Marxism: differential educational achievement

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  • Marxism: differential educational achievement
    • Cultural deprivation
      • functionalists idea of cultural capital blames working class people for their failure (when it is in fact because of capitalism
      • education system is based on ruling class culture, because the ruling class have the power to define what's counted as knowledge in the education system
      • it is not that working class are culturally deprived, rather they are in a rigged race
        • the culture of the ruling class can be turned into wealth and power
    • Myth of meritocracy
      • education is not about creating a meritocracy, it's about transmitting privilege and wealth from one generation to the other
    • Key Sociologist: Gerwitz
      • a parent's cultural capital can explain attainment. there are 3 types of parent
        • 1. privileged skilled choosers: they know about the school system and have the time + money to support their kid's education
          • 2. semi skilled choosers: concerned for their kid's education but lack awareness of how to choose the best schools
            • 3. disconnected choosers: concerned for their child but do not see their choice of school as determining education success. also lack material resources to choose a good school
          • likely to be middle class
    • Key Sociologist: Sullivan
      • supports the theory of cultural capital. school has a limited effect on culture of the child; parental background is the most significant factor
        • material factors are also highly significant
    • Key Sociologists: Werfhorst and Hofstede
      • draw on the work of Boudon to explain aspirations:
        • working class kids are less likely to continue than the middle class kids who risk social demotion if they don't
    • Material factors
      • poverty has an impact on attainment e.g working class not being able to afford textbooks or a laptop
      • Key Sociologists: Smith and Noble
        • argues that poverty means parents are unable to afford school uniform, trips and things like computers
        • they're unable to afford housing in the catchment area of a good school
    • Evaluation
      • new right reject the idea that some are significantly deprived, especially in a period of growing affluence and welfare state
      • the focus on factors external to the school and what happens inside the classroom means the effect of teachers on their students is ignored

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