2. 1. IQ tests only measure particular skills and
some people are better at these skills than
others.
2. It is difficult to say what is inherited and
what is a product of socialisation.
3. IQ tests tend to be culture biased: they are
written for middle class children by middle
class academics.
4. They do not allow for sickness or nerves
which can have a negative effect on results.
3. Material depravation is to be deprived of the
materials that you need to succeed within the
education system.
For example, money for text books etc.
4. 1. Poor diet can lead to ill health and therefore
time off school.
2. Poor housing can lead to overcrowding and
having to share rooms, this gives no quiet
space to study.
3. A lack of money for educational resources
needed to succeed.
4. Working part time which leads to having
less time to study outside of school.
5. Poor schools which will provide poor
support and poor teaching.
5. The Early Leaving Report
Working class children often leave school
early so they can work and contribute to
family income. Parents can not afford for
them to stay at school.
Douglas
Underachievement in education was related
to the following factors. These were health,
size of students family and the quality of the
school they attended
6. Harker
Children who grow up in deprived homes are
more likely to develop slowly which will put
them at a disadvantage within education.
Morris
Found the progress of working class children
is hindered by material depravation and that
middle class children are put at an advantage
by material capital.
7. To be deprived of the cultural knowledge
(norms and values) that is needed to
succeed.
8. Restricted code Elaborated code
Non standard English.
Narrow rage of
vocabulary.
Use of gestures.
Incorrect use of
grammar.
Non-descriptive
sentences.
Spoken in general by
the working class.
Standard English.
Wide range of
vocabulary.
Complex sentences.
Good use of grammar.
Spoken in general by
the middle class.
9. Factors which affect
cultural deprivation.
Factors which affect
cultural capital.
Working class parents
and pupils are
intimidated by the
middle class school
environment and cannot
interact with teachers.
Working class parents do
not value education and
therefore do not ensure
that their children work
outside of school.
Middle class parents
and pupils are at ease
in the middle class
school environment
and can interact well
with teachers.
Middle class parents
value education and
ensure that their
children work outside
of school.
10. Carried out an experiment with two groups of
children.
Groups were divided at random but the
teachers were told that one group were high
ability and one low.
Over the next year results were monitored
and those in the ‘high ability’ group were
seen to have achieved more than the ‘low’.
Children had been labelled and a self fulfilling
prophesy begun.
11. Teachers construct an image of an ideal
student. E.g. well dressed, well behaved, well
spoken, hard working, punctual and a good
attender.
If students live up to that label then they are
treated more favourably and this has a
positive effect of their performance.
12. Rist studied a kindergarten classroom where both students
and teacher were African American, the teacher assigned
students to tables based on ability; the “better” students
sat at a table closer to her, the “average” students sat at
the next table, and the “weakest” students sat at the
farthest table.
Rist discovered that the teacher assigned the students to a
table based on the perception of the students' skill on the
eighth day of class.
Rist also found that the students the teacher perceived as
“better” learners came from higher social classes, while the
“weak” students were from lower social classes.
Throughout the year, Rist found that the students closer to
the teacher received the most attention and performed
better. The farther from the teacher a student sat, the
weaker that student performed.
13. Keddie characterised streaming as
institutionalised labelling.
Top sets are treated more favourably whilst
bottom sets are blamed for their own failure.
We can link this into the self fulfilling
prophesy.
14. Marxists and Interactionists believe that
working class children are negatively labelled
and will join anti-school subcultures.
This is to gain the status that they have been
denied they will turn the values of the school
upside down and gain status with their peers
rather than their teachers.
15. Bernstein claimed that language is an
important cultural medium because in
schools all knowledge is transported through
it.
Middle class children are socialised into the
use of the elaborated code and this puts
them at an advantage because they
understand teachers unlike working class
children who are socialised into the restricted
code.
16. Studied secondary schools in London and
found that sometimes pupils perceptions of
their teachers would influence achievement.
Pupils tend to achieve better results from
working with teachers who are good role
models, who are supportive, who are firm but
fair, mark work and give feedback and who
have a good sense of humour.
17. There are many explanations as to why
middle class children achieve and working
class children underachieve in the British
education system. Some sociologists blame
outside school factors and some blame inside
school factors. Psychologists blame genetics.
However, under achievement may be a
combination of these factors not just one.
