Ethnic Differences in Achievement - External Factors (Cultural Deprivation) Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Ethnic Differences in Achievement - External Factors (Cultural Deprivation) Deck (30)
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1
Q

What are the main external factors affecting ethnic differences in achievement?

A

1) . Cultural deprivation.
2) . Material deprivation and class.
3) . Racism in wider society.

2
Q

How does cultural deprivation explain some ethnic under-achievement?

A

Caused by inadequate socialisation in the home.

3
Q

What are the 3 main aspects of the cultural deprivation theory of explaining ethnic differences?

A

1) . Intellectual and language skills.
2) . Attitudes and values.
3) . Family structure and parental support.

4
Q

What do cultural deprivation theorists argue about low-income black families?

A

That these pupils lack intellectual stimulation.

  • as a result, they under-achieve as they are unable to develop reasoning and problem-solving skills.
5
Q

What does Bereiter and Engelmann claim about the language spoken by low-income black families?

A

It’s disjointed and ungrammatical =

  • their children are unable to express abstract ideas.
  • this creates a barrier to educational progress.
6
Q

How does Report criticise Bereiter and Engelmann’s claim?

A

Language isn’t a major factor in under-achievement =

  • this negative effect is likely to be temporary.
7
Q

What evidence shows language isn’t a major factor to under-achievement?

A

Official statistics =

  • in 2010, pupils with English as their first language were only 3.2 points of those without English as first language.
8
Q

How does Gillborn and Mirza show language isn’t a major factor in ethnic under-achievement?

A

Indian pupils do well despite often not speaking English at home.

9
Q

How are the attitudes of black families different from mainstream cultures?

A

Fatalism and immediate gratification =

  • the subculture in which black people are socialised is fatalistic and focus on immediate gratification.
  • resulting in a lack of motivation to succeed.
10
Q

What factors of the structure of black families contribute to their under-achievement?

A

1) . Lack of male role models.
2) . Culture of poverty.
3) . Impact of slavery.
4) . Fathers, gangs and cultures.

11
Q

How does Moynihan say black female-headed lone-parent families lead to their under-achievement?

A
  • Black children are deprived of adequate socialisation as male role model isn’t present.
  • This is due to many black families being lone female-headed.
  • Sees this as a cycle, the children will go on to fail and inadequately socialise their children.
12
Q

Who else discusses the family structure and parental support of some ethnic minorities having an impact on their under-achievement?

A

1) . Charles Murray (1984).
2) . Scruton (1986).
3) . Pryce (1979).

13
Q

What does Murray argue about the structure of some ethnic minorities’ families contributing to their under-achievement?

A

High rates of female headed lone-parents and a lack of positive male role models leads to the under-achievement of some minority pupils.

14
Q

What does Scruton say the reason for the under-achievement of some ethnic minorities is?

A

Their failure to embrace mainstream British culture.

15
Q

What evidence contradicts Murray’s claim?

A

1). Connor (2004) =

ethnic minority parents place a higher values on education than white parents.

2). Sewell (1998) =

only a minority of African-Carribean boys were anti-school.

16
Q

How does Pryce explain black under-achievement?

A

Due to the impacts of slavery =

  • black people, compared to Asian, are less resistant to racism.
  • slavery meant they lost their language, culture, etc.
  • this has resulted in black pupils having low self-esteem and under-achieving.
17
Q

How does Sewell (2009) oppose Murray?

A

Instead of there being a lack of fathers, its a lack of fatherly nurturing (tough, firm, fair) =

  • as a result, they turn to anti-school street gangs which offer perverse loyalty and love.
18
Q

How does Sewell describe the influence in black under-achievement?

A

Street gangs supplement the absence of a nurturing father, therefore, being anti-school and failing.

19
Q

What does Sewell say the greatest barrier to success is for black boys?

A

Based on interviews =

  • he found the greatest barrier for academically successful black boys was peer pressure from other black boys.
20
Q

According to Sewell, why do black pupils do worse than Asian pupils?

A

Cultural differences in socialisation.

  • black pupils may be influenced by MTV.
  • whereas, Asian pupils are more likely to be ‘clocking up the educational hours’.
21
Q

According to Sewell, how do Asain and Chinese families’ culture differ from black families?

A

They have a supportive ‘Asian work ethic’ and place high value on education.

22
Q

What did Lupton (2004) find about the effect adult authority in Asian families had on school?

A

Their respectful behaviour towards parents was reflected in school =

  • more likely to obey teachers.
  • their parents are more likely to be supportive of school behaviour policies.
23
Q

How does McCulloch (2014) support the argument that ethnic minorities are more likely to go to university?

A
  • Survey on 16,000 pupils.

- Found ethnic minority pupils are more likely to aspire to go to university than white British pupils.

24
Q

Why do white w/c pupils also under-achieve?

A

Because they have lower aspirations than other ethnic groups.

  • resulting in white w/c cultures, including a lack of parental support.
25
Q

What research supports the claim that white w/c pupils under-achieve because of a lack of aspirations and parental support?

A

1) . Lupton (2014).

2) . Evans (2006).

26
Q

What did Lupton (2014) find about the parental support of white w/c pupils?

A
  • Study on 4 mainly white w/c schools (2 = white, 1 = mainly Pakistani, 1 = mixed ethnic).
  • Found poorer behaviour and discipline in the white w/c schools.
  • Teachers blamed this on lower parental support and negative attitudes towards education.
27
Q

What did Evans (2006) say the main cause of white w/c under-achievement is?

A

Street culture in white w/c areas =

  • can be brutal and is brought to school.
  • this disrupts success as there is a strong pressure to reject education.
28
Q

What educational policy has been adopted to tackle cultural deprivation?

A

Compensatory education.

29
Q

What are some examples of compensatory education?

A

1) . Operation Head Start =
- In the USA.
- Established to compensate children for the cultural deficit they are said to suffer because of deprived backgrounds.
2) . Sure Start =
- In the UK.
- Aims to support the development of pre-school children in deprived areas.

30
Q

What are the criticisms of the cultural deprivation theory of ethnic differences?

A

1) . Victim-blaming =
- they are culturally different, not deprived.
- fail because schools are ethnocentric (favour of white).
2) . Cultural exclusion =
- ethnic parents don’t know how to negotiate with the school, so are culturally excluded, not deprived.
3) . Cultural domination =
- compensatory education imposes white m/c culture on minorities’ own culture (imposed etic).