Therefore Marxists will argue that the working classes are suppressed as they cannot afford such essentials that come so easily to the upper classes. Which means Marxists will also argue there is not an equality of opportunity for all students as upper class students have better recourses. Douglas in his research “The home and the school” found that poor housing conditions such as overcrowding and insufficient space can affect a student’s ability to study at home. Poor diets and higher levels of sickness through an inability to afford healthy food increases absences which mean the student will fall behind in lessons. Low income will mean that parents will be unable afford educational books or tutoring in order to help the student pass.
Some sociologists argue that external factors (factors outside of the education system) such as material deprivation (a lack of material resources e.g. money, equipment, good quality housing etc.) and cultural deprivation (a lack of intellectual and linguistic skills, and the attitudes of both pupils and parents) explain why working class children underachieve, whereas other sociologists would argue that it is actually internal factors (factors within school and the education system) that cause underachievement, such as insufficient parent-teacher communication, failure of teachers to recognize differences in cultures and beliefs etc). Cultural deprivation theorists argue that parents’ attitudes and values are a key factor affecting education achievement. For example, Douglas found that working-class parents placed less value on education, were less ambitious for their children, gave them less encouragement, and took less interest in their education.
Lower-income children are not always given the same opportunity to receive a high quality education. When impoverished children are subjected to an education where there is a 35 to 1 student-teacher ratio and limited amount of class materials and resources such as books, they are sent a message that no one values them or their education, causing many students to lose their passion for education. The impoverished are also viewed as individuals who cannot handle their finances and save for a rainy day. Many like to believe that the impoverished do not know the value of a dollar, and only splurge on frivolous things. The reality is that lower-income families barley makes enough to cover their bills.
This is a big influence on student’s educational achievement as they do not have enough money to buy the necessary equipment for school such as revision guides. Also, if a student comes from a poor background, the house is more likely to be overcrowded. This means that they do not have a quiet place to study and do their homework which puts them at a disadvantage. Thay may not be able to afford educational trips etc. this is known as cultural deprivation.
Outline Some of the Ways in Which Cultural Deprivation May Lead to Educational Under-Achievement for Working-Class Pupils There are many ways in which cultural deprivation may lead to educational under-achievement working-class pupils. The term culture in sociology refers to all the norms, values and also beliefs that everyone gets from their primary socialization (Normally this is parents), this socialization is passed down from generation upon generation, thus creating a consensus. The term deprivation means the lack of material benefits which is consider to be basic necessities in society. A lack of social depravation is the failure of transmitting the appropriate norms, values, attitudes, and knowledge, there is considered a “right” culture that is need for success (in education) In a whole cultural deprivation theorist say that there is three factors, which is mainly responsible for the working-class to be under-achieving. One factor for the working-class under-achieving is that the working-class families are less likely to give their children toys that are educations, stimulating their thinking and reason skills.
In today’s society poverty and oppression go hand in hand. The poor are oppressed by society because they do not have the resources to prepare themselves to compete in a job market. For example, South Central Los Angeles is an oppressed area because people do not have proper education. Schools in this area are overcrowded and the teachers do not teach the way they should. Students are deprived and oppressed of a quality education because the district does not have the money to invest on the kids’ education; unlike in other school districts in wealthier areas where the class sizes are smaller the teaching quality is considerably better.
The government controls everything dealing with education. They came up with a system to help support the migrant children but it is still mainly about money when it comes down to it. What Han is also referring to in the government that they have hidden cost in the school system which is a burden on migrant workers and their families. Like for migrant schools they get money from the migrant workers and not the help of the government. Education is one of the biggest problems that migrant workers face because they are considered low class.
Cultural deprivation theorists see the lack of intellectual and linguistic skills as a major cause of underachievement for many minority children. They argue that many children from low-income black families lack intellectual stimulation and enriching experiences. This leaves them poorly equipped for school because they have not been able to develop reasoning and problem-solving skills. Another concern is that children who do not speak English at home may be held back educationally. However, the Swan Report 1985 found that language was not a major factor in underachievement, while David Gilborn notes than Indian pupils do very well despite often not having English as their home language.
Paragraphs: 21-23 Open-Ended Question Q: Does poor economic background cause poor grades? A: I personally believe that economic background only matters in how the parents decide to emphasize education to their children. However, there is data to suggest that the parents of kids coming from a lower economic background place less emphasis on their children’s academic success, which definitely plays a role in getting poor grades. Paragraphs: 19-20 Universal Theme Question Q: Is the repeated evaluation of students that most schools use detrimental to the academic success of the majority? A: I believe the current rigid system of evaluation de-emphasizes the learning process in favor of quantifiable results that can be analyzed by some machine, instead of truly allowing each student to live up to his or her potential.
Culture enables people to embody the characteristics they have grown to learn and be open-minded to others around them. One of the issues surrounding the educational system is how we view the culture of poor and minoritized students. We often categorized within the idea that poor students share a “culture of poverty”, which affected the society’s perception of them as inferior and less capable. They begin to be seen as deficient in cognitive and social resources in learning compared to other races. We seem to lower our standards because we think they are not academically competitive and thus discourage the concept of achievement.