Class differences in achievement – external factors:
Class differences:
Children from m/c children perform better than w/c children; m/c do better at GCSE, stay longer in full-time education & take great majority of uni places. Better-off p
higher standard of edu. Private schools educate 7% of Britain’s children; account for half of all students entering Oxbridge. Sutton Trust (2011) - 3-year period, 1 publi
schools sent no pupils at all to these universities.
Cultural deprivation:
Nationwide study by Centre for Longitudinal Studies (2007) found by the age of 3, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are upto 1 year behind those from privile
needed for educational success through primary socialisation. Cultural equipment – language, self-discipline & reasoning skills. Cultural deprivationists = w/c families
deprived. 3 aspects:
1 - Language:
Hubbs-Tait et al (2002) - where parents use language that challenges children to evaluate own understanding, cognitive performance improves. Leon Feinstein (2008) -
Less educated parents tend to use language that require children to make simple descriptive statements, results in lower performance. Educated parents more likely to u
Differences in use of language linked to social class. Bereiter & Engelmann (1966) - language used in lower-class homes = deficient; l/c families as communicating by
grow up incapable of abstract thinking & unable to use language to explain, enquire. Unable to take advantage of opportunities offered by school.
Speech codes: Basil Bernstein (1975) - 2 types of speech code: Restricted code: w/c, limited vocab: based on use of short, unfinished grammatically simple sentence
Descriptive not analytic. Context-bound: speaker assumes listener shares same set of experiences. Elaborated code: m/c, wider vocab: grammatically complex sentence
experiences. Differences in speech code give m/c children advantage at school; put w/c children at a disadvantage. Elaborated code used by teachers, exams - ‘correct’
expressing thought. Early socialisation: elaborated code means m/c children are fluent users of code when starting school. W/c children lack code in which schooling ta
describes w/c speech as inadequate; recognises that the school influences children’s achievement. Argues that w/c pupils fail nt because they are culturally deprived bu
code.
2 – Parents' education:
Parents’ attitudes key factor affecting children’s achievement. Douglas (1964) - w/c parents placed less value on edu: less ambitious for children, gave less encouragem
to discuss children’s progress with teachers; children had lower levels of motivation/achievement. Leon Feinstein (2008) - argues parents’ own edu is most important f
educated, give children advantage by socialisation. This occurs in several ways.
Parenting style: Educated parenting style: consistent discipline, high expectation of children: supports Parents' educational behaviours: Educated pa
achievement by encouraging active learning, exploration. Less educated parenting style: harsh, inconsistent educational progress. Better able to get expert advi
discipline – prevents child from learning independence & self-control, poorer motivation at school, problems with teachers & better at guiding their children’s in
interacting. of activities such as visits to museums.
Use of income: Better educated parents have higher incomes & spend income to promote children’s Class, income & parental education: Feinstei
educational success. Bernstein & Young (1967) - m/c mothers are more likely to buy educational toys, books, regardless of class/income. Even with a given socia
activities to encourage reasoning skills & stimulate intellectual development. W/c homes more likely to lack more successful at school: explains why not all chi
resources: children from such homes start without intellectual skills needed to progress. Educated parents – better from m/c families are equally successful.
understanding of nutrition & its importance in child development / higher income.
3 – Working-class subculture:
Lack of parental interest in children’s education reflects subcultural values of w/c. Large sections of w/c have different goals, beliefs & attitudes; children fail at school
acting as a barrier to educational achievement: 1) Fatalism: belief in fate; there is nothing you can do to change status; contrasts with m/c values that emphasise you ca
being part of a group more than succeeding as an individual; contrasts with m/c view that individual should not be held back by group loyalties; 3) Immediate gratifica
get rewards in the future; m/c values emphasise deferred gratification, making sacrifices now for greater rewards later; 4) Present-time orientation: seeing present as m
, Material deprivation:
MD refers to poverty & lack of material necessities such as adequate housing & income. Poverty linked closed to educational underachievement. Department of Educa
GCSEs A*-C as against nearly 2/3s of other pupils. Jon Flaherty (2004) - money problems in the family are a significant factor in younger children’s non-attendance at
Housing: Poor housing affects ach directly/indirectly. Overcrowding – less room for educational activities, Diet & health: Howard (2001) - young people fr
nowhere to do work. Development of young children can be impaired through lack of space for play/exploration. minerals. Poor nutrition affects health, weakening
Living in temp accom = moving frequently, resulting in constant changes of school, disrupted edu. Indirect absences from school due to illness/difficulty conc
effects – child's health/welfare. Cold/damp housing – ill health. Fam in temp accom suffer more psychological emotional / behavioural problems: Wilkinson (199
distress meaning absences from school. of hyperactivity. Machin (2007): low-income child
school.
Financial support & costs of education: Bull (1980) - cost of free schooling: w/c do without equipment/ Fear of debt: Attitudes to debt deter w/c students
miss out on experiences. Tanner (2003): costs of items place heavy burden on poor families. Poor must do with averse: costs>benefits of uni. Debt-averse 5x less l
hand-me downs & cheaper, unfashionable equipment – results in stigmatisation/bullying. Flaherty: fear of increase in tuition fees to £9,000: increased debt bu
stigmatisation explains why 20% of those eligible for FSM don’t take up their entitlement. Smith & Noble 8.6%. w/c who go to uni – less likely to receive fin
(1995): poverty acts as a barrier to learning such as inability to afford private tuition & poorer quality local more likely to apply to local unis so they could live
schools. Lack of funds – children from l/i families need to work; Ridge: children in poverty take on jobs: negative to the highest state unis. More likely to work part-t
impact on schooling. Financial support to poorer students staying in edu after 16 available through EMA degrees. Dropout rates higher for unis with large p
abolished in 2011. 1.5% of Oxford.
Cultural or material factors: Some children from poor families do succeed, suggesting MD is only part of the explanation. Feinstein: educated parents make a posi
level. Mortimore & Whitty (1997): material inequalities have the greatest effect on achievement. Robinson (1997): tackling child poverty would be the most effective w
Cultural capital:
Pierre Bourdieu (1984): cultural/material factors contribute to educational ach & are interrelated. Capital: explains why m/c are more successful. Economic/Educationa
all 3.
Cultural capital: Knowledge, attitudes, values, language. M/c culture as a type of capital: advantage to those Educational & economic capital: Educational
who possess it. Through socialisation, m/c children acquire ability to grasp, analyse & express abstract ideas. with CC are better equipped to meet demands of sc
Likely to develop intellectual interests & an understanding of what the edu system requires for success. M/c convert EC into EC by sending their children to pr
children advantage in school: edu not neutral – favours/transmits dominant m/c culture. W/c children find schools (2003): m/c parents more likely to be able to afford
devalue their culture as inferior. Lack of CC: exam failure. W/c pupils get message that edu is not meant for exam league tables: selection by mortgage – drives
them: respond by taunting, early leaving. working-class families.
Test of Bourdieu’s ideas:
Class differences:
Children from m/c children perform better than w/c children; m/c do better at GCSE, stay longer in full-time education & take great majority of uni places. Better-off p
higher standard of edu. Private schools educate 7% of Britain’s children; account for half of all students entering Oxbridge. Sutton Trust (2011) - 3-year period, 1 publi
schools sent no pupils at all to these universities.
Cultural deprivation:
Nationwide study by Centre for Longitudinal Studies (2007) found by the age of 3, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are upto 1 year behind those from privile
needed for educational success through primary socialisation. Cultural equipment – language, self-discipline & reasoning skills. Cultural deprivationists = w/c families
deprived. 3 aspects:
1 - Language:
Hubbs-Tait et al (2002) - where parents use language that challenges children to evaluate own understanding, cognitive performance improves. Leon Feinstein (2008) -
Less educated parents tend to use language that require children to make simple descriptive statements, results in lower performance. Educated parents more likely to u
Differences in use of language linked to social class. Bereiter & Engelmann (1966) - language used in lower-class homes = deficient; l/c families as communicating by
grow up incapable of abstract thinking & unable to use language to explain, enquire. Unable to take advantage of opportunities offered by school.
Speech codes: Basil Bernstein (1975) - 2 types of speech code: Restricted code: w/c, limited vocab: based on use of short, unfinished grammatically simple sentence
Descriptive not analytic. Context-bound: speaker assumes listener shares same set of experiences. Elaborated code: m/c, wider vocab: grammatically complex sentence
experiences. Differences in speech code give m/c children advantage at school; put w/c children at a disadvantage. Elaborated code used by teachers, exams - ‘correct’
expressing thought. Early socialisation: elaborated code means m/c children are fluent users of code when starting school. W/c children lack code in which schooling ta
describes w/c speech as inadequate; recognises that the school influences children’s achievement. Argues that w/c pupils fail nt because they are culturally deprived bu
code.
2 – Parents' education:
Parents’ attitudes key factor affecting children’s achievement. Douglas (1964) - w/c parents placed less value on edu: less ambitious for children, gave less encouragem
to discuss children’s progress with teachers; children had lower levels of motivation/achievement. Leon Feinstein (2008) - argues parents’ own edu is most important f
educated, give children advantage by socialisation. This occurs in several ways.
Parenting style: Educated parenting style: consistent discipline, high expectation of children: supports Parents' educational behaviours: Educated pa
achievement by encouraging active learning, exploration. Less educated parenting style: harsh, inconsistent educational progress. Better able to get expert advi
discipline – prevents child from learning independence & self-control, poorer motivation at school, problems with teachers & better at guiding their children’s in
interacting. of activities such as visits to museums.
Use of income: Better educated parents have higher incomes & spend income to promote children’s Class, income & parental education: Feinstei
educational success. Bernstein & Young (1967) - m/c mothers are more likely to buy educational toys, books, regardless of class/income. Even with a given socia
activities to encourage reasoning skills & stimulate intellectual development. W/c homes more likely to lack more successful at school: explains why not all chi
resources: children from such homes start without intellectual skills needed to progress. Educated parents – better from m/c families are equally successful.
understanding of nutrition & its importance in child development / higher income.
3 – Working-class subculture:
Lack of parental interest in children’s education reflects subcultural values of w/c. Large sections of w/c have different goals, beliefs & attitudes; children fail at school
acting as a barrier to educational achievement: 1) Fatalism: belief in fate; there is nothing you can do to change status; contrasts with m/c values that emphasise you ca
being part of a group more than succeeding as an individual; contrasts with m/c view that individual should not be held back by group loyalties; 3) Immediate gratifica
get rewards in the future; m/c values emphasise deferred gratification, making sacrifices now for greater rewards later; 4) Present-time orientation: seeing present as m
, Material deprivation:
MD refers to poverty & lack of material necessities such as adequate housing & income. Poverty linked closed to educational underachievement. Department of Educa
GCSEs A*-C as against nearly 2/3s of other pupils. Jon Flaherty (2004) - money problems in the family are a significant factor in younger children’s non-attendance at
Housing: Poor housing affects ach directly/indirectly. Overcrowding – less room for educational activities, Diet & health: Howard (2001) - young people fr
nowhere to do work. Development of young children can be impaired through lack of space for play/exploration. minerals. Poor nutrition affects health, weakening
Living in temp accom = moving frequently, resulting in constant changes of school, disrupted edu. Indirect absences from school due to illness/difficulty conc
effects – child's health/welfare. Cold/damp housing – ill health. Fam in temp accom suffer more psychological emotional / behavioural problems: Wilkinson (199
distress meaning absences from school. of hyperactivity. Machin (2007): low-income child
school.
Financial support & costs of education: Bull (1980) - cost of free schooling: w/c do without equipment/ Fear of debt: Attitudes to debt deter w/c students
miss out on experiences. Tanner (2003): costs of items place heavy burden on poor families. Poor must do with averse: costs>benefits of uni. Debt-averse 5x less l
hand-me downs & cheaper, unfashionable equipment – results in stigmatisation/bullying. Flaherty: fear of increase in tuition fees to £9,000: increased debt bu
stigmatisation explains why 20% of those eligible for FSM don’t take up their entitlement. Smith & Noble 8.6%. w/c who go to uni – less likely to receive fin
(1995): poverty acts as a barrier to learning such as inability to afford private tuition & poorer quality local more likely to apply to local unis so they could live
schools. Lack of funds – children from l/i families need to work; Ridge: children in poverty take on jobs: negative to the highest state unis. More likely to work part-t
impact on schooling. Financial support to poorer students staying in edu after 16 available through EMA degrees. Dropout rates higher for unis with large p
abolished in 2011. 1.5% of Oxford.
Cultural or material factors: Some children from poor families do succeed, suggesting MD is only part of the explanation. Feinstein: educated parents make a posi
level. Mortimore & Whitty (1997): material inequalities have the greatest effect on achievement. Robinson (1997): tackling child poverty would be the most effective w
Cultural capital:
Pierre Bourdieu (1984): cultural/material factors contribute to educational ach & are interrelated. Capital: explains why m/c are more successful. Economic/Educationa
all 3.
Cultural capital: Knowledge, attitudes, values, language. M/c culture as a type of capital: advantage to those Educational & economic capital: Educational
who possess it. Through socialisation, m/c children acquire ability to grasp, analyse & express abstract ideas. with CC are better equipped to meet demands of sc
Likely to develop intellectual interests & an understanding of what the edu system requires for success. M/c convert EC into EC by sending their children to pr
children advantage in school: edu not neutral – favours/transmits dominant m/c culture. W/c children find schools (2003): m/c parents more likely to be able to afford
devalue their culture as inferior. Lack of CC: exam failure. W/c pupils get message that edu is not meant for exam league tables: selection by mortgage – drives
them: respond by taunting, early leaving. working-class families.
Test of Bourdieu’s ideas:
