1. As you enter the room thinking task
Does every child in The UK have an equal chance of success in education?

2. How does social class effect achievement?
Tuesday, 27 November 2018
Lesson 1: TOPIC: Class
The patterns of achievement in relation to social class in Britain
The theories that try to explain the differential achievement patterns
Analyse and evaluate competing theories of social class differences in achievement
Learning Goals
Class, language codes, cultural deprivation

3. Title: Class differences in education: External factors
Topic 1
Social class still has a significant impact on educational achievement in the UK.
But what do we mean when we say social class?
Most sociologists use parental occupation to determine a pupil’s social class
For example:

4. Introduction: The working class children are……
Less likely to attend any educational settings (nursery) before ages 4&5
More likely to be poor readers in the first years of school
More likely to be in low sets at school
More likely to underachieve at GSCE and A Level
Less likely to go to university
More likely to leave school early
More likely to be suspended and excluded
Why do you think this is the case?

5. Why is it ? Think about what some people say….
External (home based issues that affect achievement) or Internal (in school factors which affect achievement
Why is it ? Think about what some people say….
School uses words that working class children don’t understand
Their parents don’t value education
Parents don’t push them hard enough!
They lack resources at home
The teachers don’t like them as much as middle class kids
So many are from families who don’t have any hopes for their children

6. Applying the theories: EXTERNAL FACTORS Cultural Deprivation (A02)
Primary socialisation: Socialisation (acquiring basic values, attitudes and skills) during the early years of childhood, carried out within the family. This gives children basic “cultural equipment”, which includes things such as language, self discipline and reasoning skills According to cultural deprivation theory, working class families fail to socialise their children adequately. They grow up “culturally deprived” – they lack the basic cultural equipment to achieve academically. NOTE: This has nothing to do with financial factors!!!!
The cultural deprivation theories:
Language, including speech codes (Key theorist: Bernstein)
Parents’ education, including parental attitudes, style, behaviours and income (Key theorist: Douglas)
Working class subculture, including the work of Sugarman (1970) – key theorist.

7. Cultural Deprivation: Language
The way in which parents communicate with their children affects their cognitive and intellectual development and their ability to benefit from the process of schooling.
Simple descriptive statements: what is that animal called, what is that colour?
This tends to be used by more educated parents. What sort of language do you think less educated parents use?
Hubbs-Tait et all 2002 found that where parents use language that challenges their children to evaluate their own understanding and abilities e.g. “what do you think?”, cognitive performance improves.
Cultural deprivation theories suggests that the difference in how parents use language is linked to social class and as a result, working class pupils do not develop the necessary language skills to think abstractly nor explain, describe and evaluate their ideas.

8. Task 1: The work of Bernstein (1975)
Page 18 – Speech codes Read Bernstein’s ideas on speech codes in working and middle class families. Take notes on restricted and elaborated speech codes and then answer the following question in full: According to Bernstein, how do differences in speech code give middle class (MC) pupils an advantage in schools, over working class (WC) pupils?
EXT: A common criticism of cultural deprivation theorists is that they often focus too much on parenting and not schools themselves. How does Bernstein overcome this criticism and offer your thoughts – parenting vs schools?

9. Restricted and elaborated language codes
Using what we’ve learnt about the restricted and elaborated codes describe the picture below from the perspective of two 5 year old children.
Child 1 uses the restricted code.
Child 2 uses the elaborated code.

10. Cultural Deprivation – The Parent’s Education
Douglas (1964) – working class parents place less importance on education. As a result, they are less ambitious for their children and have them less encouragement to try hard and do well in school.
This was further supported by Feinstein (2003) who concluded that a parents’ own education was an important factor affecting children’s achievement – MC more likely to have been to university…………..
Parenting style – Educated parents emphasise consistent and “fair” discipline and have high expectations of their children.
In contrast, less educated WC parental style is marked by harsh or inconsistent discipline which prevents children from learning independence and self control – leads to disruption at school.

11. Reading with their children Teaching letters and numbers
Cultural Deprivation – The Parent’s Education
Educated parents are more likely to be aware of how best to help their children in their education e.g.
Reading with their children
Teaching letters and numbers
Help with homework
Educated parents also made better use of income – Bernstein and Young (1967) found that MC mothers were more likely to buy educational toys and books, whereas WC mothers did not buy such resources.
MC also buy better food!
Also much more likely to be actively involved with the school – contacting teachers, asking for advice on what they can do to help, sending their children on trips and to clubs etc.

12. Cultural Deprivation: Working Class Subculture
What is a subculture? (page 19 – 20)
A group whose attitudes and values differ from those of mainstream culture. Cultural deprivation theories believe that the WC has difference goals and values which is why their children fail at school.
Sugarman (1970) – a functionalist.
Working class subculture has 4 key values which act as barriers to educational success:
Fatalism: Belief in fate -“What will be will be” and there is nothing you can do to change it. MC emphasise meritocracy.
Collectivism: Value the group rather than the individual whereas MC assume that individuals should not be held back by group loyalties.
Immediate gratification: Seeking pleasure rather than making sacrifices.
Present time orientation: seeing the here and now, rather than looking to the future.

13. Task: Sugarman’s values and links to education
The values and beliefs suggested by Sugarman are vague and not yet linked to how having these will lead to educational underachievement. TASK: For each value, explain how it may lead to educational underachievement in the WC, followed by “whereas the middle class…..” and offer the opposing views and how this might lead to success in education. EXT: Why do differences in values exist? Where do they come from?

14. Sugarman’s four subculture values
APPLY - How the value may affect educational achievement?
Fatalism
Working class achievement – students may not attempt to try and improve academically due to the mistaken belief that their low grades/underachievement was ‘meant to be’ and no matter what they do, this will not change.
Middle class achievement -
Collectivism
Working class achievement –
Immediate gratification
Present Time Orientation

15. Task: Apply the theory
There are three main aspects of cultural deprivation:
Language, including speech codes (Key theorist: Bernstein)
Parents’ education, including parental attitudes, style, behaviours and income (Key theorist: Douglas)
Working class subculture, including the work of Sugarman (1970) – key theorist.
Task: Each group/pair will be allocated a type of cultural deprivation. Your task is to argue the point that your area of cultural deprivation has the most significant impact on educational outcome.
Your argument MUST include some research (names sociologists, with some results and conclusions from their research).
You will then use this persuade everyone else!
SHELLEY – print the info from the Polity book too – extension OR for the more able pairs.
ALSO critique of Bernstein available in POLITY book page 60 for extension.

16. Exam style questions: Cultural Deprivation
Using one example, briefly explain how the restricted speech code may lead to underachievement (2 marks)
Explain two ways that having access to the elaborated code might provide advantages in education (2 marks)
Outline and explain three ways in which parents’ education may influence how they socialise their children (6 marks)
Name and outline three features of working-class subculture described by Sugarman (6 marks)

17. Compensatory Education – what are the programmes?
This refers to extra educational help for those coming from disadvantaged groups to help them overcome the inequalities they face in the education system and wider society. Compensatory education programmes provide extra resources to schools and deprived communities, intervene early in the primary socialisation stages to compensate for cultural deprivation at home.
SPEC LINK – “significance of policies to achieve greater equality of opportunity or outcome”

18. Operation Head Start – AO1 and AO3
Supportive studies and statements
In 2009, Deming evaluated the program, using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.
He compared siblings and found that those who attended Head Start showed:
stronger academic performance as shown on test scores for years afterward
were less likely to be diagnosed with learning difficulties
less likely to commit crime
more likely to graduate from high school and attend college, and less likely to suffer from poor health as an adult.
These results support the role of external class factors (family income) on educational achievement.
Operation Head Start – an American program introduced in the 1960s that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families.
The program's services and resources are designed to foster stable family relationships, enhance children's physical and emotional well-being, and establish an environment to develop strong cognitive skills.
The transition from preschool to elementary school imposes diverse developmental challenges that include requiring the children to engage successfully with their peers outside of the family network, adjust to the space of a classroom, and meet the expectations the school setting provides.

19. Sure Start – AO1 and AO3 Supportive studies and statements
A 2007 study by researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Wales looked at parenting interventions within the Sure Start system in Wales.
They examined 153 parents from socially deprived areas and showed that a course teaching improved parenting skills had great benefits in reducing problem behaviour in young children. Parents were taught to:
Increase positive child behaviour through praise and incentives
Improve parent-child interaction: relationship building
Set clear expectations: limit setting and non-aversive management strategies for non-compliance
Apply consistent gentle consequences for problem behaviour
Sure Start was a UK Government area-based initiative, announced in 1998 by New Labour (Gordon Brown). The initiative aimed to tackle poverty and social exclusion by "giving children the best possible start in life" through improvement of childcare, early education, health and family support and support with parental employment.
The aim is to improve children’s ability to learn by encouraging high quality environment that promote early learning, provide stimulating and enjoyable play and improve language skills.
There are 3500 Sure Start centres all over the country and in the most disadvantaged areas.

20. AO3: Evaluation of Cultural Deprivation theories
Read through your information sheet titled “Criticisms of Cultural Explanations”.
There are 4 criticisms of cultural explanations. Your task:
Create a PEEEL paragraph using any point from what we have looked at so far.
Exemplar on the next slide…..

21. PEEEL – Create a PEEEL paragraph with what you have learnt so far…
P – Bernstein assumes that a middle class pupil’s familiarity of an elaborated language code gives them a better chance of success in education
E – Explain what is meant by elaborated/restricted language codes.
E – give an example of how each leads to success/lack of success in education.
E – EVALUATE using a point from the AO3 sheet
L – link this back to the Bernstein’s assumptions and cultural deprivation.
Essay feedback – lack of explanation.

22. Plenary: Exit cards Complete an exit card each.
Hand in at the door – we will look over these next lesson.
In the resource bank.

23. Summary Slide – Cultural Deprivation -The AO1 content
Research suggests that social class is an influencing factor in educational achievement (Webber and Butler – links between achievement and neighbourhood; Jerrim – MC students are 2.5 years ahead of their WC peers by the age of 15)
Cultural deprivation theory – WC children lack the basic cultural equipment to achieve academically.
Language, including speech codes (Key theorist: Bernstein) – restricted and elaborated speech codes and educational achievement
Parents’ education, including parental attitudes, style, behaviours and income (Key theorist: Douglas)
Working class subculture, including the work of (Key theorist: Sugarman)
Educational policies to help tackle working class underachievement – Sure Start (UK) and Operation Head Start (USA)

24. Summary Slide – Cultural Deprivation - The AO3 content
Cultural explanations overlook the practical difficulties faced by working class parents – This can be used to challenge the cultural deprivation theory that working class parents do not know how to aid their children academically e.g. through play.
Cultural explanations overestimate a working class parent’s confidence – The assumption is that working class parents place less value on education – but this may be misinterpreted and actually, they lack confidence.
Bernstein’s work on restricted/elaborated language codes is over simplistic – Link this AO3 point to any AO1 content on Bernstein and his work on speech codes.
Cultural explanations ignore the role played by the schools themselves – This is a very general AO3 point and can be applied anywhere – it is an alternative view – rather than a critique of any one theory.
Evidence supporting compensatory education programmes – if the success of government initiative work by helping families from lower classes (disadvantages children) then it suggests that CLASS was playing an influencing role – this is a STRENGTH.

25. ESSAY – Due Thursday 12th Nov at 3.30pm
Item A According to some sociologists, cultural factors are the most important cause of social class differences in educational achievement. In their view, there are deep-rooted differences between working-class and middle-class subcultures. For example, they argue that working-class subculture encourages fatalism and collectivism, whereas middle-class subculture encourages individuals to be achievement-oriented. Such subcultural differences originate in the home, but they are reinforced through peer groups. However, critics claim that the importance of such cultural factors has been overstated. Instead, they argue that material factors in pupils’ home background are the key to understanding class differences in achievement. Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the importance of cultural factors in causing social class differences in educational achievement. (20 marks)

26. Class Differences in Achievement: External factors
LO: Describe and evaluate the role of external factors affecting achievement, including material deprivation
Starter: Getting you thinking “State education is free in Britain. You do not have to pay to gain an education in this country.” But is it really free? Some sociologists argue that income plays a huge part in academic performance; those students from a low income family do not perform as well as others. Discuss and list reasons why some sociologists disagree with the above statement. HINT: Think about resources, materials, housing, parental jobs, time with children, homework…

27. The Hidden Cost of “Free” Education
“The hidden costs of sending a child to a state education amounted to around £1614 for basic school expenses in These are the costs parents are expected to pay for things like school uniform, PE kit, school trips, class materials, stationary, swimming lessons, school lunches, travel, photographs, charity contributions and other school activities”. (The Aviva Family Finances Report, 2013)

28. Getting you thinking: How might low income create a barrier to learning?
Smith and Noble (1995) studied the effects of poverty on learning and suggested a number of reasons why low income can hinder learning. For each item, discuss the impact it may have in educational performance:
Families being unable to afford uniforms, school trips, transport to and from school, classroom materials e.g. text books, calculators.
No computer and limited internet access, no desk, no educational toys (primary), no books, sharing a bedroom with siblings, no heat in the house.
Marketization of education – increasing the competition between schools, creating “good” and “bad” schools in an area.
Older middle class students having to work part time.
Children are less likely to take part in structured, out of school activities e.g. music lessons, organised sports, going to theatre or singing groups.

29. Material Deprivation – key factors
We will focus on the following key factors:
Housing
Diet and health
The cost of state education
Private education and financial support
Fear of debt (university applications)
Read the information on your worksheets and complete the activities. The activities are made up of discussions, exam style questions and essay planning.

30. Reading homework:
The process of research – pages 95 – 98.
Answer the “ quick check questions” – top of page 99

31. Material Deprivation and Education
Watch the clip below, and answer the following:
At what age does the educational attainment gap emerge?
Note the statistics quoted for GCSE attainment for poor children and better-off children.
Note the four policy areas that are suggested as ways to overcome material deprivation.
Then with a partner:
Using your textbook and information about the four policy areas in the clip, answer the following questions.
1. How effective do you think each intervention would be in overcoming the effects of material deprivation? Give reasons for your answers. 2. Do you think governments are likely to implement the plans shown in the film? Give reasons for your answer. 3. Rank the policy areas in order of importance to overcoming the problems of poverty in order to improve educational achievement.
USE NAPIER PRESS RESOURCE CHILD POVERTY AND ACHEIEVMENT

32. Cultural Capital: Bourdieu (1984) – a Marxist who saw the culture of the school as giving inbuilt advantage to middle class children.
Bourdieu suggests that cultural and material capital are not factors that contribute separately to educational achievement, but are interrelated.
Capital explains why middle class pupils are more likely to be more successful. There are different types of capital:
Economic capital: refers to wealth
Educational capital: refers to the qualifications a pupils gains (wealth of qualifications)
Cultural capital: refers to the possession of cultural characteristics which allows pupils to gain more of the other types of capital, however Bourdieu also emphasised the links between all three e.g. economic capital leading to more educational capital, cultural capital leading to more economic capital etc).
Teacher notes: cultural capital – access to more elite universities – succeeding at a job – gaining more economic capital – MONEY.

33. Cultural Capital
Knowledge, attitudes, values, language, tastes and abilities of the middle class which allows them to fit into more elite positions.
Cultural capital can take many forms….
Your accent , the way you walk, your vocabulary, your knowledge of the arts, cultural trends, fashion…….
All of the above helps middle class students to fit in with the elite universities, succeed in job interviews, running businesses…all of which ultimately allows them gain access to economic capital – wealth!

34. Bourdieu and Cultural Capital
The culture of the education system is that of the dominant class. The middle/upper class has more access to this culture and therefore enter education at an advantage. The working class are less likely to have this cultural capital and is therefore more likely to underachieve.
Questions to discuss and answer using the hand out:
How do you think family background helped/did not help you in making progress in education?
Look at your cartoon image – identify all the cultural features you can which might encourage success in education, and explain how the cartoon illustrates the concept of cultural capital and social capital.
Explain, with examples, what is meant by a ‘culture clash’ between home and school.
Do you think that the British education system and curriculum devalues the culture of the working class? Explain your answers using examples (perhaps consider some of the strengths of the working class culture?)
NEED TO COPY PICTURE FROM PAGE 61 FOR ANALYSIS.

35. Quick Starter Discussion
“Money alone cannot guarantee educational success, but it is very hard for poor families to get a high quality education”. How far would you agree with this statement? Justify your answers using evidence to support your points. (EXAM HINT: Point, explain, evidence, link to educational achievement)

36. Starter: Get gluing!
Education – stick in the spec checklist for: Class differences in education – external factors - Start ticking and RAG! Then stick in the spec checklist for INTERNAL FACTORS – we will start this today!

37. A test of Bourdieu's ideas….AO3 (Page 24)
Alice Sullivan (2001) – this is a KEY STUDY and must be learnt for the exam.
Method: Questionnaire survey on 465 pupils in fours schools (NOTE: Representative sample!)
The questionnaire assessed cultural capital e.g. reading habits, TV habits, whether they visited art galleries etc.
RESULTS: Those who read complex fiction, watched documentaries = wider vocabulary and greater cultural knowledge.
“The results from Sullivan (2001) support the assumption that cultural capital leads to greater educational success because…’”
EXTENSION: CULTURE CLASH page 62 of Polity book
NOTE: This is supporting evidence, so can be used to gain AO3 marks too!

38. Essay Question/Plan: Whole class
Item A – There are clear social class differences in educational achievement. Some sociologists argue that these are the result of factors outside of schools. Some claim that working class parents place less value on education and so their children see it as less important than do middle class pupils. Differences in speech codes and in the level of the families material resources may also have an impact. However, others suggest that what happens in school has a greater effect on social class differences in education. Applying material from Item A and your own knowledge, evaluate the view that middle class pupils’ higher level of achievement are the product of factors outside of school (20 marks)
USE EXAMINERS ADVICE ON PAGE 25

39. AO3: Evaluation of the external factors
We have now examined 3 theories which attempt to explain class differences in education – all of which focus on the importance of EXTERNAL factors. We must now evaluate each theory for AO3 credit. In an essay, you are advised to evaluate each theory as you go along, rather than wait until the end – P-E-E-E-L. My advice will always be to plan each P –E – E –E – L for revision/essay preparation.

40. Evaluate the importance….External factors
Cultural deprivation:
Factor 1 – language codes
Factor 2 – parental style, attitudes, level of education
Factor 3 – WC subcultures and values (Sugarman)
Material deprivation: Factor 1: A variety! Housing, diet and health, fear of debt etc etc! Could use evidence to support these factors, as well as a link to educational policies that have been introduced to help tackle these factors.
Cultural capital:
Main issue – takes the emphasis away from schools themselves. If there is so much of a culture clash for working class children going to school, then surely schools should change!?

41. Task: Bourdieu’s Cultural Capital
You each have a piece of reading material.
Your task is to read through and underline/annotate KEY POINTS
What are key points?
Keywords, key definitions, key concepts/theories, information you feel is important if you were to describe these theories to a novice (someone with no knowledge of the topic) so that they would fully understand.
Tasks:
a) You need to explain how the different types of capital can lead to underachievement in the lower classes. Do not focus only on economic and social – cultural capital is KEY.
c) Outline what is meant by habitus and how a working class habitus may lead to educational underachievement HINT: this is not explicit above, you will need to use your own knowledge for this.
d) AO3 EXTENSION: Summarise at least 3 evaluation points for the work of Bourdieu. You need to rank the three AO3 point in order of strength (your own personal opinion) with an explanation as to why you have ranked them so.

42. Type of Capital and the Role in Education
Read the biography for Charlie Cuthbert. Read it all the way through first.
Then highlight FIVE aspects of Charlie’s life associated with cultural capital. NOTE: Not just economic capital – focus on Charlie’s attitudes, aptitudes, values, abilities, intellectual interests, as well as all types of capital.
Finally annotate your highlighted work, explaining how each highlighted aspect of Charlie’s life gives him advantage over working class pupils, in terms of his academic success, his prospect for economic capital, the attitudes and values he might inherit which allow his to succeed in school….
EXT: This can also be linked to cultural deprivation (only in opposite!)
Make some links between Charlie’s life and a working class pupils life e.g. Charlie’s parents both have degrees and can help Charlie with school work……CDT suggests that a lack of this for working class pupils decreases academic success.

43. Outline three reasons why some working-class parents fail to attend parents’ evenings at their children’s school. [6 marks]

44. Two marks for each of three appropriate reasons suggested, such as:
• feelings of social inferiority
• they place a low value on/lack interest in education
• a lack of education/inability to understand the schoolwork
• cannot afford the costs of attending
• have to work longer hours to make a living wage
• more likely to be shift workers.
One mark for each of three partially appropriate answers, eg speaking restricted code

45. A test of Boudieu’s ideas….AO3 (Page 24)
Read the research by Alice Sullivan (2001) – this is a KEY STUDY and must be learnt for the exam.
Summarise the method Sullivan used and how she obtained data about the pupil’s cultural capital e.g. what did the questions focus on.
Summarise Sullivan’s findings and conclusions – NOTE: Findings relate to WHAT she found e.g. data, main findings whereas conclusions are the implications of the results for a theory (in this case, the importance of cultural capital).
“The results from Sullivan (2001) support the assumption that cultural capital leads to greater educational success because…’”
EXTENSION: CULTURE CLASH page 62 of Polity book
NOTE: This is supporting evidence, so can be used to gain AO3 marks too!