Social Class: Attitudes to Education

Sociology: AQA A Level, topic 2.2.3

Social Class & Attitudes to Education

Sugarman (1970), Leon Feinstein (2003) and Hyman (1967) all researched differences in achievement in relation to social class.

Sugarman (1970) argued that the differences in educational achievement between middle- and working-class children can be directly linked to the subcultures into which they are socialised.
He argued that the norms, values and attitudes of middle-class parents transmitted to their children were significantly different to that of working-class parents and that these were linked to their respective occupations in non-manual and manual work.

Sugarman argued that working class parents were more likely to be fatalistic, concerned with immediate gratification, present-time orientation and a sense of collectivism.
Middle class parents were more likely to be optimistic, concerned with deferred gratification, future-time orientation and adopt a more individualist approach.

So Sugarman argued that, as these attitudes and orientations were passed on to their children, this helped to explain the differences in educational achievement that result in working-class children being disadvantaged.
Sugarman concluded that working class parents place a lower value on education than middle class parents.

Leon Feinstein (2003) used data from the British Cohort Study and the National Child Development Study to argue that there was a link between social class and educational achievement.

He suggested that lower rates of educational achievement by working-class children was linked to a number of factors such as the extent of parents' education; the quality of the school attended and material deprivation.
But he argued that parental interest or the extent of parental support was the key factor in determining a child’s educational success. His work reinforces that of Douglas (1964) in suggesting that middle-class parents provide more support and take a greater interest in their children's educational development.

Hyman (1967) suggests that the working classes and middle classes have different ‘value systems’ and that these different values help explain differences in educational achievement.
He argues that the working classes place a lower value on education compared to the middle classes.
The working classes are less likely to value professional jobs that have a higher status in society and as such they limit their own opportunities.

For example, Hyman suggests the working classes place more value on manual work or ‘getting a trade’ which is seen as a stable and secure job that involves less risk than non-manual jobs that may require greater risks to achieve.
So Hyman argues that the values of working class parents limit the educational achievement of their children.

What data did Leon Feinstein (2003) use to argue that there was a link between social class and educational achievement?
What did Leon Feinstein (2003) identify as the key factor in determining a child's educational success?
What does Hyman (1967) argue about educational achievement?