Influence of Education Policies in the UK

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Questions and Answers

According to DFCSF (2007), what is considered as a feminine activity due to literacy issues among males?

Reading

How does the decline in heavy industries impact male employment opportunities according to Mitsos and Browne?

It causes an identity crisis among males

Why does Sewell suggest that coursework should be replaced with exams?

To address the lack of masculine traits like competitiveness

What is a key reason for the declining presence of 'real' male role models in schools?

Celebration of attentiveness in class by schools Signup and view all the answers

Which factor contributes to lower achievement levels among boys according to the text?

Limited vocabulary impacting coherent expression Signup and view all the answers

How does the feminization of primary teaching impact boys' perception of future employment?

It lowers their self-esteem and motivation Signup and view all the answers

What is the main role of the Ideological State Apparatus according to the text?

To pass on the dominate ideology of the Ruling class Signup and view all the answers

According to Althusser, what is the main purpose of education?

To maintain capitalism and reproduce social inequality Signup and view all the answers

What concept is used to describe the idea that school processes mirror the world of work?

Correspondence principle Signup and view all the answers

How is the Hidden Curriculum designed to function according to the text?

To maintain capitalism Signup and view all the answers

What does the Myth of Meritocracy suggest about education?

Education claims to be meritocratic but favors the middle class Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes a social institution that enforces dominant ideology through force or threat of force?

Repressive State Apparatus Signup and view all the answers

What influence can the dominating gender in a lesson have on gender image, based on the text?

Significant influence Signup and view all the answers

What might girls be seen as if they opt for sports?

Unfeminine Signup and view all the answers

How does Paechter's research impact students' decisions in relation to sports?

Associates sports with masculinity Signup and view all the answers

Why might BAME students be discouraged from studying English and History, as mentioned in the text?

Focus on white British culture Signup and view all the answers

What factor may lead some students to feel excluded from certain subjects based on the text?

Cultural knowledge requirements Signup and view all the answers

In which type of schools does Leonard suggest that gendered subject image has less impact?

Single-sex schools Signup and view all the answers

What are the three interlinked types of capital according to Bourdieu?

Cultural, economic, and educational Signup and view all the answers

What did Margaret Fuller's research on black girls in a London school reveal about their response to being labelled as low-achievers?

They rejected the label and strived to prove their teachers wrong. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of capital includes knowledge, attitudes, values, language, and abilities?

Cultural Capital Signup and view all the answers

What impact can a negative label on working-class (W/C) students have according to the text?

It might cause students to underachieve by forming an anti-school subculture. Signup and view all the answers

How does Economic Capital contribute to academic achievement according to Bourdieu?

By affording private schooling and tutors Signup and view all the answers

Why might a positive label given to middle-class (M/C) students contribute to their achievement according to the text?

It can result in a pro-school subculture. Signup and view all the answers

How does being placed in lower streams/sets in schools affect the achievement of students?

It limits access to opportunities for achievement. Signup and view all the answers

Why do middle-class students tend to perform better academically than their working-class counterparts?

Due to higher levels of Cultural Capital Signup and view all the answers

What external factor is mentioned in relation to the higher rate of hyperactivity and ADHD among 10-year-olds from lower-income backgrounds?

Economic status Signup and view all the answers

What critique does labeling theory face according to the text?

It overemphasizes the role of teacher agency. Signup and view all the answers

How might structural sociologists counter the argument of teacher agency in labeling theory?

By pointing out that schools themselves influence teachers' labeling practices. Signup and view all the answers

In Alice Sullivan's study assessing students' cultural capital, how many pupils across 4 schools completed the questionnaires?

465 Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Gender Identities and Peer Group Pressures

Girls dominate in Drama and the Arts, while boys dominate in PE, influencing gender images.
Students face pressure to conform to gender stereotypes to be accepted by peers.
Sport is seen as a male domain, and girls who participate are seen as unfeminine.
Students who opt for opposite-domain subjects may face name-calling and bullying.

Ethnocentric Curriculum and Material Factors

BAME students may be put off from studying subjects like English and History due to the focus on white British culture.
Students may be channelled to less academic subjects due to limited English language proficiency.
Material factors, such as the cost of completing a course, may exclude students from certain subjects (e.g., Music and Art).

Cultural Factors and Labelling

Working-class students may feel certain subjects are not for them due to lack of cultural knowledge (e.g., Drama or English).
Working-class students may be pushed towards less academic and more vocational subjects.

Subject Choice and Evaluation

Moving towards gender-neutral parenting and socialization can reduce subject genderization.
Single-sex schools show that subject genderization is a social construct.

Differential Educational Achievement: Gender (Boys)

Poor literacy amongst males contributes to the 'Gender gap'.
Reading is seen as a feminine activity, and mothers often read with their children.
Boys' lack of vocabulary limits their achievement through language code and expression.

Impact of Globalization and Teaching

Decline of heavy industries since the 1980s led to identity crises in boys.
Schools do not nurture masculine traits, such as competitiveness and leadership, and instead celebrate qualities like attentiveness.
Teaching is a feminine profession, lacking 'real' male role models, especially in primary schools.

Labeling Theory

A negative label can lead to students forming an anti-school subculture and underachieving.
A positive label can lead to a pro-school subculture and help students achieve.

Bourdieu's three types of capital: Cultural (knowledge, attitudes, values, language, and abilities), Economic (money and household income), and Educational (academic achievement).
These types of capital can be converted from one to another and are interlinked.
Middle-class students have the economic capital to provide cultural experiences, leading to academic achievement and educational capital.

Influence of Education Policy

1980s: Vocational Education, 1988 Education Reform Act (funding formula, league tables).
New Labour: Academies, Coalition Government: Free Schools, Privatisation of Education.

Ideological State Apparatus and Role of Education

Education maintains capitalism and reproduces social inequality.
Education deliberate engineers working-class failure to create an unqualified factory workforce.
Private education prepares children of the elite for positions of power.
The hidden curriculum is shaped to assist middle-class achievement and deter working-class achievement.

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