Lesson Objectives Examine the different types of school subculture identified by sociologists Outline studies which investigate subcultures within school.

Lesson Objectives

• Examine the different types of school subculture identified by sociologists

• Outline studies which investigate subcultures within school

• Consider explanations of anti-school subcultures.

Anti-school subcultures

1. What will there attitude of school be?

2. What set would they be in?

3. How would they behave in school?

4. What would their status be in school?

Role play time....

You have 3 minutes to come up with a sketch which you think depicts a pro-social or anti-social school subculture

Anti-social subculture

• Low streams• Working class• Failure=• Low self esteem- school has undermined

them, reinforcing inferior status

So what impact do subcultures have within school?

Creates • inequalities• Class differences • Achievement differences• Self fulfilling prophecy

Anti-social subculture

• Inverting school values of hard work, obedience and punctuality

• “sabotage the system”

• Form anti-social subculture to gain status

Pro-school subculture

• High streamed• Middle class• High status- successful• Committed to values of the school• Asian and Indian minorities

David Hargreaves (1967)

• Interviewed boys in secondary modern schools

• Subculture formed due to triple failures= failing 11+Low streamsLabelled worthless louts• Found high status went to those who flouted

the school rules!

AO2 critique

• Functionalists argue that school helps to establish shared culture and shared values

• Hargreaves suggests that this is incorrect. His research suggests processes within school create sub-cultures.

Paul Willis (1977)

• Participant observation in comprehensive in small industrial town in West Midlands

• Detailed ethnographic study of working class sub-culture of 12 ‘lads’ in school

• Concluded that subculture was a deliberate resistance to capitalist system of oppression . They chose to be anti-school which sealed their fate as working-class labourers.

AO2 Critique

• How can we criticise Willis’ study?• Is this study still relevant today? In 1977 ‘lads’ went

straight into labouring jobs. These are not available today.

• However Archer and Yamashati (2003) found laddish behaviour still strong in year 10 in London Comprehensive. They valued ‘bad boy’ image and felt education was ‘soft’

• Do all working class kids fail?• What about working class girls?

Girl sub-cultures

• Shain (2003) Asian girls – using interviews she identified four groups.

• Asian gang girls – resisted racism – anti-school• Survivors – conformed and ignored racism• Rebels – pro-school – rebelled against parents• Jackson (2006) Ladettes – White working class

and masculine norms e.g disruptive, rude, smoking, swearing, open sexuality.

AO2 Critique

• This shows that not all girls are conforming• However not all working class girls are anti-

school.

• The rise of masculine behaviour in girls could be linked to rise of feminism. Female violence and crime is also rising!

Ethnicity and sub-cultures

• Tony Sewell (2000) studied African-Caribbean subcultures.

• Not all were anti-school • Conformists – Pro-school• Innovators – Pro-education but anti-school.• Retreatists – non confrontational but anti-

school• Rebels – formed a ‘posse’ anti-school.

AO2 critique

• Is it that schools are institutionally racist or is it related to African-Caribbean culture?

• Tony Sewell – said racism is not the main issue. He identified problem as black culture of anti-school masculinity

• Lone parenthood in black families leading to gang cultures and peer pressure to be masculine.

Explanations of anti-school subcultures.

• Collective response to teacher/school labelling- streaming/11+ etc Hargreaves (1967)

• Collective resistance to inequalities of capitalism. Willis (1977)

• Rise of Feminism- crisis of masculinity (Archer and Yamashati (2003) Jackson (2006))

• Culture differences and/or racism in schools Sewell (2000).

Objectives:1. Identify areas for improvement in essay

writing skills.2. Set appropriate individual targets to apply to

an exam answer.3. Consider further improvements.

Identify your main areas for improvement in your essays

• Mark statements on your handout with:-

• Lovin’ it It’s OK Needs attention

• Finally pick one which you will aim to improve on today.

Outline and Explain reasons why anti-school sub-cultures develop.(20)

• Intro – Shared culture (Functionalism) OR Sub-cultures (Inequality, Hargreaves). Not all students join sub-cultures and not all sub-cultures are anti-school.

• P. Collective response to teacher labelling & self-fulfilling• E. Hargreaves suggests sub-cultures response to triple failure and streaming• A/E. Suggests schools are to blame. However students can reject label (Shain’s Survivors. • P. Social Class – Marxism and resistance to exploitation• E. Paul Willis Learning to labour• A/E. Suggests sub-cultures are collective response to inequalities in capitalism. However not all• working class students end up in low-paid jobs. • P. Gender - Crisis of Masculinity• E. Archer and Yamashati suggest boys feel education is feminised. Wilkinsons ‘genderquake’, • Jackson identified growing ‘ladette’ culture.• A/E. Suggests boys view education as effeminate so re-create masculine culture as anti-education. • However middle class boys ok.• P. Ethnicity – Cultural differences• E. Tony Sewell , African Caribbean street culture is anti-school, black single mothers (Hackney)• A/E. Suggests reason is outside of school. However could be cultural clash with teachers and some were

conformists. Indian and Chinese have different culture but are pro-school.• Conclusion Brief summary of reasons. Anti-school subcultures develop for reasons related to labelling, class,

ethnicity and gender. However not all students who are working class or male are anti-school. Also not all ethnic minorities are anti-school.

Outline and Explain reasons why anti-school sub-cultures develop.(20)

• Intro – Shared culture (Functionalism) OR Sub-cultures (Inequality, Hargreaves). Not all students join sub-cultures and not all sub-cultures are anti-school.

• P. Collective response to teacher labelling & self-fulfilling• E. Becker, Rosenthal and Jacobson, Cicourel and Kitsuse (streaming)• A/E. Suggests schools are to blame. However students can reject label (Mirza)• P. Social Class – Marxism and resistance to exploitation• E. Paul Willis Learning to labour• A/E. Suggests sub-cultures are collective response to inequalities in capitalism. However

not all working class students end up in low-paid jobs. • P. Gender - Crisis of Masculinity• E. Wilkinsons ‘genderquake’, Faludi and Bly, Laddish culture.• A/E. Suggests boys view education as effeminate so re-create masculine culture as anti-

education. However middle class boys ok.• P. Ethnicity – Cultural differences• E. Tony Sewell , African Caribbean street culture is anti-school, black single mothers

(Hackney)• A/E. Suggests reason is outside of school. However could be cultural clash with teachers

(lack cultural capital) Indian and Chinese(Modood)• Conclusion Brief summary of reasons.

Peer Assess

• Write a comment about how well they met their target for today and any other areas of improvement.

• Award AO1 /12 and AO2 marks /8• 16 = A• 14 = B• 12 = C• 10 = D• 8 = E