A-LEVEL
SOCIOLOGY:
EDUCATION
● P 1-7: Class differences in achievement
● P 8-14: Ethnicity differences in achievement
● P 15-23: Gender differences in achievement
● P 24-27: Role of education
● P 28-33: Education policy
, Class Differences in achievement
KEY TREND: children from MC families perform better than WC pupils, and the class gap
grows wider as children get older
- Only ⅓ of FSM pupils achieve 5 GCSEs VS ⅔ of other pupils
- 90% of failing schools = located in deprived areas
EXTERNAL
Factors outside of the school and education system
❖ Cultural deprivation
= lacking the correct values, attitudes and beliefs to succeed due to inadequate
socialisation - cultural deprivation theorists believe the WC are culturally deprived
- Bernstein (1975): speech codes - the restricted code is used by the working
class (limited vocabulary, short + grammatically simple sentences,
context-bound) VS the elaborated code is used by the middle class (wider
vocabulary, longer + grammatically complex sentences, context-free) → MC
given an advantage as EC is used by teachers, textbooks and exams and is better
at expressing elaborate ideas
➔ AO3: Troyna and Williams (1986): teachers have a ‘speech hierarchy’ and
label WC speech as inadequate
- BUT unlike most Bernstein recognises the school also fails to
teach them the EC
- Douglas (1964): WC parents place less value on education → less ambitious for
children, received less encouragement, took less interest → children had lower
levels of motivation + achievement
➔ AO3: Blackstone and Mortimore (1994): WC attend fewer parents
evenings not because of a lack of interest but because they work longer +
put off by schools MC atmosphere
- Feinstein (2008): parent’s own education is the most important factor affecting
achievement:
a. Parenting style: educated parents parenting style emphasises consistent
discipline and high expectations of their children VS less educated
features harsh and inconsistent discipline → poorer motivation at school
b. Education experience: educated parents are more aware of what is
needed to assist their children’s educational progress - eg reading,
educational visits, establishing relationships with teachers
1
, c. Use of income: better educated not only tend to have higher income but
spend it in ways that promote their educational success eg books,
tutoring, nutrition
- Even within a given social class, better educated parents have
children who are more successful - not all WC pupils do equally
badly
- Sugarman (1970): WC subculture (group whose values differ from the
mainstream culture) is a barrier to educational achievement:
1. Fatalism - belief there is nothing you can do to change your status
2. Collectivism - valuing being part of a group > succeeding as an individual
3. Immediate gratification - pleasure now rather than making sacrifices to
get rewards in the future VS MC = deferred gratification
4. Present-time orientation - not having long-term goals or plans VS MC =
future-time orientation
● Beliefs stem from the fact that MC careers are secure which
encourages ambition and commitment VS WC jobs are less
secure with less opportunities for advancement
- Compensatory Education programmes aim to tackle the problems of cultural
deprivation by providing extra resources for schools and communities in deprived
areas, intervening early in the socialisation process to compensate for
deprivation experienced at home. EG: Sure Start, Operation Head Start in the US
➔ AO3:
● Keddie (1973): cultural deprivation is a ‘myth’ and victim blames the WC - they are
culturally different not culturally deprived and fail because they are put into a MC
education system
● Mortimore and Whitty (1997): material inequalities have the greatest effect on
achievement → Robinson (1997): tackling child poverty would be the most
effective way to boost achievement
❖ Material deprivation
= poverty and a lack of material necessities
- Housing: poor housing can affect students directly (overcrowding, disturbed
sleep, impaired development, moving causes disruption) and indirectly
(accidents, ill health, psychological stress)
- Health:
● Howard (2001): young people from poorer homes have poorer health -
lower intakes of energy, vitamins and minerals →absences, trouble
concentrating etc
2
SOCIOLOGY:
EDUCATION
● P 1-7: Class differences in achievement
● P 8-14: Ethnicity differences in achievement
● P 15-23: Gender differences in achievement
● P 24-27: Role of education
● P 28-33: Education policy
, Class Differences in achievement
KEY TREND: children from MC families perform better than WC pupils, and the class gap
grows wider as children get older
- Only ⅓ of FSM pupils achieve 5 GCSEs VS ⅔ of other pupils
- 90% of failing schools = located in deprived areas
EXTERNAL
Factors outside of the school and education system
❖ Cultural deprivation
= lacking the correct values, attitudes and beliefs to succeed due to inadequate
socialisation - cultural deprivation theorists believe the WC are culturally deprived
- Bernstein (1975): speech codes - the restricted code is used by the working
class (limited vocabulary, short + grammatically simple sentences,
context-bound) VS the elaborated code is used by the middle class (wider
vocabulary, longer + grammatically complex sentences, context-free) → MC
given an advantage as EC is used by teachers, textbooks and exams and is better
at expressing elaborate ideas
➔ AO3: Troyna and Williams (1986): teachers have a ‘speech hierarchy’ and
label WC speech as inadequate
- BUT unlike most Bernstein recognises the school also fails to
teach them the EC
- Douglas (1964): WC parents place less value on education → less ambitious for
children, received less encouragement, took less interest → children had lower
levels of motivation + achievement
➔ AO3: Blackstone and Mortimore (1994): WC attend fewer parents
evenings not because of a lack of interest but because they work longer +
put off by schools MC atmosphere
- Feinstein (2008): parent’s own education is the most important factor affecting
achievement:
a. Parenting style: educated parents parenting style emphasises consistent
discipline and high expectations of their children VS less educated
features harsh and inconsistent discipline → poorer motivation at school
b. Education experience: educated parents are more aware of what is
needed to assist their children’s educational progress - eg reading,
educational visits, establishing relationships with teachers
1
, c. Use of income: better educated not only tend to have higher income but
spend it in ways that promote their educational success eg books,
tutoring, nutrition
- Even within a given social class, better educated parents have
children who are more successful - not all WC pupils do equally
badly
- Sugarman (1970): WC subculture (group whose values differ from the
mainstream culture) is a barrier to educational achievement:
1. Fatalism - belief there is nothing you can do to change your status
2. Collectivism - valuing being part of a group > succeeding as an individual
3. Immediate gratification - pleasure now rather than making sacrifices to
get rewards in the future VS MC = deferred gratification
4. Present-time orientation - not having long-term goals or plans VS MC =
future-time orientation
● Beliefs stem from the fact that MC careers are secure which
encourages ambition and commitment VS WC jobs are less
secure with less opportunities for advancement
- Compensatory Education programmes aim to tackle the problems of cultural
deprivation by providing extra resources for schools and communities in deprived
areas, intervening early in the socialisation process to compensate for
deprivation experienced at home. EG: Sure Start, Operation Head Start in the US
➔ AO3:
● Keddie (1973): cultural deprivation is a ‘myth’ and victim blames the WC - they are
culturally different not culturally deprived and fail because they are put into a MC
education system
● Mortimore and Whitty (1997): material inequalities have the greatest effect on
achievement → Robinson (1997): tackling child poverty would be the most
effective way to boost achievement
❖ Material deprivation
= poverty and a lack of material necessities
- Housing: poor housing can affect students directly (overcrowding, disturbed
sleep, impaired development, moving causes disruption) and indirectly
(accidents, ill health, psychological stress)
- Health:
● Howard (2001): young people from poorer homes have poorer health -
lower intakes of energy, vitamins and minerals →absences, trouble
concentrating etc
2
