Sociology - Ethnic Differences in Achievement

=Cultural Deprivation

Intellectual and linguistic skills: major cause of underachievement for many minority children. Bowker identifies low income black families use of standard English as a major barrier to progress in education and integration into wider society.

Attitudes and Values: Lack of motivation as a major cause of failure of many black children. Some black children are socialised into a fatalistic "live for today" attitude that doesn't value education and leaves them unequipped for sucess.

Family Structure: Result of a dysfunctional family structure. Daniel Moynihan argues that as many black families are headed by a lone mother, the children are financially deprived as she is the breadwinner. Scrutin sees low achievement levels of some minorities as resulting from failing to embrace British Culture.

Geoffery Driver criticises cultural deprivation for ignoring positive effects. The black Carribean family provides girls with positive role modelsof strong independant women.

=Material Deprivation and class

According to Flaherty (2004):

-Pakistanis and Bangladeshi's are over three times more likely than whites to be in the poorest fifth of the population.

-Unemployment is three times higher for African and Pakistanis/Bangladeshi's people than for whites.

-15% of ethnic minority households live in overcrowded conditions compared with only 2% of whites.

=Racism in wider society

Mason - "discrimination is a continuing and persistent feature of the experience of Britain's citizens of minority ethnic origin."