Recap... How influential is the media? Hall et al (1979) ‘mugging’ Hartmann and Husband (1974) Van Dijk (1991) race riots Is the media becoming more inclusive?

Social Class Inequalities Education

Reasons for working-class underachievement Lack of ‘cultural capital’ Material factors Parents’ attitudes to education Reasons for working-class underachievement Parent’s level of education Working class subculture ‘Problem’ schools in deprived areas Teacher evaluations of pupils Restricted code of language

Think about... Sample of study Methods used to collect data Findings of study Does this confirm what we know about educational achievement and social class?

Material explanations Low wages Poverty Diet / health Housing ‘indicators of social deprivation’ effect how well individuals do at school

Cultural capital Bourdieu (1971) The ‘right’ knowledge, language, attitudes, values, taste and lifestyle gives greatly improved chances of success in education Educational capital Economic capital

Parents’ attitudes to education Middle-class parents have been found to... Take more interest in children’s progression in school Became relatively more interested and encouraging as child grows older More likely to want child to stay in education post 16

Parents’ level of education Understand school system better Less confident in dealing with teachers? Able to advise children Complaints procedures Stimulate educational development before and during schooling Help with school work generally

‘Problem schools’ Affluent / deprived areas Many schools rely on support from parents to finance extra resources Parents in poorer areas less able to support schools: schools may have less to spend on pupils Social problems in ‘deprived areas’ i.e. high unemployment, crime, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency

Restricted code of language Bernstein (1971) ‘elaborated code’ ‘restricted code’

Teacher evaluations of students Stereotyping students Labelling Banding / streaming / setting SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY!!

Working class subculture Paul Willis ‘Learning to Labour’ (1977) Phil Brown ‘Schooling ordinary kids’ (1987)