Social Class & Education: Home Factors | Sociology for GCSE/IGCSE - Year 11 PDF Download

Statistics on Social Class & Educational Achievement

• Defining Social Class: Social class is often determined by an individual’s occupation or that of their parents. A child’s eligibility for free school meals (FSM) can indicate lower household income, often associated with a lower social class.
• Educational Performance by Social Class: Statistics show that middle-class students generally outperform working-class students in public examinations. Middle-class students are also more likely to pursue higher education, such as attending university.
• Explanations for Educational Disparities: Sociologists propose several reasons for the relatively lower academic performance of working-class students, including internal factors (home environment/background) and external factors (school environment).

Attainment gaps between working-class and middle-class students (IFS Education Inequalities Report, 2022)

Material Deprivation

Material deprivation, characterized by poverty or limited financial resources, significantly impacts educational achievement in the following ways:

• The cost of school uniforms and sports kits can lead to poorer children being excluded or sent home from school.
• Poor housing conditions, such as overcrowding or lack of a quiet study space, hinder academic performance.
• Working-class children in such conditions are more likely to be absent from school.
• Middle-class parents can often afford private tuition and homes in the catchment areas of high-performing schools.
• Working-class areas may lack preschool facilities, like nurseries, which research shows impacts educational outcomes.
• The financial burden of higher education can limit the aspirations and achievements of working-class students.

Key Thinkers: Halsey, Heath, and Ridge (1980) on Social Class and Inequality

Method
Halsey, Heath, and Ridge (1980) conducted a face-to-face survey of over 8,000 males born between 1913 and 1952, educated in England and Wales. They examined social class origins (based on the father’s occupation) and educational outcomes, dividing participants into three groups:

• Service class: Professionals and managers.
• Intermediate class: Clerical or sales workers.
• Working class: Manual workers in industry or agriculture.

Findings
The study revealed significant disparities:

• Individuals from the service class were four times more likely to remain in school at age 16, eight times more likely at age 17, ten times more likely at age 18, and eleven times more likely to attend university compared to those from the working class.

Conclusions
A higher proportion of working-class children left school at the earliest opportunity compared to middle-class children. Middle-class children likely benefited from better household income, leading to improved housing, study materials, and parental support. This aligns with the Marxist view that education is not meritocratic. New Labour policies, such as EMA and Aim Higher, aimed to reduce inequality but were criticized for primarily benefiting the middle class. Notably, the study excluded females, which may have influenced the findings.

Parental Attitudes & Cultural Deprivation

Parental attitudes and expectations also contribute to educational disparities. Differences in values between middle-class and working-class parents impact children’s academic outcomes:

Middle-Class Values:

• Proactive and disciplined attitude, with a sense of control over one’s life.
• Emphasis on planning for the future.
• Belief in deferred gratification (sacrificing now for future gains).
• Focus on individual success to improve social position.

Working-Class Values:

• Passive attitude, with acceptance of one’s current circumstances.
• Focus on the present or past rather than the future.
• Preference for immediate gratification over long-term planning.
• Emphasis on collective improvement, such as through trade union activities.

Middle-class parents are more likely to instill attitudes that foster educational success in their children.

Cultural Deprivation

Cultural deprivation explains how the home environment affects the academic performance of working-class children and some ethnic minority groups. According to Bernstein and Young, middle-class children benefit from cultural resources and experiences, such as:

• Family trips to libraries, museums, or art galleries, fostering a love of learning and research skills.
• Access to electronic media, books, and educational toys that align with school-valued knowledge.

In contrast, working-class children are less likely to have such experiences, placing them at a disadvantage in the education system.

Cultural Capital

Cultural capital refers to the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and values that middle-class parents pass on to their children, giving them an edge in education. Middle-class parents “work the system” by:

• Challenging teachers about their child’s progress.
• Knowing which resources to purchase and having the means to do so.
• Frequently engaging with the school to monitor their child’s progress.
• Using their own qualifications and experience to assist with homework.

Key Thinkers: Ball, Bowe, and Gewirtz (1994) on Market Forces and Parental Choice

Method:
Ball, Bowe, and Gewirtz (1994) investigated the impact of the 1988 Education Act’s marketisation policies on educational inequality. They conducted interviews with staff and governors from 15 secondary schools, primary school headteachers, and parents, and analyzed secondary data, such as exam league tables.

Findings:
Their research found that:

• Publishing exam league tables encouraged schools to attract academically able students and motivated parents to improve their rankings.
• Some schools reintroduced streaming and setting to prioritize resources for students likely to excel in exams.
• Material resources, such as car ownership, gave middle-class parents an advantage in accessing better schools.
• Middle-class parents, equipped with cultural capital, were more confident navigating the education system, while working-class parents typically chose local schools.

Conclusions
The marketisation of education widened the gap between working-class and middle-class students, contradicting the functionalist view of education as meritocratic (Parsons). Schools prioritized recruiting privileged, high-achieving students, often neglecting those with special educational needs or from disadvantaged backgrounds.