Sociology - Class Mind map

Sociology - Class Mind map

1. External - Cultural Factors

   • Language codes - the working class and upper class speak in 2 different codes ELABORATE and RESTRICTED CODE - This disadvantages the lower class as all school curriculum is taught in ELABORATE, making the content hard to understand - Bernstein - EVAL - Many children are exposed to elaborate code from early on now such as the show Hey Duggie
   • Working Class Labels - Fatalism, Collectivism, Immediate gratification Present time orientated -Working Class students take on these characteristics, meaning they either accept they are destined to fail, only do certain things that benefit them in that moment, they only focus on the present not end goals and group together and follow their peers - Sugarman - EVAL - Sugarman conducted his research on limited students through questionairs in the 70s, education has come along way since
   • Upper Class Capitals - The upper class have 3 main features that give them an advantage in education - Economic, this allows them the finances to access education. Cultural - They are socialised into high culture allowing them to access academia from a young age. Social, HABITUS, which is the norms and values they are socialised with are accepted within schools - This creates SYMBOLIC VIOLENCE between students - Bourdieu - EVAL - This Marxist perspective ignores an emerging middle class and only focus on the black and white of classes.

2. External - Material Factors

   • The hidden cost of education - The education system has hidden costs such as, uniform, textbooks, food technology and trips, working class children’s families do not have the finances for these - Due to this working class children may be bullied or feel excluded from school as they cannot participate in these aspects - This can result in lack of attendance in school or lack of motivation - EVAL - There has now been an introduction of pupil premium which provides students with financial help.
   • Nutrition + Housing - Lower Class students mostly come from families relying on welfare provided by the government and are in social housing - On average lower class families on welfare have £27 a week to spend on food and social housing has an increasing issue with damp and mould - A poor diet and damp housing can result in lack of attendance due to illness from these conditions - EVAL - Lower class students are now given free school meals, approved as nutritional foods.
   • Fear of debt - University’s have raising prices of £9000 a year along with the extra finances of university. Working class parents are less able to financially support their children within the university process - A study found of 2000 students that working class students were more concerned and worried about the risks of debt than upper class - Drop out rates from working class students are now rising. - EVAL - There are now many alternative routes into financial and job success as there are many apprenticeships in fields such as business and accounting.

3. Internal Factors

   • Labelling - Teachers label students and attach a definition to them based on their behaviours, they can have preconceived ideas about them due to aspects such as their class - Becker - Working class students are labelled as ‘lost causes’ and are left in classes by teachers as ‘intelligent’ upper class students are sat on tables closer to the front and given more academically challenging work. - EVAL - There is now less opportunity for teachers to label as students are given target grades which they should attempt to hit and their work is viewed by other sources.
   • Self fulfilling prophecy - When a teacher labels a students identity it has 2 affects, the student will feel the teacher is disciplining them more harshly and differently, meaning the student will internalise the teachers attitude and start to see themselves as the teacher labelled - Working class students experience this - Sociology IQ TEST - Out of a group of average children 20% were told to have a high IQ to the teacher, although this was false a year later these children had achieved better academically than their peers. EVAL - This study as done on a small group of student, class sized, and it does not apply to larger groups of children, different teachers, and areas.
   • Streaming + A to C economy - Schools get more funding depending on the amount of students they recruit, they are in league tables to compete with each other to STREAM the best students they do this with their A - C grades. - A to C economy highlights that students are labelled into 3 categories students already achieving A grades are left to succeed, students on B/C are given the most help and attention in schools and students in the bottom category are left to fail as they are ‘hopeless’ causes and left, these students tend to be working class - EVAL - OFSTED now look at the success gap between working class and middle class and look at books, forcing schools to highlight how they are limiting the gap.
   • Working class identity - Many working class students are highly conscious of their identity and use this as a form of gaining recognition and self worth, however these clash with school rules. - Due to this working class groups reject the school as they police their identity and attempt to shrink them down into a stereotype which does not affiliate with them. - Nike identity, the style of wearing logos/branding to school is banned in schools across the UK, Working class girls also have an identity focused on makeup, Jewellery and relationships, all not permitted within school. - EVAL - this theory places to much emphasis upon fashion as a source of identity not the norms and values you are socialised into ect.
   • Anti school subcultures - Due to working class students being pushed to lower sets, with no challenging/engaging work they create anti school subcultures, POLARISATION. - This impacts education of working class students as when they create these subcultures due to congregating in these low sweets three all adopt the same narratives that reject education and only focus on the present time fun they can have with their peers, COLLECTIVISM. - EVAL - This study only focus on working class boys and ignores that working class girls tend to not engage in anti school subcultures.