Outline and assess the view that processes within schools result in differences in educational achievement between ethnic groups

Introduction:
1. The current situation for students of different ethnic backgrounds is that black african carribean boys achieve the least, compared to Chinese girls who achieve the most. However, it is generally white middle class females who are seen as the ideal pupil according to Becker
Conclusion
1. While ethnicity is an affecting factor in educational achievement, class is still the most important factor within education. This is according to Gilborn and Mirza
Outside school factors
1. Cultural Deprivation
  1. Hyman said that working class lack work ethic and that they value: Fatalism, immediate gratification, Present time orientation and Collectivism
  2. Douglas: Middle class parents tend to take more of an interest in their child's education.
2. Social Deprivation
  1. Afro Caribbean adolescents with absent fathers do not have role models.
  2. Working class people have less connections
  3. Material Deprivation: Smith & Noble say there is a low income barrier that stops people from learning. Due to the fact that they can't afford computers or books.
  4. Reay et al says 32% of working class students who go to university stay at home due to the travel/accommodation costs.
3. Cultural Capital
  1. Bernstein: Elaborated & Restricted Code
  2. Parentocracy - Parents now have more choice
  3. Bordieu found that middle class parents have more culture capital and therefore use it to their advantage to get their children into the best schools. This leaves lower class parents with restricted choice
4. Social Capital
  1. Old boys' network
  2. middle class parents will have more connections
Inside school factors
1. Labelling
  1. Becker stated that the ideal pupil is a white middle class female. This was later proved by Dunne & Gazeley
  2. Connelly found that teachers tended to see Asian boys as immature, their behaviour was feminised and not seen as threatening in the way that black boys’ was. Academic achievements were often praised and encouraged, and teachers did have high academic expectations.
2. Setting and streaming
  1. Because people from working class and different ethnic backgrounds, they are more likely to be labelled negatively which reinforces the differential educational achievement
3. Pupil subcultures
  1. Mac an Ghaill – young African-Caribbean males developed subcultures based on very masculine images (warriors, rasta-heads) as a response to teacher labelling.
  2. Research suggests that some cultures develop anti school subcultures. Sewell says this is specifically black males.
4. Hidden curriculum
5. General
  1. Explanations for difference in ethnic attainment: Labelling, formation of subcultures, low teacher expectations and ethnocentric curriculum despite attempts towards multicultural education
    1. Some minority groups such as Chinese, Indian and Irish heritage perform better than others such as African, Caribbean and Pakistani.
  2. Unsuccessful ethnic minority students are more likely to stay in education than white students.
  3. Some explanations for ethnic differences: Afro-Caribbean culture creates failure as a result of being a minority High rate of male desertion in African-Caribbean families – lack of male role models therefore vulnerable to peer group pressure and to aggressive version of masculinity (Sewell) Language issues Ball – ethnic minority parents are disadvantaged when trying to get their children
6. Self fulfilling prophecy

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Outline and assess the view that processes within schools result in differences in educational achievement between ethnic groups

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	Created by 22010865 almost 9 years ago