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??

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

Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class

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

Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class IQ TestsThey 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

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”

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”

Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Bernstein 1972 – Language CodesRestricted Code of the working

class not suited to academic study

Shorthand speechGrammatically simpleMeanings don’t need to be made

explicit“Get out of that puddle”

Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Bernstein 1972 – Language CodesElaborated Code – middle classMore complex speechDetails and explanations are given“Get out of that puddle because the

water will get in your shoes and make your socks wet and uncomfortable”

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.

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

Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Class Subcultures Ball, Bowe & Gewirtz 1994 Cultural Capital gives MC parents more

advantagesTheir contacts and knowledge mean they

play the systemThey have more ‘stamina’ for researching

schools and appeals etcThey can afford to move to areas where

‘good’ schools are or pay for travel etc

Differential Educational Achievement 1.Class Class Subcultures Smith & Noble 1994Schools in wealthy middle class areas

areas are better equippedParents with money provide more

educational aids – computers, books, private tutors etc

Now Try THIS TEST