2.2.2

Social Class: External Factors

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Differences in Achievement: Social Class (External Factors)

Differences in achievement between pupils of different social classes can be divided into those that are: external of the school environment and those that are internal (or within) the school.

**Joseph Rowntree Foundation (1997)**

Joseph Rowntree Foundation (1997)

  • The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (1997) highlights the importance of poverty and low incomes in relation to the impact on children's educational attainment.
JRF data: deprivation & achievement

JRF data: deprivation & achievement

  • JRF data suggests there is a strong link between material deprivation and lower educational achievement. They found that children from poorer families were less likely than middle class children to have access to computers, the internet and were least likely to be able to afford private tuition.
  • The JRF concluded that child poverty constituted a significant barrier to educational success and reflects continued class inequalities in the UK.
**Halsey (1980)**

Halsey (1980)

  • Halsey (1980) argues that education fails to offer equality of opportunity for all children. He found that children from working-class backgrounds were most likely to fail in the education system whereas middle-class children were most likely to succeed.
  • He highlighted evidence that shows that middle-class children are most likely to stay on in post-compulsory education at both age 16 and 18.
Halsey's conclusions about inequality

Halsey's conclusions about inequality

  • Whilst Halsey acknowledged cultural factors can act as a barrier to educational success, he emphasised the importance of material factors.
  • He argued that lack of economic resources was the most important factor in determining whether a child would stay on in post-compulsory education or not.
  • He argued that to reduce class inequalities in education, children from low income families should be given financial support such as grants to encourage students to stay on at schools/college.

Differences in Achievement: Social Class (Douglas (1964))

Differences in achievement between pupils of different social classes can be divided into those that are: external of the school environment and those that are internal (or within) the school.

Importance of parental interest

Importance of parental interest

  • Douglas (1964) argued that parental interest was the most important factor in shaping a child’s level of educational success.
  • Whilst he did identify other factors that could influence an individuals academic achievement such as family size, health and the quality of the school attended, he found that the level of parental support was the crucial factor.
Middle-class parental support

Middle-class parental support

  • As such, he argued that middle-class parents were more likely to provide support to their children in some of the following ways: provide help with school work; visit schools more regularly to check on progress; encourage their children to stay on in post-compulsory education.
  • Douglas also emphasised the importance of primary socialisation and suggested that middle-class families were more likely to provide support to their children at an earlier age compared to working class families.
Jump to other topics
1

Theory & Methods

1.1

Sociological Theories

1.1.1Marxism1.1.2Feminism1.1.3Social Action Theories
1.2

Sociological Methods

1.2.1Types of Data1.2.2Positivism & Interpretivism1.2.3Research Design1.2.4Research Considerations1.2.5Values in Research1.2.6Modernity & Post-Modernity1.2.7Sociology as a Science1.2.8Sociology & Social Policy1.2.9End of Topic Test - Sociology Methods & Theories
1.3

Sources of Data

1.3.1Introduction1.3.2Experiments1.3.3Surveys1.3.4Longitudinal Studies1.3.5Questionnaires1.3.6Types of Questionnaires1.3.7Interviews1.3.8Observation1.3.9Case Studies1.3.10Documents1.3.11Official Statistics1.3.12End of Topic Test - Sources of Data
2

Education with Methods in Context

2.1

Role & Function of the Education System

2.1.1Introduction2.1.2Functionalist Theories2.1.3Marxist & Feminist Theories2.1.4The New Right
2.2

Educational Achievement

2.2.1Social Class: Internal Factors2.2.2Social Class: External Factors2.2.3Social Class: Attitudes to Education2.2.4Social Class: Difference in Achievement2.2.5Gender2.2.6Ethnicity
2.3

Relationships & Processes Within Schools

2.3.1Processes2.3.2Labelling2.3.3Categorisations2.3.4Student Experience2.3.5End of Topic Test -Education with Methods
2.4

Educational Policies

2.4.1Equality2.4.2Privatisation2.4.3Marketisation2.4.4Government Policies by Party2.4.5Globalisation2.4.6End of Topic Test- Educational Policies2.4.7Practice Exam Question - Social Policies
3

Option 1: Culture & Identity

3.1

Conceptions of Culture

3.1.1Culture3.1.2Mass Culture3.1.3Popular Culture3.1.4Global Culture3.1.5End of Topic Test - Culture and Identity
3.2

Identity & Socialisation

3.2.1Identities3.2.2Socialisation3.2.3Secondary Socialisation3.2.4Theories of Socialisation3.2.5End of Topic Test - Identity3.2.6Practice Exam Question - Socialisation & Equality
3.3

Social Identity

3.3.1Social Class3.3.2Upper & Middle Class3.3.3Working & Underclass3.3.4Social Class Evaluation3.3.5Gender3.3.6Changing Gender Identities3.3.7Ethnicity3.3.8Age3.3.9Disability3.3.10Nationality3.3.11End of Topic Test - Social Identity
3.4

Production, Consumption & Globalisation

3.4.1Production & Consumption3.4.2Globalisation3.4.3Evaluation3.4.4End of Topic Test - Production
4

Option 1: Families & Households

4.1

Families & Households

4.1.1Definitions4.1.2Functionalist & New Right Perspectives4.1.3Marxist & Feminist Perspectives4.1.4Postmodernist Perspective4.1.5End of Topic Test - Families & Households4.1.6Practice Exam Question - Function of Family
4.2

Changing Patterns

4.2.1Marriage4.2.2Divorce4.2.3LAT Relationships4.2.4Child-Bearing4.2.5Lone Parenthood4.2.6Diversity4.2.7The Sociology of Personal Life4.2.8Government Policies Post-WW24.2.9End of Topic Test - Changing Patterns
4.3

The Symmetrical Family

4.3.1The Symmetrical Family4.3.2Evaluation
4.4

Children & Childhood

4.4.1Childhood4.4.2Childhood in the UK4.4.3Childhood as a Social Construct4.4.4The Disappearance of Childhood4.4.5Child Abuse4.4.6Domestic Violence4.4.7End of Topic Test - Family & Childhood
4.5

Demographic Trends UK

4.5.1Introduction4.5.2Birth Rates4.5.3Death Rates4.5.4The Ageing Population4.5.5Studies on the Ageing Population4.5.6Migration4.5.7Globalisation4.5.8End of Topic Test - Demographics UK
5

Option 1: Health

5.1

Social Constructions

5.1.1The Body5.1.2Health, Illness & Disease5.1.3Disability5.1.4Models of Health & Illness5.1.5End of Topic Test - Social Constructions
5.2

Social Distribution of Healthcare

5.2.1Social Class5.2.2Gender5.2.3Ethnicity5.2.4Regional
5.3

Provision & Access to Healthcare

5.3.1The NHS5.3.2Inequalities in Provision5.3.3Sociological Explanations5.3.4Inequalities in Access5.3.5Inequalities in Access 25.3.6End of Topic Test - Distribution Health
5.4

Mental Health

5.4.1The Biomedical Approach5.4.2Social Patterns5.4.3Social Constructionist Approach
5.5

The Globalised Health Industry

5.5.1The Functionalist Approach5.5.2The Postmodernist Approach5.5.3The Globalised Health Industry5.5.4End of Topic Test - Mental Health & Globalisation
6

Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare

6.1

Poverty & Wealth

6.1.1Types of Poverty6.1.2Types of Poverty 26.1.3Distribution of Wealth UK6.1.4Sociological Theories6.1.5Sociological Theories 26.1.6Distribution of Poverty UK6.1.7End of Topic Test - Poverty & Wealth
6.2

Welfare

6.2.1The Welfare State6.2.2Theoretical Approaches to Welfare
6.3

Labour Process

6.3.1Nature of Work6.3.2Technology & Control6.3.3Work & Life6.3.4The Effects of Globalisation6.3.5Globalisation & Worklessness6.3.6End of Topic Test - Welfare & Labour
7

Option 2: Beliefs in Society

7.1

Ideology, Science & Religion

7.1.1Types of Religion7.1.2Ideology & Belief Systems7.1.3Social Stability & Religion7.1.4Social Change & Religion7.1.5End of Topic Test - Ideology, Science & Religion
7.2

Religious Movements

7.2.1Religious Organisations7.2.2New Religious Movements7.2.3New Age Movements7.2.4Practice Exam Question - Growth of NRMs
7.3

Society & Religion

7.3.1Social Groups & Religion7.3.2Gender & Religion7.3.3End of Topic Test- Religious Movements & Society
7.4

Contemporary Religion

7.4.1Secularisation UK7.4.2Against Secularisation7.4.3Secularisation US7.4.4Fundamentalism7.4.5Economic Development & Religion7.4.6End of Topic - Contemporary Religion
8

Option 2: Global Development

8.1

Development, Underdevelopment & Global Inequality

8.1.1Development8.1.2Underdevelopment & Global Inequality
8.2

Globalisation & Global Organisations

8.2.1Globalisation8.2.2Transnational Corporations & International Agency8.2.3Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
8.3

Aid, Trade, Industrialisation, Urbanisation

8.3.1Development: Aid & Trade8.3.2Development: Industrialisation & Urbanisation8.3.3Development: Environment & War
9

Option 2: The Media

9.1

Contemporary Media

9.1.1New Media9.1.2Control of the Media9.1.3Sociological Approaches: New Media9.1.4Globalisation9.1.5News Selection9.1.6Moral Panics9.1.7End of Topic Test - Contemporary Media
9.2

Media Representations

9.2.1Age9.2.2Social Class & Ethnicity9.2.3Gender9.2.4Sexuality & Disability9.2.5Practice Exam Questions - Presentation of Women
9.3

Audiences

9.3.1Media Theories9.3.2Media Theories 29.3.3Media Representations & Audiences
10

Crime & Deviance

10.1

Crime & Society

10.1.1Functionalism10.1.2Subcultural Theory10.1.3Marxism10.1.4Realism10.1.5Other Approaches10.1.6End of Topic Test - Crime & Society10.1.7Practice Exam Questions - Social Construction
10.2

Social Distribution of Crime

10.2.1Ethnicity10.2.2Gender10.2.3Globalisation & Crime10.2.4Media & Crime10.2.5Types of Crimes10.2.6End of Topic Test - Social Distribution of Crime
10.3

Prevention & Punishment

10.3.1Surveillance10.3.2Prevention10.3.3Punishment10.3.4Victimology10.3.5End of Topic Test - Prevention & Punishment

Practice questions on Social Class: External Factors

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    What data did the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (1997) find in relation to educational achievement?Fill in the list
  2. 2
    What did **Halsey (1980)** say was the most important factor in determining whether a child would stay on in post-compulsory education or not? Multiple choice
  3. 3
    What did **Douglas (1964)** say was the most important factor in influencing a child's level of educational success?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    In what ways do middle-class parents provide more support to their children, in Douglas' (1964) view?Fill in the list
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Social Class: Internal Factors

Social Class: Attitudes to Education