Assess sociological explanations for the relationship between ethnicity and
educational achievement. (30 marks)
Educational attainment among ethnic minority groups has been a subject of extensive debate, with
various scholars proposing different explanations for the observed disparities. This essay delves into the
complex interplay of intellectual and linguistic skills, cultural attitudes, family structures, material
deprivation, and internal factors within schools as contributors to the educational inequalities faced by
some ethnic minorities.
External factors within the school
Cultural deprivation theorists posit that children from low-income black families often lack intellectual
stimulation and enriching experiences. This deficiency in intellectual and linguistic skills, particularly
evident in the language spoken at home, is believed to leave these children ill-equipped for academic
success. Bereiter and Engelmann see the language spoken by low-income black American families as
inadequate for educational success. They see it as ungrammatical, disjointed and incapable of expressing
abstract ideas.
There is also concern that pupils who do not speak English at home (as their first language) will do worse
than those who do. However, statistics show that in 2010, pupils with English as their first language
(55.2%) were only 3.2 points ahead of those without English as their first language (52.0%) when it came
to gaining 5 A*-C GCSEs 9inc. English and Maths).
Lack of motivation is often seen as a major cause of failure in many black children. Most children are
socialised into a culture which highlights ambition, competitiveness and willingness to make sacrifices to
reap rewards, however it is suggested some black children are socialised into a subculture that instils a
fatalistic ‘live for today’ attitude that does not value education and leaves them unequipped for success.
They believe that the failure of socialising children properly is a result of dysfunctional family structure
Daniel Moynihan (1965) argued that because many black families are headed by a lone mother, their
children are deprived of adequate care because she struggles financially in the absence of the male
breadwinner. The lack of a father also means the boys do not have an adequate male role model. He
sees cultural deprivation as a cycle whereby inadequately socialised children from unstable families go
on to fail at school and become inadequate parents themselves.
Charles Murray (1984) of the New Right perspective also argues that a high rate of lone parenthood and
lack of positive male role models lead to the underachievement of some minorities.
Sewell (2009) argues the problem isn’t the absence of the father for black boys that leads to
underachievement; it’s a lack of ‘tough love’ and adequate discipline. Street gangs of other fatherless
boys offer black boys ‘perverse loyalty and love’, He concludes that because this leads to black boys
thinking that speaking in standard English and doing well at school being viewed with suspicion and is
seen as ‘selling out’ to the white establishment, black children (particularly boys) need to have greater
educational achievement. (30 marks)
Educational attainment among ethnic minority groups has been a subject of extensive debate, with
various scholars proposing different explanations for the observed disparities. This essay delves into the
complex interplay of intellectual and linguistic skills, cultural attitudes, family structures, material
deprivation, and internal factors within schools as contributors to the educational inequalities faced by
some ethnic minorities.
External factors within the school
Cultural deprivation theorists posit that children from low-income black families often lack intellectual
stimulation and enriching experiences. This deficiency in intellectual and linguistic skills, particularly
evident in the language spoken at home, is believed to leave these children ill-equipped for academic
success. Bereiter and Engelmann see the language spoken by low-income black American families as
inadequate for educational success. They see it as ungrammatical, disjointed and incapable of expressing
abstract ideas.
There is also concern that pupils who do not speak English at home (as their first language) will do worse
than those who do. However, statistics show that in 2010, pupils with English as their first language
(55.2%) were only 3.2 points ahead of those without English as their first language (52.0%) when it came
to gaining 5 A*-C GCSEs 9inc. English and Maths).
Lack of motivation is often seen as a major cause of failure in many black children. Most children are
socialised into a culture which highlights ambition, competitiveness and willingness to make sacrifices to
reap rewards, however it is suggested some black children are socialised into a subculture that instils a
fatalistic ‘live for today’ attitude that does not value education and leaves them unequipped for success.
They believe that the failure of socialising children properly is a result of dysfunctional family structure
Daniel Moynihan (1965) argued that because many black families are headed by a lone mother, their
children are deprived of adequate care because she struggles financially in the absence of the male
breadwinner. The lack of a father also means the boys do not have an adequate male role model. He
sees cultural deprivation as a cycle whereby inadequately socialised children from unstable families go
on to fail at school and become inadequate parents themselves.
Charles Murray (1984) of the New Right perspective also argues that a high rate of lone parenthood and
lack of positive male role models lead to the underachievement of some minorities.
Sewell (2009) argues the problem isn’t the absence of the father for black boys that leads to
underachievement; it’s a lack of ‘tough love’ and adequate discipline. Street gangs of other fatherless
boys offer black boys ‘perverse loyalty and love’, He concludes that because this leads to black boys
thinking that speaking in standard English and doing well at school being viewed with suspicion and is
seen as ‘selling out’ to the white establishment, black children (particularly boys) need to have greater
