Class inequality in education and employment

Overview

Attainment gap, cultural deprivation theory and pattern of unemployment by social class.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is the pattern of educational attainment by social class in the United Kingdom?

   Model answer

   Attainment rises with social class at every stage of schooling. Pupils from higher socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to reach the expected standard at each key stage, to gain strong grades at sixteen and eighteen, and to enter selective universities.

2. 2

   What is the attainment gap, and how is it usually measured?

   Model answer

   The attainment gap is the difference in results between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. In England it is commonly measured by comparing pupils eligible for free school meals with those who are not, which is a proxy for low household income.

3. 3

   How do material factors explain class differences in attainment?

   Model answer

   Material explanations point to overcrowded or cold housing and the lack of a quiet place to study. The cost of books, trips, uniform and equipment is a second factor. Poorer diet and health, and the need to work part-time, complete the list, and all bear on a pupil's capacity to learn.

4. 4

   How do cultural factors explain class differences in attainment?

   Model answer

   Cultural explanations point to differences in language and in parental knowledge of the education system. Differences in expectations are a further factor. Bourdieu called the relevant resource cultural capital, and argued that schools reward dispositions middle-class children acquire at home.

5. 5

   What did Bernstein argue about language and education?

   Model answer

   Bernstein distinguished a restricted code, tied to shared context, from an elaborated code that spells out meaning explicitly. Bernstein argued that schools operate in the elaborated code, which is more familiar to middle-class children. Bernstein insisted this was not a deficiency in working-class speech.

6. 6

   What is meant by cultural deprivation theory, and what is the objection to it?

   Model answer

   Cultural deprivation theory holds that some working-class homes lack the values, language and stimulation that schooling requires. Critics reply that it blames families for structural disadvantage and mistakes cultural difference for cultural deficiency.

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