Sociology: class differences in achievement (external factors)
Cultural deprivation explanation
- some sociologists argue that we begin to acquire the basic values and skills through the primary socialisation of the family
- speech code/restricted code - bernstein identifies the working class language as the restricted code.
- this consists of limited vocabulary, short, gramatically unfinished sentences.
- working class = disadvantage to middle class as the 'elaborated code' is the language spoken at schools, exams and books
Speech code continuation
- working class children lacking this code makes them feel excluded and less likely to be successful
- sarah evans 2009 - study on a group of 21 wc girls taking their a levels and found that they felt reluctant to apply for the elite universities as they felt they wouldn't 'fit in'
- Bourdieu - wc people think of places like oxbridge as 'not for the likes of us'
- Bernstein recognises that education is one of rhe main reasons for working class failure, but not necessarily because they are culturally deprived but because the school doesn't teach the elaborated code
- Douglas - wc parents placed less value on education
Material deprivation
- poor housing like overcrowding = difficult to study
- poor housing = health problems - cold/damp house
- lack of financial support mean children from poor families have to do w/o equipment and miss out on experiences that could enhance their educational achievement
- study in oxford found that items such as transport, uniform, books place a heavy burden on poor families = wc might get bullied
- Lack of funds also means some children have to work. Ridge - children in poverty babysit, cleaning and this can have a negative impact on their school work.
AO3 - Material deprivation
while material factors play a part in the achievement, fact that some children from poorer families succeed = material deprivation only part of explanation
Bourdieu: Cultural Capital
- Cultural capital = knowledge,skills, ability of the middle class
- through theur socialisation, the mc begin to acquire ability to express/grasp abstract ideas
- gives mc an advantage im school, such abilities are highly valued/rewarded with qualifaction
- whereas the working class believe school devalues their culture as rough and inferior
- they get the message that education is not for them = status frustration - link to cohen