthest away and seen as badly behaved. Cicourel & Kituse’s study of educational counsellors in an American high school shows how this labelling can disadvantage working class student. They found that the way in which counsellors would assess the student’s suitability for courses. They judged students on the basis of their class and/or race. Where students would have the same grades, they work more likely to label middle class pupils as having college potential and to place them on higher level courses. Rist did a study on an American kindergarten and found that the teachers used information about the children’s home, background and appearance to place them...
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...Analyse the importance of poverty as an explanation of social class differences in educational achievement Introduction Sociologists have argued that social class differences in educational achievement can be explained in terms of 4 not necessarily mutually exclusive kinds of theory: IQ theory; theories emphasising social class differences in material circumstances; theories emphasising social class differences in subcultural attitudes and values; and theories emphasising the importance of within school labelling processes. Sociologists tend to be critical of IQ theory for several reasons and point out that there is good evidence to show that social class is a major determinant of educational success even independently of measured differences in IQ. I shall therefore concentrate upon the three more sociological approaches and in each case it may be argued that the factors which may disadvantage working class students in general are especially likely to disadvantage those working class students who experience poverty. However before analysing the possible effects of poverty on educational achievement some preliminary investigation of the nature and extent of poverty in the UK is first necessary and for these purposes we must first distinguish between absolute and relative poverty. Absolute poverty is said to occur when individuals lack the money necessary to ensure their basis physical survival whereas relative poverty exists where individuals have insufficient money to...
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...Assess the view that factors and processes within the school are the main cause of differences in the educational achievement of different social groups. It is clear that there are differences in educational achievement of certain social groups, such as gender, ethnicity, and social class. Some may argue that this is due to internal factors, reasons from within the education system. However, others argue that the differences are due to external factors, which occur outside of the education system. An internal factor that causes difference in educational achievement is labelling. This is when a teacher makes assumptions about a student and treats them accordingly to that assumption. An example of this is the fact that teachers label boys as more disruptive than girls. Teachers communicate with girls more positively because they see them as being more co-operative. This can then raise girl’s self esteem which raises their achievement. Teachers have lower expectations of boys, and expect them to misbehave more often. Becky Francis found that while boys got more attention in class, they were disciplined more harshly and felt picked on by teachers. This would lead to them retaliating with bad behaviour, thus lowering their achievements. Labelling can also happen to people due to their ethnicity. Gillborn found that teachers were quicker to discipline black pupils than others for the same behaviour. Gillborn and Youdell found that this is the result of teacher’s radicalised expectations...
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...Assess sociological explanations of ethnic differences in educational achievement. (20) Tony Lawson and Joan Garrod (2000) define ethnic groups as ‘people who share common history, customs and identity, as well as, in most cases, language and religion, and who see themselves as a distinct unit.’ When talking about culture we use terms such as customs, language and religion that is, about all of the things that are learned, shared and valued by a social group. It is a mistake to think of ethnic groups as always being defined by physical features such as skin colour. Although many ethnic minority groups in the UK are non-white, this is not applicable to all groups. According to Crystal (03), well over 100 languages are in routine use in the UK. Today, children from minority backgrounds make about21% of the pupils in English schools. The level of achievement of different ethnic groups varies greatly in Great Britain. This may be due to factors such as home background, class, language and in-school factors. Recent studies highlight the effects of racism. It is believed that ethnicity influences such factors, leading to an impact upon their education. When ethnic minority students do underachieve in education this may be explained partly by social class disadvantages and partly by educational disadvantages related specifically to their ethnicity. Although members of ethnic minorities are found throughout the UK class structure, Afro-Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin...
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...Mathew Bleasdale-Clews Using Material From Item A & Elsewhere, Assess The View That Factors & Processes Within The School Are The Main Cause Of Differences In The Educational Achievement Of Different Social Groups: The cause of differences in the educational achievement of different social groups can be asssigned to various social areas. One example is that of gender within school; the level of success in a child’s education can vary greatly depending on how a boy or girl is treated throughout their school life compared to the other. For example, in the 1960’s/70’s, sociologists were concerned with the apparent underachievement of girls. It wasn’t simply due to a lack of ambition; back then it was the norm for women to marry, and it was almost socially unacceptable for women to reach higher education, thus girls may have felt pressured in lower education to have less of a strive towards educational success than boys did. Far fewer girls studied maths, physics and chemistry as boys as these were considered ‘male’ orientated subjects, in which mostly male teachers were tutors for the subjects. If women did study such subjects they likely will have been ignored in the presence of so many male students. By the time boys were ready for university, girls were very likely to be considering family life, marriage and raising offspring. Even if they wished to attent university, grade boundaries were inflated to make it far more difficult for them to attain entry than boys...
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...Outline and assess the view that the role of the education system is to reproduce and transmit culture. This essay will outline and asses the view that the view that the role of the education system is to reproduce and transmit culture. According to Bourdieu, the major of the education system is cultural reproduction. This does involve society as a whole, as Durkheim argued, but, instead, the reproduction of the culture of the ‘dominant classes’. These groups have the power the power to ‘impose meanings and to impose them as legitimate’. They are able to define there own culture as ‘worthy of being sought and possessed’, and to establish is as the basis for knowledge in the educational system. The high value placed on dominant culture in society as a whole simply stems from the ability of the powerful to impose their definition of reality in other. The possession of dominant culture is referred to as cultural capital by Bourdieu. This is because via the education it can be translated into wealth and power. Children of dominant classes acquire skills and knowledge from pre-school which puts them in an advantage because they have the key to understanding what is being transmitted in the classroom. Bourdieu claims that, since the education system presupposes the possession of cultural capital, which few students in fact possess, there is a great deal of inefficiency in teaching. This is because working students simply do not understand what their teachers are trying to...
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...Outline and assess the view that the role of the education system is to reproduce and transmit culture. This essay will outline and asses the view that the view that the role of the education system is to reproduce and transmit culture. According to Bourdieu, the major of the education system is cultural reproduction. This does involve society as a whole, as Durkheim argued, but, instead, the reproduction of the culture of the ‘dominant classes’. These groups have the power the power to ‘impose meanings and to impose them as legitimate’. They are able to define there own culture as ‘worthy of being sought and possessed’, and to establish is as the basis for knowledge in the educational system. The high value placed on dominant culture in society as a whole simply stems from the ability of the powerful to impose their definition of reality in other. The possession of dominant culture is referred to as cultural capital by Bourdieu. This is because via the education it can be translated into wealth and power. Children of dominant classes acquire skills and knowledge from pre-school which puts them in an advantage because they have the key to understanding what is being transmitted in the classroom. Bourdieu claims that, since the education system presupposes the possession of cultural capital, which few students in fact possess, there is a great deal of inefficiency in teaching. This is because working students simply do not understand what their teachers are trying to...
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