Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class

1. Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Class differences in educational attainment have persisted since 1950’s Students from middle class backgrounds pass more exams, stay on more at school and are more likely to go to university WHY IS THIS??

2. Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Are the Middle Class more intelligent ? There is general agreement that intelligence is due to: The genes inherited from parents The environment in which children grow up

3. Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class IQ tests are popular but are widely criticised by sociologists IQ results are unreliable – your score can vary over time IQ tests are culturally biased I expressed in middle class vocabulary

4. Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class IQ Tests They favour the MC because of the language used Motivation and previous experience can affect performance Bowles & Gintis (Marxists) 1976 found no link between IQ and educational and economic success

5. Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Class Subcultures JWB Douglas 1964 Key factor was parental interest MC parents gave greater attention to children’s education than WC MC parents expected more from their children and gave more rewards The WC seen are “culturally deprived”

6. Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Criticisms Blackstone & Mortimore 1994 WC parents do care as much as MC But WC parents feel less confident about dealing with schools - Douglas sounds a bit too much like “Blame the victim”

7. Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Bernstein 1972 – Language Codes Restricted Code of the working class not suited to academic study Shorthand speech Grammatically simple Meanings don’t need to be made explicit “Get out of that puddle”

8. Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Bernstein 1972 – Language Codes Elaborated Code – middle class More complex speech Details and explanations are given “Get out of that puddle because the water will get in your shoes and make your socks wet and uncomfortable”

9. Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Bernstein believed that MC kids could use both codes, switching when the need arose The greater use of the restricted code amongst WC families led to WC kids suffering a disadvantage at school where the more formal elaborated code was more common.

10. Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Class Subcultures Bourdieu (A Marxist Sociologist) – Cultural capital Cultural Capital – the education system is biased towards the MC It uses knowledge and skills of MC culture MC kids therefore have an advantage over WC kids

11. Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Class Subcultures Ball, Bowe & Gewirtz 1994 Cultural Capital gives MC parents more advantages Their contacts and knowledge mean they play the system They have more ‘stamina’ for researching schools and appeals etc They can afford to move to areas where ‘good’ schools are or pay for travel etc

12. Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Class Subcultures Smith & Noble 1994 ·Schools in wealthy middle class areas areas are better equipped Parents with money provide more educational aids – computers, books, private tutors etc Now Try THIS TEST