Education
CLASS
ETHNICITY
GENDER
THEORIES OF ROLES OF EDUCATION
EDUCATION POLICIES
Globalisation Of Education
SCHOOL PROCESSES AND RELATIONSHIPS
Different achievements by social groups. This is based on the average attainment score (top 8 grades for GCSE)
CLASS
External factors are factors that are outside of school (home).
External factor 1: material deprivation
Material deprivation- lack of resources or money
Government doesn't collect data in relation to class due to different definitions and how it should be measured
however they use free school meals instead.
1. Schools that excels is independent and selective school in both A level and GCSEs because upper and middle
class students can afford it.
2. London does better than other parts of UK because it is more diverse and receives more funding at GCSE . The
south- east do the best for A- Levels (28% in 2023).
Working class underachieve due to lack of resources
Education 1
, No quiet space for homework
No Internet at home
Parents cannot afford travel cost for parents evening
Material factors are cumulative (progressive)- pupils don't just experience 1 material factor and are often
compounded.
Pupils from deprived (or under resourced) backgrounds have multiple disadvantages but those from privileged
background have multiple advantages.
Hidden costs and impacts of material deprivation:
1. Lack of uniform
No uniform because of no money and lead to them feeling an outcast due to appearance. This leads to them
isolating themselves and not reaching out for help in education. They may be labelled negatively by others.
Supported by- Bull who focused on hidden additional costs for deprived homes.
2. Lack of resources
No resources due to no money leads to no support for doing homework which causes students to often by
underestimated on their ability. This has a negative experience on education as they cannot excel and achieve
better.q
Supported by- Tanner who focuses on additional materials has a negative impact on poor families.
3. Travel costs
It causes people to take alternative routes and be late to school which means they miss out school time due to
taking longer route. This means they miss out school and receive detentions. This has a negative impact on
education as they miss out on learning time and affects grades when they can achieve better.
Supported by- Bull
4. Looking after siblings
It deprives them of having personal time for homework/ extracurricular and leads them not doing well in class and
prioritizing their siblings. Which has negative impact as they miss social time and get burnt out therefore affecting
their performance.
Supported by-ridges focuses on poor people taking up cash paying jobs such as baby sitting.
5. Moving from rented accommodation
They move because of location or safety. This leads them to feeling overwhelmed by school and moving to an
unfamiliar location which causes students to miss out on education. This has a negative experience on education
because they feel pressures by it.
Supported by- Flawtry focuses on 20% of pupils eligible for free school meals don't take them up for fear of being
stigmatised.
6. Damp or dangerous housing
This is due to improper care of the house and can lead to health issues and their lung health deteriorating. This
causes them to miss school due to health appointments and being sick and they wont be able to go to school often.
Supported by- Bladen and Machin linking poverty and defiance and disruptive behaviour.
Upper class entertainment- opera, ballet, yachts
Middle class entertainment- Netflix, magazines, inert dining, viewing gallery art
Working class entertainment- school provided books, fast food, radio music, free cable TV
External factor 2: Cultural deprivation factors.
Cultural deprivation:
Education 2
, Cultural deprivation is when working class people lack cultural experiences, skills and knowledge that society
values.
Subcultures
Sugarman(1970) suggested that education system favour upper and middle class. This is because of the
subcultures in the classes which he identified.
Working class vs middle class factors affected their attitude to education.. for example:
Fatalism-Working class- If there's a lack of access to resources, why should you try.
Optimism- Middle class- they have all the resources so they have hope for the future.
Present-time orientation- working class- seeing present as more important than future so no long term goals.
Future time orientation- middle class- parents are successful so they believe they can be successful.
Immediate gratification- working class-they don't have much anyways so they want stuff now.
Deferred gratification-middle class- they want to maintain their lifestyle that were already handed to then.
Collectivism-working class- psychological impacts of poverty leads to fear of missing out as they're already
sad.
Individualism- middle class- parents are made more successful that peers so they will not get fear of missing
out.
Linguistic code
Berenstain highlights elaborated code and restricted code.
Working class use restricted code: informal language, bad grammar, limited vocab and descriptive not
analytical.
Middle class use elaborated code: formal language, good grammar, extensive vocab and analytical.
Parental attitudes
Douglas(1964) conducted a longitudinal study of 5000 children born in 1946 to investigate the
underachievement of working class students
Working class parents are less ambitious, less encouragement, visited school less often.
External factor 3: Cultural Capital
Cultural capital- education system biased towards culture of the dominant social classes and devalues the
knowledge and skills of working class.
Marxism argues there are 2 classes
The bourgeoisie (middle class)
The proletariats (working class)
Bourdieu studied French society and noticed that people from similar social backgrounds tend to share the same
tastes, behaviours, and attitudes, which he called ".habitus." Within these social groups, people gained respect and
status if they showed they had knowledge or skills that were important to that group, which he called "cultural
capital." However, this cultural capital only mattered within that specific group and often had no value outside of it,
in a different setting, or "field.”
These habitus has a set of assumptions about behavior and influences the kind of activities different classes
engage in. Individuals are socialized to accept the norms, values and ideas of their own class.
The habitus of the education system based on middle class knowledge taste and attitudes, as a result pupils who
are socialized into middle class habitus have an advantage as their habitus has value. They have cultural capital in
the field of education. In contrast the working class knowledge, tastes and attributes are undervalued (known as
symbolic violence meaning lack of respect and status) which places them at a disadvantage.
Education 3
, 4 types of capital-
1. Economic capital is the ownership of wealth. For example resources, tuition which can help their education.
2. Cultural capital is having the lifestyles and knowledge of arts and literature that are valued in society. Through
socialization, middle class children acquire the ability to analyze and express abstract ideas. Intellectual
interests and valued in the education system.
3. Educational capital is having educational qualifications, e.g. private school, tuition. This means that can put
their money into their child's education.
4. Financial capital is whether you have money or not
-Habitus: The way people from similar backgrounds think and act.
-Field: Different places or situations where certain skills or knowledge are important (e.g., school).
-Symbolic violence: When the culture of the working class is not respected, making them seem less important.
Evidence of importance of cultural capital
Sullivan (2003) found a correlation between cultural capital and levels of achievement.
People who read novels, watch documentaries and have knowledge of cultural figures had higher grades.
However, what is culturally significant in education is subjective. It is hard to measure what is high and low capital
because people have different opinions. This is an interprevist research method.
Implications of cultural capital
Exposure to activities provide cultural capital which develops knowledge and skills to give them an advantage
at school
Fit into the environment
Middle class parents are often educated and can help their children and believe good results is a necessity
rather than a choice
Impacts of cultural capital:
1. School connections- Middle class parents have connections to school to help children get into good schools
and they understand admission process.
2. Labelling- Teacher labelling means working class students would not receive quality interactions with the
teacher. Peer labelling leads working class to have low self esteem.
3. Exam performance- Middle class generally self driven, engage in activities that will help them to get wider
knowledge and skill set.
4. Experience in school- Middle class have better experience in school due to popularity, higher self esteem,
more friends and see school as an opportunity rather than choice.
5. Students from working class usually eliminate themselves from higher levels of education.
How parental involvement impacts cultural capital:
1. Middle-class students have an advantage in education because their parents possess more cultural capital,
allowing them to choose the best schools and help their children make the most of their education.
2. Working-class students often reject the education system, seeing it as not suited to them. Instead, they gain
symbolic capital (status and recognition) by creating their own alternative status hierarchies.
3. Middle-class culture is reflected in schools, giving these students more cultural capital, which is passed down
through the activities and habits their parents engage in.
Education 4
CLASS
ETHNICITY
GENDER
THEORIES OF ROLES OF EDUCATION
EDUCATION POLICIES
Globalisation Of Education
SCHOOL PROCESSES AND RELATIONSHIPS
Different achievements by social groups. This is based on the average attainment score (top 8 grades for GCSE)
CLASS
External factors are factors that are outside of school (home).
External factor 1: material deprivation
Material deprivation- lack of resources or money
Government doesn't collect data in relation to class due to different definitions and how it should be measured
however they use free school meals instead.
1. Schools that excels is independent and selective school in both A level and GCSEs because upper and middle
class students can afford it.
2. London does better than other parts of UK because it is more diverse and receives more funding at GCSE . The
south- east do the best for A- Levels (28% in 2023).
Working class underachieve due to lack of resources
Education 1
, No quiet space for homework
No Internet at home
Parents cannot afford travel cost for parents evening
Material factors are cumulative (progressive)- pupils don't just experience 1 material factor and are often
compounded.
Pupils from deprived (or under resourced) backgrounds have multiple disadvantages but those from privileged
background have multiple advantages.
Hidden costs and impacts of material deprivation:
1. Lack of uniform
No uniform because of no money and lead to them feeling an outcast due to appearance. This leads to them
isolating themselves and not reaching out for help in education. They may be labelled negatively by others.
Supported by- Bull who focused on hidden additional costs for deprived homes.
2. Lack of resources
No resources due to no money leads to no support for doing homework which causes students to often by
underestimated on their ability. This has a negative experience on education as they cannot excel and achieve
better.q
Supported by- Tanner who focuses on additional materials has a negative impact on poor families.
3. Travel costs
It causes people to take alternative routes and be late to school which means they miss out school time due to
taking longer route. This means they miss out school and receive detentions. This has a negative impact on
education as they miss out on learning time and affects grades when they can achieve better.
Supported by- Bull
4. Looking after siblings
It deprives them of having personal time for homework/ extracurricular and leads them not doing well in class and
prioritizing their siblings. Which has negative impact as they miss social time and get burnt out therefore affecting
their performance.
Supported by-ridges focuses on poor people taking up cash paying jobs such as baby sitting.
5. Moving from rented accommodation
They move because of location or safety. This leads them to feeling overwhelmed by school and moving to an
unfamiliar location which causes students to miss out on education. This has a negative experience on education
because they feel pressures by it.
Supported by- Flawtry focuses on 20% of pupils eligible for free school meals don't take them up for fear of being
stigmatised.
6. Damp or dangerous housing
This is due to improper care of the house and can lead to health issues and their lung health deteriorating. This
causes them to miss school due to health appointments and being sick and they wont be able to go to school often.
Supported by- Bladen and Machin linking poverty and defiance and disruptive behaviour.
Upper class entertainment- opera, ballet, yachts
Middle class entertainment- Netflix, magazines, inert dining, viewing gallery art
Working class entertainment- school provided books, fast food, radio music, free cable TV
External factor 2: Cultural deprivation factors.
Cultural deprivation:
Education 2
, Cultural deprivation is when working class people lack cultural experiences, skills and knowledge that society
values.
Subcultures
Sugarman(1970) suggested that education system favour upper and middle class. This is because of the
subcultures in the classes which he identified.
Working class vs middle class factors affected their attitude to education.. for example:
Fatalism-Working class- If there's a lack of access to resources, why should you try.
Optimism- Middle class- they have all the resources so they have hope for the future.
Present-time orientation- working class- seeing present as more important than future so no long term goals.
Future time orientation- middle class- parents are successful so they believe they can be successful.
Immediate gratification- working class-they don't have much anyways so they want stuff now.
Deferred gratification-middle class- they want to maintain their lifestyle that were already handed to then.
Collectivism-working class- psychological impacts of poverty leads to fear of missing out as they're already
sad.
Individualism- middle class- parents are made more successful that peers so they will not get fear of missing
out.
Linguistic code
Berenstain highlights elaborated code and restricted code.
Working class use restricted code: informal language, bad grammar, limited vocab and descriptive not
analytical.
Middle class use elaborated code: formal language, good grammar, extensive vocab and analytical.
Parental attitudes
Douglas(1964) conducted a longitudinal study of 5000 children born in 1946 to investigate the
underachievement of working class students
Working class parents are less ambitious, less encouragement, visited school less often.
External factor 3: Cultural Capital
Cultural capital- education system biased towards culture of the dominant social classes and devalues the
knowledge and skills of working class.
Marxism argues there are 2 classes
The bourgeoisie (middle class)
The proletariats (working class)
Bourdieu studied French society and noticed that people from similar social backgrounds tend to share the same
tastes, behaviours, and attitudes, which he called ".habitus." Within these social groups, people gained respect and
status if they showed they had knowledge or skills that were important to that group, which he called "cultural
capital." However, this cultural capital only mattered within that specific group and often had no value outside of it,
in a different setting, or "field.”
These habitus has a set of assumptions about behavior and influences the kind of activities different classes
engage in. Individuals are socialized to accept the norms, values and ideas of their own class.
The habitus of the education system based on middle class knowledge taste and attitudes, as a result pupils who
are socialized into middle class habitus have an advantage as their habitus has value. They have cultural capital in
the field of education. In contrast the working class knowledge, tastes and attributes are undervalued (known as
symbolic violence meaning lack of respect and status) which places them at a disadvantage.
Education 3
, 4 types of capital-
1. Economic capital is the ownership of wealth. For example resources, tuition which can help their education.
2. Cultural capital is having the lifestyles and knowledge of arts and literature that are valued in society. Through
socialization, middle class children acquire the ability to analyze and express abstract ideas. Intellectual
interests and valued in the education system.
3. Educational capital is having educational qualifications, e.g. private school, tuition. This means that can put
their money into their child's education.
4. Financial capital is whether you have money or not
-Habitus: The way people from similar backgrounds think and act.
-Field: Different places or situations where certain skills or knowledge are important (e.g., school).
-Symbolic violence: When the culture of the working class is not respected, making them seem less important.
Evidence of importance of cultural capital
Sullivan (2003) found a correlation between cultural capital and levels of achievement.
People who read novels, watch documentaries and have knowledge of cultural figures had higher grades.
However, what is culturally significant in education is subjective. It is hard to measure what is high and low capital
because people have different opinions. This is an interprevist research method.
Implications of cultural capital
Exposure to activities provide cultural capital which develops knowledge and skills to give them an advantage
at school
Fit into the environment
Middle class parents are often educated and can help their children and believe good results is a necessity
rather than a choice
Impacts of cultural capital:
1. School connections- Middle class parents have connections to school to help children get into good schools
and they understand admission process.
2. Labelling- Teacher labelling means working class students would not receive quality interactions with the
teacher. Peer labelling leads working class to have low self esteem.
3. Exam performance- Middle class generally self driven, engage in activities that will help them to get wider
knowledge and skill set.
4. Experience in school- Middle class have better experience in school due to popularity, higher self esteem,
more friends and see school as an opportunity rather than choice.
5. Students from working class usually eliminate themselves from higher levels of education.
How parental involvement impacts cultural capital:
1. Middle-class students have an advantage in education because their parents possess more cultural capital,
allowing them to choose the best schools and help their children make the most of their education.
2. Working-class students often reject the education system, seeing it as not suited to them. Instead, they gain
symbolic capital (status and recognition) by creating their own alternative status hierarchies.
3. Middle-class culture is reflected in schools, giving these students more cultural capital, which is passed down
through the activities and habits their parents engage in.
Education 4
