Howard Becker - The Ideal Pupil - Character analysis in A Level and IB Sociology


	Key Ideas	Evaluation
	Teachers had the own image of the “ideal pupil”, the upper middle class pupil best fitted the description given by the teachers. Argues that deviant labels where given before and deviant acts took place and these are ascribed by more powerful members of society to those in the lower classes. Pupils would act on the labels given to them - a self-fulfilling prophecy. Pupils behaviours influenced the way teachers interacted with them, the time given by the teachers was also often linked to child's attainment.	Assumes teachers won’t change their opinion and labelling of a pupil over time as they get to know them better. Some of the label given may be true creating a stereotype ( e.g. a “naughty“ child is a lower class child). Ignores the fact the children can change their behaviour from deviant to conforming quickly. David Hargreaves' study (“Social Relations in a Secondary School”) indicates much the same kind of things (in an English school) as Becker observed in American schools some thirty years before.
	Key Terms	Methods
	'Ideal Pupil' Self-fulfilling Prophecy	Interviewed 60 high school teachers in Chicago, asking them what their ideal pupil would be.

Teachers had the own image of the “ideal pupil”, the upper middle class pupil best fitted the description given by the teachers.
Argues that deviant labels where given before and deviant acts took place and these are ascribed by more powerful members of society to those in the lower classes.
Pupils would act on the labels given to them - a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Pupils behaviours influenced the way teachers interacted with them, the time given by the teachers was also often linked to child's attainment.

Assumes teachers won’t change their opinion and labelling of a pupil over time as they get to know them better.
Some of the label given may be true creating a stereotype ( e.g. a “naughty“ child is a lower class child).
Ignores the fact the children can change their behaviour from deviant to conforming quickly.
David Hargreaves' study (“Social Relations in a Secondary School”) indicates much the same kind of things (in an English school) as Becker observed in American schools some thirty years before.

Interviewed 60 high school teachers in Chicago, asking them what their ideal pupil would be.

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