Ethnic differences in achievement
External factors and ethnic differences in achievement * Many sociologists argue that ethnic differences in achievement can be best explained by looking at external factors * Cultural deprivation sees the underachievement of some ethnic groups as the result of inadequate socialisation in the home. * The explanation has three main aspects intellectual and linguistic skills, attitudes and values, and family structure and parental support.
Intellectual and linguistic skills * Cultural deprivation theorists see the lack of intellectual and linguistic skills as a major cuase of underachievement for the minor majority of people. * They argue that many children from low income black families lack intellectual stimulation and enriching experiences. * This leaves them poorly equipped for school as they have not been able to develop reasoning and problem solving skills * Concerns – children who do not speak English at home may be held back educationally
Attitudes and values * Cultural deprivation theorists see lack of motivation as a major cause of failure of many black children. Most children are socialised into the mainstream culture, this provides ambition, necessary and willingness, leading them to success and achieving long term goals * They argue that some black children are socialised into a black subculture that instils a ‘live for today’ attitude that does not value education and leaves them unequipped for success.
Family Structure and parental support * Cultural deprivation theorists argue that this failure to socialise children properly is the result of a dysfunctional family structure. * Daniel Moynihan argues that because many black families are headed by a lone mother. The fathers absence also means that boys lack a role model of male achievement * Moynihan sees cultural deprivation as a cycle where inadequately socialised children from unstable families go on to fail at school and become inadequate parents themselves.
Asian Families * Many black families have absent fathers, * tony Sewell’s view of Indian and Chinese pupils benefitting from supportive families that have an Asian work ethic and place a high value on education

White working class families * most research is focussed on black family structures as possible causes of underachievement * However white working class pupils often underachieve and have lower aspirations. * The low level aspiration and achievement may be the result of a lack of parental support. * Ruth Lupton found that poorer levels of behaviour and discipline in the white working class schools. Despite they had few children on free school meals (a common measure of poverty) * Teachers blamed this on lower levels of parental support and negative attitude from parents towards education.
Criticisms of cultural deprivation theory * Geoffrey driver criticises cultural deprivation theory for ignoring positive effects of ethnicity on achievement. * He shows the black Caribbean family far from being dysfunctional/ * It provides girls with positive role models of strong independent women * Driver argues that this is why black girls tend to be more successful in education than black boys * Critics oppose compensatory education because they see it as an attempt to impose the dominant white culture on children who already have a coherent culture of their own * Two main alternatives include – Multicultural education – a policy that recognises and values minority culutres and includes them in the curriculum * Anti-racist education – a policy that challenges the prejudice and discrimination that exits in schools and wider society
Material Deprivation and class * Material deprivation means a lack of physical necessities that are seen as essential or normal for life * Working class are more likely to face poverty and material deprivation * Almost half of all ethnic minority children live in low income households, as against a quarter of white children * Ethnic minorities are almost twice as likely to be unemployed compared with whites * Ethnic minority households are around three times as likely to be homeless * There are many reasons why some ethnic minorities may be at freater risk of the material deprivation that results from unemployment, low pay and overcrowding * Many live in economically depressed areas with high unemployment and low wage rates * Cultural factors such as the tradition of purdah in some Muslim households, this prevents women from working outside the home * A lack of language skills and foreign qualifications not being recognised by uk employers * Asylum seekers may not be allowed to take work

Does class override ethnicity * A danger that we may over-estimate the effect of cultural deprivation and under-estimate the effect of poverty and material deprivation * Indian and Chinese pupils who are materially deprived still do better than most. For example in 2011 86% of Chinese girls who received free school meals achieved five or more higher grade GCSEs * This suggests that material deprivation and social class factors do not completely override the influence of ethnicity * Tariq Modood found that children from low income families generally did less well. The effects of low income were much less for other ethnic groups than for white pupils
Internal factors labelling, identities and responses * Gillborun and mirza found that black children were the highest achievers on entry to primary school. However by the time it came to GCSE they had the worst results of any ethnic group
Labelling and teacher racism * When looking at ethnic differences in achievement interactionists focus on the different lables teachers give to children from different ethnic backgrounds * Their studies show that teachers often see black and Asian pupils as being far from the ideal pupil. For example, black pupils are often seen as disruptive and Asians as passive. * Negative labels may lead to teachers to treat ethnic minority pupils differently. * This disadvantages them and may result in their failure
Black Pupils and discipline * Gillbourn and Youdell found that teachers were quicker to discipline black pupils than others for the same behaviour * They argue that this is a result of teachers ‘racialised expectations’ * They found that teachers expected black pupils to present more discipline problems and misinterpreted their behaviour as threatening or as a challenge to authority
Black Pupils and streaming * Gillbourn and Youdell found that in the A-toC economy, teachers are most likely to focus on the students who are most likely to achieve a grade C at GCSE * Similarly peter foster found that teachers stereotypes of black pupils as badly behaved could result in them being placed in lower sets than other pupils of similar ability * Streaming black pupils on the basis of negative stereotypes about their ability can result in a self-full filling prophecy of underachievement
Pupil Identities * Teachers often define pupils as having stereotypical ethnic identities. * Louise archer argues that teachers dominant discourse way of seeing something defines ethnic minority pupils identities as lacking the favoured identity of the ideal pupil * The ideal pupil identity – A white middle class masculinised identity with a normal sexuality. This pupil is seen as achieving in the right way, through natural ability and initiative *