Premium Essay

Sociology Educational Achievement

In: Business and Management

Submitted By maryandindea
Words 2320
Pages 10
Sociology Homework – Monday 28/09/2015 by Maria Taravkova.
Evaluate the view that factors and processes within the school are the main cause of differences in the educational achievement of different social groups (20 marks)

* Decode = The meanings of encoding/decoding, it is how media messages are produced, circulated and consumed by the nation, proposing a new theory of communication.
Stuart Hall (cultural theorist) argued that the meaning is not fixed or determined by the sender, the message is never transparent. There is a “ lack of fit “ between the moment of the production of the message ( which is referred to as ENCODING ) and the moment of its reception ( which is referred to as DECODING ).
The meaning of the text is located between the producer and the reader. The producer – encoder ‘ encoded ‘ meaning in a certain way, while the reader decoder – ‘ decodes ‘ it differently according to his/her personal background, beliefs and values.

* Interactionists Labelling Theory = ‘ Interactionism ‘ is a sociological perspective that focuses on a small-scale interactions between individuals and groups. And ‘ Labelling Theory ‘ is the theory of how the self-identity – ( what someone thinks of themselves. E.g what they are, who they are e.t.c ) and behaviour of individuals may be determined or influenced by the terms used to describe or classify them. As we are talking about ‘ Interactionists Labelling Theory ‘ meaning that the only relevant meaning in this case, is the small group interactions and how they interact together and how the label themselves and the people in their small groups, also, what their beliefs and values are. * A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy = Is a prediction that comes true simply by a virtue ( behaviour showing high moral standards ) of it having been made. Interactionists argue that labelling can affect pupils’

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Education and Sociology

...To explain the role of education we need to look at education through different theories, a theory is a way of looking at the world. Within Sociology there are a number of theories, these include; Functionalism, Marxism, Interactionism, Feminism and Post-modern theory. Functionalists believe that society is made up of four parts; the Economy, the family, decision making and education. They believe that each part functions for the good of the whole. French Sociologist Emile Durkheim defined the major function of education from a Functionalist view as “the transmission of society’s norms and values”, the role of education is to socialise children into these norms and values which include behaviour, discipline, respect and manners (Haralambo and Holborn, 2008). The functionalist approach argues that education has three functions, it teaches the skills needed in work whether these are general or specific skills, it socialises young people into key cultural values needed to maintain society and it allocates people to the most appropriate jobs using examinations and qualifications. Functionalists put an emphasis on positive aspects of schools such as socialisation and the learning of skills and attitudes. Schools have rules and regulations and a system of reward and punishment such as stickers for good behaviour and detention for mis-behaviour. American sociologist Parson defines education as a system that selects children into the most appropriate roles because it is “Meritocratic”...

Words: 1078 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Sociology a-Level

...AQA AS Sociology SCLY2: Education with Sociological Research Methods Student Guide Introduction According to sociologist Michael Rutter we spend 15000 hours in the education system. Consequently the schooling process has a large role in forming our personalities. For some, education also manages to act as a way of socialising people into the norms and values that are seen to be important for a particular society. For others it can be seen as a source of conflict particularly when issues surrounding gender, class and ethnicity are put under the sociologists, ‘microscope’. It also provides an excellent indicator of how political ideology affects social policy, with the changing of governments impacting on educational policy. Some questions sociologists are interested in about education are: * Why do some pupils achieve more than others? * What is the relationship between education and the economy? * What is the purpose of education? * Do pupil’s school experiences vary? Assessment The course will be assessed by examination only. The examination will consist of various short answer question and essay style questions. Date of Exam: June 2010 Duration: 2 hr The Unit 2 exam is worth 60% of your final AS level grade. There will be 90 marks available on the paper. You will answer one question on the chosen topic, one question on sociological research methods in context and one question on research methods. Assessment Objectives ...

Words: 1881 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Jhkhlk; Lgyhg

...Sociology of Education Unit 04 What patterns of achievement are there for students of different ethnicities? Learning targets: • Different ethnic groups appear to have differing levels of achievement in school. Overall, the ethnicities of attainment are White, Chinese and Indian heritage students. • There has been concern about the achievement levels of certain Black minorities: in particular, African Caribbeans and Bangladeshi students under-attain in schools. • Sociologists have difficulty in measuring the impact of ethnicity on achievement because other factors may be involved. Poverty, class and cultural factors may all form part of reasons why some Black ethnic groups underperform. Key questions (AO1) What is ethnicity? (AO1) What patterns of attainment on the basis of ethnicity are there? (AO2) Is the education system institutionally racist? (AO2) What other social factors may influence ethnic attainment? Summary of key points Ethnicity is a word used in sociology to describe the culture that you belong to. Everyone has an ethnicity. For most people in Barry, this ethnicity or sense of belonging to a culture is Welsh. Some people have more than one ethnicity; they might be Welsh/Chinese or English/African. The majority ethnicity in Britain is white British. People who do not fit into that group are said to belong to an ethnic minority. There are many ethnicities...

Words: 2509 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Past Papers

...Higher Sociology Understanding Human Society 1 Acknowledgements SFEU (Scottish Further Education Unit) gratefully acknowledges the contribution made to this publication by Learning and Teaching Scotland who have granted permission to use material previously produced by Higher Still Development Unit. SFEU also thanks SQA for permission to reproduce parts of the Arrangement documents. Copyright statement Documents on NQ Online can be downloaded free. However, where the publications are the copyright of Learning and Teaching Scotland, educational establishments in Scotland may reproduce them in whole or in part provided that the source is acknowledged and that no profit accrues at any stage. Other users of these publications should contact Learning and Teaching Scotland before reproducing any of them. Please note all rights held by the former Higher Still Development Unit continue to be held by Learning and Teaching Scotland. Contents Statement of Standards 3 Guide to Learning and Teaching Pack 7 Introduction to the Unit and Learning and Teaching Approaches 8 Class stratification 9 Recommended reading and recommended websites for class stratification 10 Introduction to social stratification 11 Class stratification 15 Functionalist theory of class stratification 24 Summary of functionalism ...

Words: 19327 - Pages: 78

Premium Essay

Labelling as Explanation for Different Levels of Academic Achievement Between Social Classes

...levels of academic achievement between social classes in UK schools. In order to explain academic achievements between social classes in the UK, this essay will outline the meaning of labelling and assess its concept. It will show who uses it and why. It will give views both for and against to this controversial subject which will be backed up by references to an unprecedented amount of documentation generated by highly skilled sociologists worldwide and provide evidence to the existence of labelling and the effects on its subjects. To fully understand labelling it would be wise to inhale the highly influential and educated studies of Howard Becker, who’s in depth exploration of labelling along with W.I. Thomas’s theory on the “self-fulfilling prophecies was born mainly from studies applied to criminology and deviance but also education. Teachers tend to have their own judgments towards pupils they teach and provide themselves with a benchmark to base an ideal pupil upon, who would be motivated, intelligent and well behaved. The other side would provide deviance in the form of non-disciplined, unmotivated and unlikely to succeed and it is found that these labels would have a significant affect on careers and education. (Taylor, 1995) (Kidd, Abbott and Czerniawski, 2003) The concept of deviance is to label a person’s unparalleled activity with the society and environment in which they are in and give rise to arguments for and against. Within an educational operating system...

Words: 1684 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Past Papers in Sociology

...General Certificate of Education Advanced Subsidiary Examination June 2012 Sociology SCLY2 Unit 2 Friday 25 May 2012 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm For this paper you must have:  an AQA 12-page answer book. Time allowed  2 hours Instructions  Use black ink or black ball-point pen.  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Examining Body for this paper is AQA. The Paper Reference is SCLY2.  This paper is divided into two sections.  Choose one section and answer all the questions in that section.  Do not answer questions from more than one section.  Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. Information  The marks for questions are shown in brackets.  The maximum mark for this paper is 90.  Questions carrying 12 marks or more should be answered in continuous prose. In these questions you will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. G/T80704/Jun12/SCLY2 6/6/6/ SCLY2 2 Choose either Section A or Section B and answer all the questions in that section. Section A: Education with Research Methods You are advised to spend approximately 50 minutes on questions 0 You are advised to spend approximately 30 minutes on question You are advised to spend approximately 40 minutes on questions 0 to 1 0 6 0 4 . 5 . to 0 9 . Total for this section:...

Words: 1561 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Comparative Study of Academic Achievement of Student from Monogamous and Polygamous Families

...COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS FROM MONOGAMOUS AND POLYGAMOUS FAMILIES IN OFFA, KWARA STATE. BY IGWESI, B. N. (MRS), Department of Educational Foundations, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. Abstract This study compared the academic achievement of students from monogamous and polygamous families. It was a causal comparative study under the survey research approach. The sample consisted of 100 SSI students from monogamous families and 100 SSI students from polygamous families. Simple random sampling method was used In selecting four secondary schools in Offa, Kwara State. Stratified simple random sampling method was also used In seiecting the students. A proforma was used for collecting data on the academic achievement of the students. Analysis of the data, using t-test statistics showed that a significant difference exists between the academic achievement of students from monogamous homes and those from polygamous homes. One of the Implications bf this finding to teaching and learning is that a consideration of students' family background is Important because it will help teachers to find out the types of home the students come from. They will also be aware of the nature of social interactions in such homes and the psychological, social and emotional problems the students are facing at home. This knowledge will help teachers to counsel the students on how to overcome such problems and have positive attitude towards the situation so, that their academics...

Words: 2542 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Nt1310 Unit 3 Assignment

...of the hard work I have put into my education over the past years have helped prepare me for this moment, the moment where I move from a community college to a university. My readiness for upper division courses in my major, which is Sociology, include me taking all of my general requirements, of course, but also being very focused...

Words: 1768 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Sociology Past Paper

...General Certificate of Education Advanced Subsidiary Examination January 2011 Sociology Unit 2 Tuesday 18 January 2011 For this paper you must have:  an AQA 12-page answer book. SCLY2 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm Time allowed  2 hours Instructions  Use black ink or black ball-point pen.  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Examining Body for this paper is AQA. The Paper Reference is SCLY2.  This paper is divided into two sections.  Choose one section and answer all questions from that section.  Do not answer questions from more than one section.  Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. Information  The marks for questions are shown in brackets.  The maximum mark for this paper is 90.  Questions carrying 12 marks or more should be answered in continuous prose. In these questions you will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. G/T61607/Jan11/SCLY2 6/6/ SCLY2 2 Choose either Section A or Section B and answer all the questions from that section. Section A: Education with Research Methods You are advised to spend approximately 50 minutes on Questions You are advised to spend approximately 40 minutes on Questions 0 0 1 0 6 to to 0 0 4 . 9 . You are advised to spend approximately 30 minutes on Question 5 . Total for this section: 90 marks Education Read Item A below and answer...

Words: 1552 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Englsih

...General Certificate of Education Advanced Subsidiary Examination January 2012 Sociology Unit 2 Friday 20 January 2012 For this paper you must have:  an AQA 12-page answer book. SCLY2 9.00 am to 11.00 am Time allowed  2 hours Instructions  Use black ink or black ball-point pen.  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Examining Body for this paper is AQA. The Paper Reference is SCLY2.  This paper is divided into two sections.  Choose one section and answer all the questions in that section.  Do not answer questions from more than one section.  Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. Information  The marks for questions are shown in brackets.  The maximum mark for this paper is 90.  Questions carrying 12 marks or more should be answered in continuous prose. In these questions you will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. GJ74914/Jan12/SCLY2 6/6/6 SCLY2 2 Choose either Section A or Section B and answer all the questions in that section. Section A: Education with Research Methods You are advised to spend approximately 50 minutes on questions 0 1 0 6 to 0 4 . 9 . You are advised to spend approximately 30 minutes on question You are advised to spend approximately 40 minutes on questions 0 5 . to 0 Total for this section: 90 marks Education Read Item A below and answer questions...

Words: 1479 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Gfagaga

...SOCIOLOGY “Outline the ways in which factors in children’s home background may lead to differences in achievement levels between ethnic groups.” (Mainly discussing factors that influence and then analyse factors) One of the factors that lead to differences in achievement levels between ethnic groups is material deprivation. Material deprivation refers to poverty and lack of the material necessities such as housing, diet and health and income and how it effects education. Poor housing such as houses that are very cramped and small in size seem to have an effect on students as it means that they will not have enough space to complete their work, especially if those families consist of big families. Also families that move around houses a lot, especially if the house is cold and damp, can be exposed to illness and if a child is ill it means that they would be taking more days off school effecting their achievement in education. Some parents of working class children do shift work which can also be a problem for children in education as it means parents will not have enough time to cook nutritious meals, something essential for the health of young children in education and the effect of this would be illness or the child will become constantly fatigue causing them to lose concentration in lessons. It is often grouped according to Flaherty, that unemployment is three times higher for African and Bangladeshi/ Pakistani people than whites. This is due to inequalities in the races...

Words: 717 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Sociology

...General Certificate of Education Advanced Subsidiary Examination January 2012 Sociology Unit 2 Friday 20 January 2012 For this paper you must have:  an AQA 12-page answer book. SCLY2 9.00 am to 11.00 am Time allowed  2 hours Instructions  Use black ink or black ball-point pen.  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Examining Body for this paper is AQA. The Paper Reference is SCLY2.  This paper is divided into two sections.  Choose one section and answer all the questions in that section.  Do not answer questions from more than one section.  Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. Information  The marks for questions are shown in brackets.  The maximum mark for this paper is 90.  Questions carrying 12 marks or more should be answered in continuous prose. In these questions you will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. GJ74914/Jan12/SCLY2 6/6/6 SCLY2 2 Choose either Section A or Section B and answer all the questions in that section. Section A: Education with Research Methods You are advised to spend approximately 50 minutes on questions 0 1 0 6 to 0 4 . 9 . You are advised to spend approximately 30 minutes on question You are advised to spend approximately 40 minutes on questions 0 5 . to 0 Total for this section: 90 marks Education Read Item A below and answer questions...

Words: 1479 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

No Child Left Behind Act

... | | | | | | | The No Child Left Behind Act Outline “The No Child Left Behind Act” is the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. This law holds the states as well as the schools accountable for the academic achievements of the students as funds are being supplied to the states for this purpose. This law requires quality teaching by highly qualified teachers and yearly assessment of student progress in English, mathematics and science skills. The progress of the students needs to be reported in terms of percentage of students scoring at the ‘proficient’ or higher level. Different subgroups categories need also report the progress annually. A standardized test method has been chosen in each state and based on the scores in that test the performance level of the students and their schools is judged. This law acquired huge range of controversy since its implementation. Some advocates its effectiveness in ensuring equalization in the system of education and...

Words: 3656 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Outline and Assess the View That Gender Differences in Educational Achievement Are Caused by Factors Outside School.

...Differences in educational achievement refer to the significant differences in educational success and failure. This difference can be found between the two genders where it is a fact that girls outperform boys in the education system; some may argue that this is a result of factors outside of school. The validity of this or whether the differences are caused by factors outside school will be discussed. One reason as to why it can be argued that gender differences in educational achievement are caused by factors outside school is because of changes in society’s views on females. In past generations, girls would not attend school and instead stay at home and learn from their mother how to cook and look after children, they were nurtured to become housewives for their future husbands. This meant that women had low aspirations, however this has changed. Sue Sharpe argues that this is a result of a gender quake that society is experiencing. Previously, girls had aspired to get married at a young age and become mothers to children early on in their lives. However, girl’s priorities have changed to getting an education so that they can have a career (Francis and Skelton) and therefore being able to support themselves above all other priorities rather than relying on a husband. This therefore means society accepts that it is normal for girls to get an education and provide for themselves; therefore society’s views on women can be argued to be an important outside school factor to influence...

Words: 1308 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Social Policy

...Assess the relationship between Social Policy and Sociology. (33 Marks) Sociology is a subject that wants to study and understand society. Social policy or otherwise known as the law comes from research completed by sociologists, which is then proposed to the government. Social policy can be seen to change social problems such as the economy. Peter Worsley describes a social problem as “some piece of social behaviour that causes public friction”. For example poverty, educational under-achievement, and divorce can be seen as social problems that the government may be forced to tackle with social policies. Worsley thinks that a sociological problem is “ any pattern of relationships that calls for explanation”, meaning any piece of behaviour that we want to make sense of. For example why some families are richer than others? , Why people commit crime? Or why couples remain happily married? George Simmel was intrigued about the characteristics present in all social relationships and their different settings, be it in an office, in the family home or on a busy street. However many sociologists are interested in solving social problems through their research. They will conduct their research so it is aimed at the social problem they are most interested about. Government departments such as home office employ many sociologists. They will often have a direct input into making social policies. However sometimes sociological research does not effect social polices, and there are a number...

Words: 1449 - Pages: 6