Assess the Claim That Class Differences in Educational

ASSESS THE CLAIM THAT CLASS DIFFERENCES IN EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT ARE PRIMARILY THE RESULT OF EXTERNAL FACTORS. In this essay impertinent factors willing be assessed. On average, tikeren from eye- crystalize families perform infract than work dissever children. The gap between the grade percentages grow wider as children get older. It is prove that 77% of children from a higher professional background achieve five or to a greater extent A*-C at GCSE. Whereas only 35% children from a habitude background achieve five or more A*-C grades at GCSE. These statistics show that there is a persistent gap in the achievement levels of work word form and middle year pupils.There atomic number 18 two factors related to home background that sociologists argue may lead to differences in a pupils nurtureal achievement. The prototypic is CULTURAL FACTORS. some(a) sociologists argue that most of us begin to acquire the basic values, attitudes and key skills that are needed for educati onal success through primitive socialisation in the family. However, these sociologists also believe that many operative class families fail to socialise their children in the right way. Therefore these children are culturally divest.The three main areas of cultural deprivation are intellectual development, language, and attitudes and values. Intellectual development was discovered by a sociologist called Douglas. Douglas conducted a longitudinal study of 5362 children born(p) in 1964. He followed them through primary and secondary coach and found that children of the same measured ability at age 7 varied a great deal at age 11 depending on their social class. He basically found that working class did badly and middle class did well. Douglas also found that working class pupils were less wishly to continue in further education after the age of 16.Douglas believed that middle class children buzz off more attention and stimulus from their parents in their early years. Douglas b elieved that working class parents took their children to parks in the day time, put them in front of the television, and gave them not very educational toys. He also believed that middle class parents gave their children a head start by taking them to m expenditureums, libraries and bought them educational toys, like jigsaw puzzles and talking toys. lingual deprivation is a theory argued by Basil Bernstein. Bernstein believed there are two types of language used.Restricted inscribe Typically used by working class people, they use limited vocabulary, and use short simple sentences. The speech is predict open and context bound (which means the speaker assumes the meeter shares same views/experiences) Elaborated code Typically used by middle-class people, the speaker has a wider vocabulary and speech is varied. Context free (which means the speaker does not assume the listener shares same views/experiences and uses language to explain meanings) Bernstein believed that the success of a pupil depends heavily on language.The ability to read and understand books, to write clearly and to be able to explain yourself fully in both speech and writing are key language skills required for success in education. If these skills are not actual in the family, then a child will be at a disadvantage in education. Teachers in drills are more likely to use context free elaborated code, as it is more descriptive and explanatory. Also, the elaborated code is the typical way of speaking for the middle class, and not many working class people will become teachers.However, some pupils may not understand the elaborated code and may switch off preventing discipline in the classroom. The elaborated code may benefit middle class students after school, for example in college, university and job interviews. Middle class students can express themselves better which then gives a better impression than maybe one of a working class background could not. Attitudes and values is the third area of cultural deprivation. Some sociologists argue that parents attitudes and values are a key factor affecting a pupils educational achievement.Douglas argued that working class parents attitudes prevent children from achieving in education. He believed that middle class parents were more sidelineed in their childrens education. For example, visit the school more frequently, encourage their children to stay on in further education, and help their children with school work. He found that working class parents place less value on education, were less ambitious for their children, gave them less encouragement and took less interest in their education, they visited their schools less often, and were less likely to discuss their childrens progress with teachers.As a result of this, the children had lower levels of motivation. There are many reasons why working class parents may place less value on education, maybe they havent experienced the benefits of college and universities so t hey dont value further education as much. Working class parents may be less ambitious because they have seen how their peers and family members have turned out and think there is no daub in focussing on education because none of their peers/family members achieved in education and theyre getting on with their lives.Working class parents may show less interest as they personally dont enjoy their lives, there is no motivation to even get out of bed in the morning, let unaccompanied push for their child to do well in school. Sugarman (1970) believed lack of parental interest in their childrens education reflects the sub-cultural values of the working class. Large sections of the working class have different goals, beliefs, attitudes and values from the rest of society and this is why their children fail at school. Sugarman believes there are four key features Fatalism- The attitude of what will be will be (working class).The attitude of to change through efforts (middle class). Colle ctivism- Value being part of a group (working class) Immediate gratification Vs Deferred gratification- Want abide by as soon as possible ,leave school and go straight into work to make money (working class). Present- time orientation- Seeing the present as more important (working class). Seeing planning for the future, more important (middle class). Cultural deprivation recognises the importance of social (not biological causes of class inequalities in educational attainment.Research has been conducted which supports these theories. However, it blames the individual for their failure, it ignores the square up of school and peer pressure by only focussing on the home. The theory is deterministic- it assumes that all working class will fail. It is very stereotypical and involves a judgement that the culture of one class is better than another. However, the cultural deprivation theory has been influential and did at one time influence the government to advance parenting skills by r unning a programme in the U.S called OPERATION HEAD START. This organisation helped working class families by health visitors and educational psychologists visiting their homes, and learning programmes for deprived children. In the U. K (2000) SURE START was launched. Sure start is a major element in the British governments policy to tackle penury and social exclusion. The second factor related to home background is MATERIAL DEPRIVATION. According to the Halifax building society (2006). A private education for a child between the ages of three to 18, will cost ? 26,000. This shows that middle-class parents take great care and money into providing a better education for their child. Some sociologists see corporal deprivation as the main cause of underachievement. This argument states that working class children are disadvantaged because they are more likely to lack material factors that are necessary to create a good educational environment. For example, good housing, clothes, heal thy food, length to study, lack of educational books and educational equipment.Facts show that exclusion and truancy are more likely for children from poorer families. Nearly 90% of failing schools are located in deprived areas. Jesson & Grays 1991 Nottinghamshire study revealed that half of the pupils receiving free school meals had low GCSE scores as opposed to one sixth of pupils. This fact proves that material deprivation is a massive reason for pupils under achieving in education. Children that do not have the books and writing equipment are less likely to succeed because they are getting further and further behind.There are many factors that impact on the educational attainment of working class children. Pupils may not have the time to do school work at home, due to maybe a sick parent or a busy household. Working class families are less likely to own their own home, rented accommodation is less constant as they could be asked to leave. This means the child will fall behind, get in trouble with the teachers , creating a reputation for themselves. Pupils may not have the space at home to do homework, due to bigger working class families, smaller houses.The parents of working class pupils may not be able to open fire money for educational trips, resulting in lack of understanding of a subject, looked lower by peers at school. They may not have access to educational materials like computers and software. There are so many important facts that as a sociologist you have to remember and take into consideration. However, both middle class and working class are affected by economic down turn recently (the recession). Family break- down in both classes can affect the childs gentility or emotional well being, regardless of class. To conclude