SOCIOLOGY ED TOPIC 3

DFES study on whites & school meals?

Only 24% of white boys on free school meals gained 5 A*-C grades at GCSE. Hastings-whites make less progress between 11 & 16 than black/asians

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Methods Link - Using Official Statistics?

Govs collect vast amounts of stat data on ed achievements of different ethnic groups. Millions of pupils in schools=saves time/money. Allows patterns to be identified. But doesnt explain them. Gov definition of ethnicity may differ to sociologists

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Internal/External factors?

Internal-Factors within schools/ed system=interactions between pupils/teachers/inequalities between schools External-Factors outside ed system=influence of home/family

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3 external factors explaining ethnic differences in achievement?

1.Cultural deprivation 2.Material deprivation & class 3.Racism in wider society

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3 main aspects of cultural deprivation?

1.Intellectual & linguistic skills 2.Attitudes & values 3.Family structure

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Intellectual & linguistic skills?

Cultural deprivation theorists see lack of these as major cause of under achievement. L/income black fams lack intellectual stimulation=poorly equipped for school as not been able to develop reasoning & problem solving skills

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Bereiter & Englemen?

Consider language spoken by L/income black americans as inadequate for educational success. Ungrammatical, disjointed & incapable of expressing abstract ideas

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Attitudes & values?

Lack of motivation major cause of failure by many blacks. Other kids socialised into mainstream culture=ambition, competitiveness & willingness. Argue some black kids socialised into a subculture that instils fatalistic 'live for today' attitudes

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Family structure & parental support?

Argue failure to adequately socialise children is result of dysfunctional family structure

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Daniel Moynihan?

Argues as many black families are headed by lone mother, kids deprived of adequate care. Fathers absence=boys lack adequate role model of male achievement. Sees cult dep as cylce where inadequately socialised kids fail & become inadequate parents

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New Right on family structure & parental support?

Murray-High rate of lone parenthood/lack of positive male role models=under achieve in some minorities. Flew-Ethnic differences in achievement stem from cult differences outside education not discrimination within it

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Ken Pryce on family structure & parental support?

Contributing to U/achievement of black Caribbean pupils in UK. Comparison=Asians higher achievers as culture more resistant to racism, greater sense of self worth, contrasts with blacks. Difference result of diff impact of colonialism EG Slavery

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Lupton on Asian families?

Adult authority in Asian families similar to the model that cooperates in schools. Respectful behaviour towards adults was expected. Knock on effect in school

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Verity Khan on Asian families?

Obstacle to success, stress ridden, bound by tradition & a controlling attitude towards children, especially girls

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Sutton Trust on white W/C families?

80% of 11-16 year olds ethnic minority pupils aspired to go to uni, only 68% of whites

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Lupton on white W/C families?

Studied 4 W/C schools=2 white/1 Pakistani/1 ethnically mixed. Teachers reported poorer behaviour/discipline levels in white W/C schools despite fewer kids on free school meals. Blamed L/levels of parental support. Minority parents see ed as 'way up'

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Evans on white W/C culture?

Argues street culture in white W/C areas is brutal=School becomes place where power games children engage in on street are played out again in school= disruption

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Compensatory education?

Main policy adopted to tackle cultural deprivation. Aim of Operation Head Start was to compensate children for cultural deficit said to suffer because of deprived backgrounds

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Drivers criticism of cultural deprivation?

Ignores positive effects of ethnicity on achievement. Shows the black Caribbean family provides girls with positive role models of strong independent women=why black girls more successful than black boys in ed

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Lawrence on Pryce's view?

Challenges view that blacks fail because their culture is weak. Argues they U/achieve because of racism

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Keddie's criticism of cultural deprivation?

Sees it as a victim blaming explanation. Argues ethnic minority kids are culturally different, not culturally deprived. U/achieve as schools are ethnocentric

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Criticism of compensatory education?

See it as attempt to impose dominant white culture on children who already have a coherent culture of their own

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2 alternatives to compensatory education?

1.Multinational Education-Policy that recognises/values minority cultures & includes them in curriculum 2.Anti racist policy that challenges prejudice/discrimination that exists in schools/wider society

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Material deprivation?

W/C people more likely to face this. Explanations see education failure as resulting from factors like substandard housing/low income. Ethnic minorities more likely to face these problems

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4 facts Flaherty has on ethnic minorities & material deprivation?

1.Pakistanis/Bangladeshis 3 times more likely than whites to be poorest 5th of pop 2.Unemployment 3 times higher for African/Bang/Pak than whites 3.15% ethnic minority households overcrowded, 2% whites 4.Pakistanis twice likely to get unskilled jobs

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Swann Report on material deprivation, ethnicity & class?

Estimate social class accounts for 50% of difference in achievement between eth groups. If fail to take different class positions of eth groups in account when comparing ed achievement may overestimate effect of cult dep/over estimate poverty/mat dep

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Gillborn & Mirza?

Argue s/class factors dont override influence of ethnicity. Compared pupils of same social class but different ethnic origins, still find differences in achievement. Particularly case for blacks

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Racism in wider society?

Mason=Discrimination is continuing & persistent feature of experience of Britains citizens of minority ethnic origin

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Rex on racism in wider society?

Shows how racial discrimination leads to social exclusion & how this worsens poverty faced by ethnic minorities=discrimination means more likely to be forced into substandard accomodation

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Noon on racism in wider society?

Sent identical letters of enquiry about employment to 110 top UK companies. 'Evans' & 'Patel' same qualifications etc. Companies more encouraging to 'white' name. Explains why eth minorities more likely to face unemployment/effects childs ed prospect

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5 internal factors explaining ethnic differences in achievement?

1.Labelling & teacher racism 2.Public responses & subcultures 3.Ethnocentric curriculum 4.Institutional racism 5.Selection & segregation

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Labelling & teacher racism?

Attaching a meaning/definition to them. Interactions focus on diff labels teachers give to ethnic minorities. Studies=teachers often see black/asians as far from 'ideal pupil' EG blacks labelled disruptive/asians passive. Neg labels disadvantage them

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Gillborn & Youdell on black pupils, labelling & teacher racism?

Teachers quicker to discipline blacks=result of teachers racialist expectations. Teachers expected blacks to have more discipline problems & misinterpreted their behaviour as threatening

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Gillborn & Youdell continued?

Pupils responded negatively=further conflict. Blacks felt teachers underestimated their ability & picked on them. Much conflict between white teachers & black pupils stems from racial stereotypes not pupils actual behaviour

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Foster on black pupils, labelling & teacher racism?

Found teachers stereotypes of black pupils as badly behaved could result in being placed in lower sets. Exclusions & lower streaming=lower levels of achievement

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Cecile Wright on Asian pupils?

Study of multi ethnic primary school shows asians as victims of labelling. Teachers held ethnocentric views-took for granted that British culture/standard english were superior. Assumed asians would have poor grasp & left them out of class discussion

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Result of Wrights findings?

Asians felt isolated & teachers saw them as a problem they could ignore=marginalised

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Method Link - Using Observation

Wright observed class interactions of 1,000 pupils/teachers. Enabled to see how teachers actually behaved towards pupils-rather than how they 'claimed'. Saw how teachers labelled Asians negatively. Researcher cant hide presence=reduces validity

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Pupil responses & subcultures?

Evidence of teacher racism & negative labelling. Research shows that pupils can respond to this in a variety of ways EG Respond by becoming disruptive/withdrawn. May refuse to accept the label & even decide to prove it wrong

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Fuller & Mac an Ghaill - Rejecting negative labels?

Study of a group of black girls in year 11 of a London Comp. Untypical as were high achievers where most black girls were placed in low streams. Instead of accepting negative stereotypes, girls channelled their anger into pursuit of education

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Fuller's study continued?

Didnt seek approval of teachers=regarded as racist. Were friends with other blacks from L/streams. Conformed only as far as schoolwork concerned. Worked conscientiously but appearance to not=deliberate lack of concern. Rely on own efforts

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2 important points of study?

1.Pupils may still succeed even when they refuse to conform 2.Negative labelling doesnt always lead to failure

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Mac an Ghaill's study?

Black/Asian A level students at 6th form. Students who believed teachers had labelled negatively not necessarily accept label. Depended on factors=ethnic group/gender/natures of former schools. Some girls attended all girls gave more commitment

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Mirza-Failed strategies for avoiding racism?

Studied ambitious black girls who faced teacher racism. Girls failed to achieve ambitions because coping strategies restricted their opportunities. Mirza found racist teachers discouraged blacks from aspiring to professional careers

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Mirza identifies what 3 types of teacher racism?

1.Colour blind-Teachers who believe all pupils are equal but really allow racism to go unchallenged 2.Liberal chauvinists-Believe blacks are cult dep & have L/expectations 3.Overt racists-Believe blacks are inferior & actively discriminate

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Conclusion of Mirza & her study?

Most of girls time at school spent trying to avoid effects of teachers negative attitudes. Strategies=being selective about which staff to ask for help/choosing certain options. Girls had high self esteem, strategies disadvantaged by restricting opps

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Sewell - The variety of boys responses?

Examines responses & strategies black pupils adopt to cope with racism. Studied boys secondary school, teachers had stereotype of 'black machismo'. Sees all black boys as rebellious, anti-authority & anti-school. Effect=likely to be excluded

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4 ways boys responded to racist stereotyping?

1.The rebels 2.The conformists 3.The retreatists 4.The innovators

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The rebels?

Most visible/influential group, small minority. Often excluded & rejected both goals/rules & expressed opposition via peer group membership, conforming to stereotype of 'black macho lad'. Contemptuous of W/boys, saw as effeminate & dismissive of conf

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The conformists?

Largest group. Keen to succeed, accepted the schools goals & had friends from different ethnic groups. Not part of subculture & anxious to avoid being sterotyped

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The retreatists?

Tiny minority of isolated individuals disconnected from school & black subcultures, despised by rebels

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The innovators?

2nd largest group. Like Fuller's girls, pro education but didnt seek approval of teachers. Distanced from conformists & maintained credibility with rebels.

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Sewell conclusion?

Small minority fit 'black macho lad' but teachers see all in this way. Boys negative attitudes response to racism. Saw other factors out of school as contributing to U/achievement of black boys=low aspirations, absence of fathers. Blames media

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Evaluation of labelling & pupil responses?

Rather than blaming childs home background like cult dep theory does, labelling shows teacher stereotypes= failure. Danger of seeing these as simply product of individual teacher prejudice not racism in wider society. Influence of role models in fam

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Gillborn & Youdell's evaluation?

Say publishing league tables creates A-C economy=large numbers of blacks placed in lower streams

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Ethnocentric curriculum?

Troyna & Williams-Curriculum in UK schools is ethnocentric as gives priority to W/culture. ball- Criticises national curriculum for ignoring cult & ethnic diversity EG History curric tries to recreate 'mythical age of empire & past glories'

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Impact of ethnocentric curriculum?

May ignore Asian culture, Indian & Chinese pupils achievement is above national average. Stone-Black kids dont suffer low self esteem

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Institutional racism?

Troyna & Williams-Individual racism-results from prejudice views of individuals. Institutional racism-Discrimination built into way institutions like schools & colleges operate

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Ethnocentric curriculum & institutional racism?

See mearge provision for teaching Asian languages as institutional racism as example of racial bias being built into everyday workings of schools & colleges

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Richard Hatcher?

School gov bodies gave L/priority to race issues & failed to deal with pupils racist behaviour. No formal channels of communication between school govs & ethnic minority parents=nothing was done about parents concerns

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Selection & segregation?

David Gillborn-Marketisation given schools greater scope to select pupils=ethnic minority pupils at disadvantage as selection gives more scope for negative stereotypes

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Donald Moore & Susan Davenport?

Support Gillborn. Shows how selection procedures lead to ethnic segregation/minority pupils failing to get into better schools. Found these discriminated against 'problem students'. Uses primary school reports to screen out pupils with difficulties

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Commission for racial equality?

Similar bias. Notes racism in school admissions procedures means minority children more likely to end up in unpopular schools

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4 reasons the report identifies?

1.Reports from primary schools that stereotype minority pupils 2.Racist bias in interviews for school places 3.Lack of info/application forms in minority languages 4.Ethnic minority parents unaware of importance of deadlines

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Ethnicity, class & gender?

Evans=To understand relationship need to look at how ethnicity interacts with gender/class. Claims in examining black childrens achievement, tend to look at their culture/ethnicity, but rarely class. When studying whites, focus on class not cult/eth

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Connolly on ethnicity, class & gender?

Study of 5/6 yr olds. Shows how pupils/teachers construct masculinity differently depending on childs ethnicity. Found teachers saw B/boys as disruptive U/achievers, punished more & channelled energy to sport. Responded by seeking n/academic status

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Other hand to Connolly on ethnicity, class & gender?

Asians passive/conformist. Regarded boys as keen academics-when misbehaved seen as silly/immature. Other boys picked on them to assert own masculinity & excluded from playing football. Seen more as feminine. Cant consider eth in isolation from gen/cl

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SOCIOLOGY ED TOPIC 3

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