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Understanding Working Class Underachievement in Education: Key Stats and Theories

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Katie Donaghy

27/04/2023

Sociology

Sociology Education - Internal & External Factors

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Sociology

Understanding Working Class Underachievement in Education: Key Stats and Theories

The relationship between social class and education statistics reveals persistent patterns of educational inequality, particularly affecting working class underachievement in education.

Internal and external factors affecting education play crucial roles in student achievement. Internal factors include individual motivation, cognitive abilities, and personal study habits. External factors encompass family background, socioeconomic status, and school environment. Research shows that students from working class backgrounds often face multiple barriers to educational success, including limited access to educational resources, fewer cultural experiences, and less parental support with schoolwork. This creates a complex web of disadvantage that can significantly impact academic outcomes.

Cultural deprivation theory provides a framework for understanding these educational disparities. The theory suggests that working-class children may lack certain cultural experiences, linguistic skills, and educational values that are rewarded in the mainstream education system. This perspective, developed by sociologists including Bourdieu, argues that middle-class culture aligns more closely with school expectations, giving these students an inherent advantage. Working class education statistics UK consistently show lower attainment levels among students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the gap becoming particularly pronounced in higher education participation rates. The theory points to several key areas where working-class students may be disadvantaged: limited access to cultural activities, differences in linguistic codes, and variations in educational attitudes and aspirations. These factors can create a cumulative effect, leading to lower educational achievement and reduced social mobility. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing effective interventions to address educational inequality and support all students in reaching their full potential.

...

27/04/2023

3385

TOPIC 1 Internal Factors: Factors within schools and the education system e.g. interactions between pupils and teachers. External Factors: O

View

Material Deprivation and Its Impact on Education

Material deprivation is a significant external factor contributing to working class underachievement in education. This concept encompasses various aspects of poverty and its effects on educational opportunities and outcomes.

Key factors of material deprivation affecting education include:

  1. Poor Housing: Overcrowding or substandard living conditions can negatively impact a student's ability to study and complete homework. Homelessness or temporary accommodation may lead to frequent school changes, disrupting education.

  2. Poor Diet: Inadequate nutrition can result in illness, school absences, and lack of concentration in class due to hunger.

  3. Limited Educational Resources: Poorer families often cannot afford educational opportunities such as trips, computers, or private tuition.

  4. Social Stigma: Children from low-income families may face bullying or stigmatization due to their inability to afford proper uniforms or fashionable items.

Example: Callender & Jackson found that working-class students are more debt-averse, perceiving more costs than benefits in pursuing higher education.

Marxist sociologists, like Bourdieu, argue that middle-class pupils are more successful due to their parents possessing more capital or assets. This capital comes in two forms:

  1. Economic Capital: The wealth owned by middle-class families.
  2. Cultural Capital: The attitudes, values, and skills of the middle class, including educational qualifications.

Definition: Cultural capital refers to non-financial social assets that promote social mobility beyond economic means.

Understanding the impact of material deprivation on education is crucial for developing effective strategies to address working class underachievement in education sociology.

TOPIC 1 Internal Factors: Factors within schools and the education system e.g. interactions between pupils and teachers. External Factors: O

View

School Factors and Their Influence on Educational Achievement

Internal factors within schools and the education system play a significant role in shaping student achievement. These factors include interactions between pupils and teachers, as well as institutional practices that can either promote or hinder educational success.

Labelling and Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Definition: Labelling in education refers to attaching a meaning or definition to a student, often based on stereotyped assumptions.

Becker argues that teachers tend to label middle-class children as 'ideal pupils' and prefer teaching them over working-class children. This labelling can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, where the prediction about a person comes true simply because they believe it.

Highlight: The concept of self-fulfilling prophecy is crucial in understanding how teacher expectations can influence student performance.

Streaming and Its Effects

Streaming is the practice of separating children into different ability groups or classes and teaching them accordingly. This practice can have significant impacts on student achievement and self-perception.

Example: Douglas found that the IQ of pupils labelled as less able and placed in the bottom stream actually decreased over time.

Pupil Subcultures

Pupil subcultures are groups whose beliefs, values, and attitudes differ to some extent from wider society. In the context of education, two main types of subcultures emerge:

  1. Pro-school Subculture: Formed by pupils in higher streams who accept the school's values and goals.
  2. Anti-school Subcultures: Formed by those in lower streams who reject the school's values.

Lacey argues that lower stream pupils join or form anti-school subcultures because school deprives them of status by labelling them as failures.

Vocabulary: Habitus - A social class's way of thinking, being, and acting, including lifestyles and expectations about what is normal for 'people like us'.

Woods identifies four additional responses to streaming and labelling:

  1. Ingratiation: Being the 'teacher's pet'
  2. Ritualism: Going through the motions and staying out of trouble
  3. Retreatism: Daydreaming and disengaging
  4. Rebellion: Outright rejection of everything the school stands for

Understanding these internal and external factors affecting education is crucial for addressing the persistent issue of working class underachievement in education and developing effective strategies to promote educational equity.

TOPIC 1 Internal Factors: Factors within schools and the education system e.g. interactions between pupils and teachers. External Factors: O

View

Cultural Deprivation and Working Class Underachievement

Cultural deprivation theory is a significant concept in understanding working class underachievement in education. This theory posits that class differences in children's development and achievement appear very early in life, primarily due to differences in primary socialization within families.

Definition: Cultural deprivation refers to the lack of cultural equipment needed for educational success, which, according to theorists, is more prevalent in working-class families.

The theory makes several basic assumptions:

  1. Working-class children underachieve due to their own deficiencies and those of their parents.
  2. This perspective has been criticized for "victim blaming" and influencing policies that wrongly assume working-class underachievement is simply a result of low aspirations and dysfunctional families.

Highlight: Archer et al. argue that policies based on cultural deprivation theory incorrectly assume that working-class underachievement is solely due to low aspirations and family dysfunction.

Sugarman identifies four key features of working-class subculture that act as barriers to educational achievement:

  1. Fatalism: The belief that one cannot change their social status.
  2. Collectivism: Valuing group membership over individual success.
  3. Immediate gratification: Seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices for future rewards.
  4. Present-time orientation: Prioritizing the present over the future.

Language is another crucial aspect of cultural deprivation theory. Feinstein's research shows that parents with higher qualifications are more likely to use the elaborated code, which is considered more beneficial for educational success.

Vocabulary:

  • Elaborated Code (Middle Class): More analytic, with a wide range of vocabulary and complex sentences.
  • Restricted Code (Working Class): Less analytic, more descriptive, with limited vocabulary and simpler sentences or gestures.

However, it's important to note that some researchers, like Trayna & Williams, argue that the problem lies not in the child's language but in the school's attitude towards it.

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Subjects

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Sociology

Understanding Working Class Underachievement in Education: Key Stats and Theories

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Katie Donaghy

@katiedonaghy_4

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The relationship between social class and education statistics reveals persistent patterns of educational inequality, particularly affecting working class underachievement in education.

Internal and external factors affecting education play crucial roles in student achievement. Internal factors include individual motivation, cognitive abilities, and personal study habits. External factors encompass family background, socioeconomic status, and school environment. Research shows that students from working class backgrounds often face multiple barriers to educational success, including limited access to educational resources, fewer cultural experiences, and less parental support with schoolwork. This creates a complex web of disadvantage that can significantly impact academic outcomes.

Cultural deprivation theory provides a framework for understanding these educational disparities. The theory suggests that working-class children may lack certain cultural experiences, linguistic skills, and educational values that are rewarded in the mainstream education system. This perspective, developed by sociologists including Bourdieu, argues that middle-class culture aligns more closely with school expectations, giving these students an inherent advantage. Working class education statistics UK consistently show lower attainment levels among students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the gap becoming particularly pronounced in higher education participation rates. The theory points to several key areas where working-class students may be disadvantaged: limited access to cultural activities, differences in linguistic codes, and variations in educational attitudes and aspirations. These factors can create a cumulative effect, leading to lower educational achievement and reduced social mobility. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing effective interventions to address educational inequality and support all students in reaching their full potential.

...

27/04/2023

3385

 

13

 

Sociology

41

TOPIC 1 Internal Factors: Factors within schools and the education system e.g. interactions between pupils and teachers. External Factors: O

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Material Deprivation and Its Impact on Education

Material deprivation is a significant external factor contributing to working class underachievement in education. This concept encompasses various aspects of poverty and its effects on educational opportunities and outcomes.

Key factors of material deprivation affecting education include:

  1. Poor Housing: Overcrowding or substandard living conditions can negatively impact a student's ability to study and complete homework. Homelessness or temporary accommodation may lead to frequent school changes, disrupting education.

  2. Poor Diet: Inadequate nutrition can result in illness, school absences, and lack of concentration in class due to hunger.

  3. Limited Educational Resources: Poorer families often cannot afford educational opportunities such as trips, computers, or private tuition.

  4. Social Stigma: Children from low-income families may face bullying or stigmatization due to their inability to afford proper uniforms or fashionable items.

Example: Callender & Jackson found that working-class students are more debt-averse, perceiving more costs than benefits in pursuing higher education.

Marxist sociologists, like Bourdieu, argue that middle-class pupils are more successful due to their parents possessing more capital or assets. This capital comes in two forms:

  1. Economic Capital: The wealth owned by middle-class families.
  2. Cultural Capital: The attitudes, values, and skills of the middle class, including educational qualifications.

Definition: Cultural capital refers to non-financial social assets that promote social mobility beyond economic means.

Understanding the impact of material deprivation on education is crucial for developing effective strategies to address working class underachievement in education sociology.

TOPIC 1 Internal Factors: Factors within schools and the education system e.g. interactions between pupils and teachers. External Factors: O

Sign up to see the content. It's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

School Factors and Their Influence on Educational Achievement

Internal factors within schools and the education system play a significant role in shaping student achievement. These factors include interactions between pupils and teachers, as well as institutional practices that can either promote or hinder educational success.

Labelling and Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Definition: Labelling in education refers to attaching a meaning or definition to a student, often based on stereotyped assumptions.

Becker argues that teachers tend to label middle-class children as 'ideal pupils' and prefer teaching them over working-class children. This labelling can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, where the prediction about a person comes true simply because they believe it.

Highlight: The concept of self-fulfilling prophecy is crucial in understanding how teacher expectations can influence student performance.

Streaming and Its Effects

Streaming is the practice of separating children into different ability groups or classes and teaching them accordingly. This practice can have significant impacts on student achievement and self-perception.

Example: Douglas found that the IQ of pupils labelled as less able and placed in the bottom stream actually decreased over time.

Pupil Subcultures

Pupil subcultures are groups whose beliefs, values, and attitudes differ to some extent from wider society. In the context of education, two main types of subcultures emerge:

  1. Pro-school Subculture: Formed by pupils in higher streams who accept the school's values and goals.
  2. Anti-school Subcultures: Formed by those in lower streams who reject the school's values.

Lacey argues that lower stream pupils join or form anti-school subcultures because school deprives them of status by labelling them as failures.

Vocabulary: Habitus - A social class's way of thinking, being, and acting, including lifestyles and expectations about what is normal for 'people like us'.

Woods identifies four additional responses to streaming and labelling:

  1. Ingratiation: Being the 'teacher's pet'
  2. Ritualism: Going through the motions and staying out of trouble
  3. Retreatism: Daydreaming and disengaging
  4. Rebellion: Outright rejection of everything the school stands for

Understanding these internal and external factors affecting education is crucial for addressing the persistent issue of working class underachievement in education and developing effective strategies to promote educational equity.

TOPIC 1 Internal Factors: Factors within schools and the education system e.g. interactions between pupils and teachers. External Factors: O

Sign up to see the content. It's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Cultural Deprivation and Working Class Underachievement

Cultural deprivation theory is a significant concept in understanding working class underachievement in education. This theory posits that class differences in children's development and achievement appear very early in life, primarily due to differences in primary socialization within families.

Definition: Cultural deprivation refers to the lack of cultural equipment needed for educational success, which, according to theorists, is more prevalent in working-class families.

The theory makes several basic assumptions:

  1. Working-class children underachieve due to their own deficiencies and those of their parents.
  2. This perspective has been criticized for "victim blaming" and influencing policies that wrongly assume working-class underachievement is simply a result of low aspirations and dysfunctional families.

Highlight: Archer et al. argue that policies based on cultural deprivation theory incorrectly assume that working-class underachievement is solely due to low aspirations and family dysfunction.

Sugarman identifies four key features of working-class subculture that act as barriers to educational achievement:

  1. Fatalism: The belief that one cannot change their social status.
  2. Collectivism: Valuing group membership over individual success.
  3. Immediate gratification: Seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices for future rewards.
  4. Present-time orientation: Prioritizing the present over the future.

Language is another crucial aspect of cultural deprivation theory. Feinstein's research shows that parents with higher qualifications are more likely to use the elaborated code, which is considered more beneficial for educational success.

Vocabulary:

  • Elaborated Code (Middle Class): More analytic, with a wide range of vocabulary and complex sentences.
  • Restricted Code (Working Class): Less analytic, more descriptive, with limited vocabulary and simpler sentences or gestures.

However, it's important to note that some researchers, like Trayna & Williams, argue that the problem lies not in the child's language but in the school's attitude towards it.

TOPIC 1 Internal Factors: Factors within schools and the education system e.g. interactions between pupils and teachers. External Factors: O

Sign up to see the content. It's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.

Knowunity is the #1 education app in five European countries

Knowunity has been named a featured story on Apple and has regularly topped the app store charts in the education category in Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Join Knowunity today and help millions of students around the world.

Ranked #1 Education App

Download in

Google Play

Download in

App Store

Knowunity is the #1 education app in five European countries

4.9+

Average app rating

20 M

Pupils love Knowunity

#1

In education app charts in 17 countries

950 K+

Students have uploaded notes

Still not convinced? See what other students are saying...

iOS User

I love this app so much, I also use it daily. I recommend Knowunity to everyone!!! I went from a D to an A with it :D

Philip, iOS User

The app is very simple and well designed. So far I have always found everything I was looking for :D

Lena, iOS user

I love this app ❤️ I actually use it every time I study.