Ethnic Differences - Internal factors

Ethnic Differences - Internal factors

1. Labelling & Teacher Racism

   • Gillborn & Youdell (2000)
     • Teachers were quicker to discipline black pupils than others for the same behaviour. They argue that this is a result of teacher’s ‘racialised expectations’. Teachers' assumptions about Black pupils'.
   • Foster (1990)
     • found that teachers’ stereotypes of black pupils as badly behaved could result in them being placed in lower sets than other pupils of similar ability - lower streams leads to SFP.
   • Bourne (1994)
     • found Black pupils receive more exclusions which leads to underachievement
   • Evaluation
     • There is a danger of seeing these stereotypes as simply the product of individual teachers’ prejudices, rather than of racism in the way that the education system as a whole operates.

2. Pupil Identities

   • Archer (2008)
     • argues ethnic minority pupils are likely to be seen as either demonised or pathologised pupils.
     • 1) ideal pupils = m/c
       • 2) Pathologised Pupil = Asian, "deserving poor", feminised identity
         • 3) Demonised Pupil = Black or white, culturally deprived/unintelligent

3. Pupil Responses & Subcultures

   • Sewell
     • The Rebels = influential
       • excluded from school, rejected school goals.
     • The Conformists = Largest
       • Keen to succeed, accepted school goals.
     • The Retreatists = isolated
       • Disconnected from both school and black subculture - despised by the rebels.
     • The Innovators = 2nd largest
       • Pro-education but anti-school, valued success but did not seek approval - distanced from conformists.

4. Institutional Racism

   • Marketisation and Segregation
     • Gillborn (1997)
       • argues that because marketization gives schools more scope to select pupils, it allows negative stereotypes to influence decisions about school admissions.
     • Moore & Davenport (1990)-
       • primary school reports were used to screen out pupils with language difficulties
   • Ethnocentric Curriculum
     • giving priority to the culture and viewpoint of one ethnic group while disregarding others.
   • Assessment
     • Gillborn concludes that the education system is institutionally racist, creating an environment in which ethnic minority pupils are routinely disadvantaged.
   • The ‘new IQism’