Examine the ways in which factors in pupils home background may affect their educational attainment.

Bourdieu feels middle and upper class students have a distict advantage which is known as cultural capital. Their lack of knowledge of the dominant culture disadvantages them imediately and continues to act a barrier to learning, which means they are more likely to fail exams.

Bernsteins analysis of speech patterns suggests that:

There are two froms of speech patterns: ELABORATED CODE and RESTRICTED CODE.

Working class children are limited to restricted code.

Bernstein argues that middle class students have a distinct advantage over working class students because school is conducted through an elaborated code and analysis is that middle class people are more likely to use the elaborated code therefore are well practised before they enter the school gates. The reason working class children are said to under-achieve in comparison with the middle class is because working class children use more infromal language, known as the restricted code. It is deemed unsuitable in school and immediately disadvantages them from acquiring the skills demanded by the education system.

Studies have shown that the middle class home offers a better environment for educational success due to them being financially better-off which allows better home resources for example access to books, computers (and so the internet) and appropriate places to study.

Research shows how middle class parents, who are more likely to have benefited from the education system, are more likely to show an interest and herefore encourage and help them children more. It seems they are able to offer both financial and interlectual help which makes them offer a better environment than the working class parents.

It is evident from sociological work that cultural background can act as a barrier.

The Swann Report showed, that whilst Asian chldren in Britain do almost as well as white children, West Indian childre, do considerably worse.

The report found that some (predominantly white) teachers were un-intentionally racist by holding comon stereotypical views of ethnic minority students. In other words they expected them to have disciplinary problems and do badly. This 'Institutional Racism' is exacebated by the language conventions used by schools.

Coard argues that West Indian children are taught that Black culture and ways of speaing are inferior to 'normal' school discourse.

Schools seem to ostracise certain groups, who mayas a consequence develop a sense of inferioty because they appear to lack qualities that are required for academic success.

Overall, it is evident that the factors that are present in pupils home backgrounds effect their educational attainment.

Sociology - Education

By

Azmina Thanda

Miss Binsted

(12S)