Assess the importance of school factors such as racism and pupils responses to racism in creating ethnic differences in educational achievement. Many sociologists would argue that internal factors are the most important factors when referring to racism and responses from the pupils as the school is where most of this would take place where different ethnicities are treated in different ways. However, some sociologists would disagree and say that external factors are more important than the internal factors which have an effect creating pupils to face racism at school and their responses in a particular way. Firstly, to start with, labelling in school factor and teacher racism is the first internal factor. Gillborn (1990) found that teachers were quick to discipline black pupils than any other raced pupils for the same behaviour.
Payne stated that students should learn the “hidden rules” of the middle class from their educators so that they have another set of rules to use if they choose to do so. Impoverished students, compared to students of middle or upper class, often have a lack of proper funding, thus, a lack of appropriate resources to use in their education. Due to this, they are often unprepared for school, not having the money to purchase books and other educational tools. Both authors realize this, but argue that the responsibility lies on different shoulders. Payne states that impoverished students face inequality at school, insinuating that the school should be responsible for helping to provide for these students so that they can have a better education.
Assess the claim that ethnic differences in educational achievement are primarily the result of school factors. Differences in educational achievement can be demonstrated through ethnicity, this can be for a number of reasons. Write(1992) found that teachers treated and perceived ethnic pupils differently from white pupils. Sewell (1996) said ‘Many people are fearful of black boys.’ This stereotyping could lead to the ‘black boys’ receiving a different teaching approach, therefore a worse education. All the students should be treated equally but African-Caribbean boys have been labeled as unruly, disrespectful, difficult to control and ‘reject the white dominated education system’(O’Donnel 1991).
Assess the view that processes in school themselves are mainly responsible for ethnic differences in attainment? Several sociologists have a contrast of theories on if the education is mainly responsible for the ethnic differences in attainment. Some recognise that the education is mainly the reason as they continuously place negative labels on ethnic minorities and give them unfair sanctions. However, other sociologist theorise that the cause to this problem are external factors like material deprivation; their families attitude towards education, and several others. Although statistics show that the highest ethnicity whom over achieves in education are Chinese people, it is still very debatable for other ethnicity’s whether the schools process affects their attainment.
Recent studies highlight the effects of racism. It is believed that ethnicity influences such factors, leading to an impact upon their education. This essay will assess sociological explanations of ethnic differences in educational achievement, using research from sociologists such as Modood, Gillborn, Mirza and Wright. Modood was one of the major sociologists. He found figures on the higher and lower levels of achievement from different ethnic groups.
Sociology of Education Unit 04 What patterns of achievement are there for students of different ethnicities? Learning targets: • Different ethnic groups appear to have differing levels of achievement in school. Overall, the ethnicities of attainment are White, Chinese and Indian heritage students. • There has been concern about the achievement levels of certain Black minorities: in particular, African Caribbeans and Bangladeshi students under-attain in schools. • Sociologists have difficulty in measuring the impact of ethnicity on achievement because other factors may be involved.
In turn, it has caused a lowering of standards, which has had its greatest impact on minority students. Whether one adheres to Hirsch’s views or not, he drives at one of our nation’s greatest concerns: the inequity of achievement in education. We should move to embrace educators who make education relevant to students, while also maintaining high standards for them. He makes some valid points
Summary In the article Profoundly Multicultural Questions by Sonia M. Nieto she addresses the issue of students of multi-cultural backgrounds and the problems which they are facing in the school system. Nieto highlight the difference in the amount of money and technology available for children of different socioeconomic backgrounds, the marginalization of minority students and the struggles they face from educators and the school system. Abstract In his book Youth and Identity Erickson (1968) relates ego identity and self-esteem to racial identity. He further states that ambiguous messages about one’s race may place at person at risk for developing what he referred to as a “negative identity” (oka 199 pg.3) Minority children faces those issues everyday of their lives and then they are placed in class rooms where teachers don’t understand and appreciate their diversity. A teacher’s appreciation and acceptance for diversity will help them enable children to child gain a positive self-concept.
A number of explanations for this data has been put forward by sociologists and they can be divided into ‘internal’ and ‘external’ factors, although in reality they do intertwine with each other. External factors are factors that occur outside the education system which possibly have an effect on the educational achievement of pupils. The first main external factor is cultural deprivation. Cultural deprivation argue that many working class families fail to perform one of their main functions- primary socialisation of children- and therefore their children are unable to acquire the basic values, attitudes and skills that are needed for educational success. They grow up ‘culturally deprived’, lacking the cultural equipment needed to do well at school, thus underachieving.
Cultural deprivation is the theory that many working class and black children are inadequately socialised and therefore lack the “right” culture needed for educational needs. There are two factors to this; internal and external. The internal factors consist of factors within education such as pupils, teachers and inequality between schools. The external factors are outside the education system. There are three main aspects to cultural deprivation.