Ethnic Differences in Education Achievement: External Factors
Cultural Deprivation (language, values, family structure, Asian, white-working class)
Material Deprivation
Racism in Wider Society
Ethnic groups are ‘people who share common history, customs and identity, as well as in most cases,
language and religion’.
Statistically, White and Asian pupils achieve higher grades than black pupils and amongst Asians,
Chinese and Indians do better than Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.
The cultural deprivation theory sees the underachievement of some ethnic groups as the result of
inadequate socialisation in the home, leading to children that are ‘culturally deprived’.
Cultural Factors: Linguistic and Language Deprivation
Sociologists argue that many children from low-income black families lack stimulation and enriching
activities. This leaves them poorly equipped for school as they have not been able to develop
reasoning and problem-solving skills
Bereiter and Engelmann considers the language spoken in these black families as inadequate for
educational success.
e.g. different languages spoke at home – primarily speaking only first-language at home and being
taught English purely at school – not practiced.
e.g. ungrammatical, disjointed, incapable of expressing abstract ideas.
This could be because if English is the child’s second language (and also in the household), or their
parents being unable to speak English or speak in a broken, uncomplete manner – the child may be
held back in school, being unable to thoroughly express their ability within the language, perhaps
due to lack of oratory skills.
Gordon Bowker – agrees the lack of standard English is a major barrier to progress in education and
integration into wider society.
A03: However, the Swann Report (1985) found that language was not a major factor in under-
achievement, Indian pupils do very well despite not having English as their home language – THIS IS
NOT THE SAME FOR ALL ETHNICITIES
, Cultural Factors: Attitudes and Values (Black Children)
Lack of motivation is seen as a major cause in the failure of many black children.
Cultural deprivation theorists argue that children from other ethnicities are socialised into the
mainstream culture which instils ambition, competitiveness and willingness to make the sacrifices
necessary to achieve the long-term goals. This equips them for success in education.
By contrast some theorists argue that some black children are socialised into a subculture that instils
a fatalistic, ‘live for today’ attitude that does not value education and leaves them unequipped for
success – hence arguably explaining the difference in educational achievement and disparity
between black academic achievement through the attitudes and values they hold towards
education.
Cultural Factors: Lack of family structure and parental support (Black Children)
Cultural deprivation theorists argue that the failure of parents to socialise children adequately is the
result of a dysfunctional family structure.
Dysfunctional Family Structure: Daniel Moynihan (1965):
Lack of family structure and parental support : Sociologist Views
Moynihan (1965) argues that because many black families are headed by a lone mother, their children are deprived of
adequate care because
Roger Scruton sheachievement
(1986) low has to struggle financially
levels of someinethnic
the absence of aasmale
minorities breadwinner.
resulting from a failure to embrace
The Fathers absence also
mainstream British culture.means that boys lack an adequate male role model of male achievement.
Moynihan describes
Ken Pryce (1979): cultural
Sees familydeprivation
structure asascontributing
a cycle in which inadequately
to the socialised
underachievement ofchildren from unstablepupils.
black afro-Caribbean families fail
within the academic success and continue the cycle, becoming inadequate parents themselves.
From a comparison between black and Asian pupils, he claims Asian pupils are higher achievers as their culture is more
A03: Driver
resistant to (1977)
racism argues thatthem
and grants the cultural
a greaterdeprivation theory ignores
sense of self-worth. thethe
Whilst positive effects culture is less resistant to
afro-Caribbean Inaquequate Inadequately
of ethnicity on achievement, and that the black Caribbean family is far from being
racism and as a result many black pupils have a lower self-esteem, leading to underachievement. parents socialised
themselves children
dysfunctional, providing girls with positive role models of strong independent women.
Pryce argues
This can thewhy
explain difference in culture
black girls is the
are more impact
likely to doofbetter
colonialism on than
in school the two groups,
black boys. he says being transported and sold
into slavery means that they lost their language, religion and family system, whilst Asian structures, languages and
religions were not destroyed by colonial rule – black cultural heritage destroyed vs Asians not destroyed.
Fail school
A03: Lawrence (1982) challenges Pryce’s view that black pupils underachieve because of their low self-esteem. He
argues that black pupils underachieve not as a result of low-self-esteem, but because of racism.
Tony Sewell (2009) ‘TOUGH LOVE’ – argues that it is not the absence of fathers as role models that
lead to black boys underachieving (as argued by Charles Murray (1984): who argues that a high rate
of lone parenthood and lack of positive male role models lead to underachievement of some
minorities). But instead the lack of fatherly nurturing or ‘tough love’ – this can result in black boys
finding it hard to overcome the emotional and behaviour difficulties in teenage years.
Cultural Deprivation (language, values, family structure, Asian, white-working class)
Material Deprivation
Racism in Wider Society
Ethnic groups are ‘people who share common history, customs and identity, as well as in most cases,
language and religion’.
Statistically, White and Asian pupils achieve higher grades than black pupils and amongst Asians,
Chinese and Indians do better than Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.
The cultural deprivation theory sees the underachievement of some ethnic groups as the result of
inadequate socialisation in the home, leading to children that are ‘culturally deprived’.
Cultural Factors: Linguistic and Language Deprivation
Sociologists argue that many children from low-income black families lack stimulation and enriching
activities. This leaves them poorly equipped for school as they have not been able to develop
reasoning and problem-solving skills
Bereiter and Engelmann considers the language spoken in these black families as inadequate for
educational success.
e.g. different languages spoke at home – primarily speaking only first-language at home and being
taught English purely at school – not practiced.
e.g. ungrammatical, disjointed, incapable of expressing abstract ideas.
This could be because if English is the child’s second language (and also in the household), or their
parents being unable to speak English or speak in a broken, uncomplete manner – the child may be
held back in school, being unable to thoroughly express their ability within the language, perhaps
due to lack of oratory skills.
Gordon Bowker – agrees the lack of standard English is a major barrier to progress in education and
integration into wider society.
A03: However, the Swann Report (1985) found that language was not a major factor in under-
achievement, Indian pupils do very well despite not having English as their home language – THIS IS
NOT THE SAME FOR ALL ETHNICITIES
, Cultural Factors: Attitudes and Values (Black Children)
Lack of motivation is seen as a major cause in the failure of many black children.
Cultural deprivation theorists argue that children from other ethnicities are socialised into the
mainstream culture which instils ambition, competitiveness and willingness to make the sacrifices
necessary to achieve the long-term goals. This equips them for success in education.
By contrast some theorists argue that some black children are socialised into a subculture that instils
a fatalistic, ‘live for today’ attitude that does not value education and leaves them unequipped for
success – hence arguably explaining the difference in educational achievement and disparity
between black academic achievement through the attitudes and values they hold towards
education.
Cultural Factors: Lack of family structure and parental support (Black Children)
Cultural deprivation theorists argue that the failure of parents to socialise children adequately is the
result of a dysfunctional family structure.
Dysfunctional Family Structure: Daniel Moynihan (1965):
Lack of family structure and parental support : Sociologist Views
Moynihan (1965) argues that because many black families are headed by a lone mother, their children are deprived of
adequate care because
Roger Scruton sheachievement
(1986) low has to struggle financially
levels of someinethnic
the absence of aasmale
minorities breadwinner.
resulting from a failure to embrace
The Fathers absence also
mainstream British culture.means that boys lack an adequate male role model of male achievement.
Moynihan describes
Ken Pryce (1979): cultural
Sees familydeprivation
structure asascontributing
a cycle in which inadequately
to the socialised
underachievement ofchildren from unstablepupils.
black afro-Caribbean families fail
within the academic success and continue the cycle, becoming inadequate parents themselves.
From a comparison between black and Asian pupils, he claims Asian pupils are higher achievers as their culture is more
A03: Driver
resistant to (1977)
racism argues thatthem
and grants the cultural
a greaterdeprivation theory ignores
sense of self-worth. thethe
Whilst positive effects culture is less resistant to
afro-Caribbean Inaquequate Inadequately
of ethnicity on achievement, and that the black Caribbean family is far from being
racism and as a result many black pupils have a lower self-esteem, leading to underachievement. parents socialised
themselves children
dysfunctional, providing girls with positive role models of strong independent women.
Pryce argues
This can thewhy
explain difference in culture
black girls is the
are more impact
likely to doofbetter
colonialism on than
in school the two groups,
black boys. he says being transported and sold
into slavery means that they lost their language, religion and family system, whilst Asian structures, languages and
religions were not destroyed by colonial rule – black cultural heritage destroyed vs Asians not destroyed.
Fail school
A03: Lawrence (1982) challenges Pryce’s view that black pupils underachieve because of their low self-esteem. He
argues that black pupils underachieve not as a result of low-self-esteem, but because of racism.
Tony Sewell (2009) ‘TOUGH LOVE’ – argues that it is not the absence of fathers as role models that
lead to black boys underachieving (as argued by Charles Murray (1984): who argues that a high rate
of lone parenthood and lack of positive male role models lead to underachievement of some
minorities). But instead the lack of fatherly nurturing or ‘tough love’ – this can result in black boys
finding it hard to overcome the emotional and behaviour difficulties in teenage years.
