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AQA GCSE · Question 17 · Social Stratification
SOURCE TEXT:
Item C
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) produced a report on university enrolment by personal characteristics from 2014/15 to 2018/19. This report found that the vast majority of students that attend university are from white backgrounds, although the number of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is increasing year on year.
[Image of a bar chart showing university enrolment by ethnicity from 2014-15 to 2018-19]
Source: HESA 2020
QUESTION:
Identify and explain one factor which may account for the relatively low numbers of students from some minority ethnic backgrounds attending university, as referred to in Item C.
SOURCE TEXT:
Item C
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) produced a report on university enrolment by personal characteristics from 2014/15 to 2018/19. This report found that the vast majority of students that attend university are from white backgrounds, although the number of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is increasing year on year.
[Image of a bar chart showing university enrolment by ethnicity from 2014-15 to 2018-19]
Source: HESA 2020
QUESTION:
Identify and explain one factor which may account for the relatively low numbers of students from some minority ethnic backgrounds attending university, as referred to in Item C.
How to approach this question
First, identify a sociological factor that explains ethnic differences in educational achievement (e.g., institutional racism, material deprivation, cultural factors). Then, explain how this factor works to create disadvantages. Finally, link your explanation to the outcome shown in Item C (lower university attendance for some groups).
Full Answer
One factor is institutional racism within the education system. This refers to the ways in which the procedures and culture of schools can disadvantage ethnic minority students. For example, teachers may have lower expectations of students from certain backgrounds, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy where these students underachieve. This can result in them not getting the grades required for university, which helps to explain why, as Item C shows, the number of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is lower than for white students.
Sociologists have identified several factors to explain ethnic differences in educational achievement. 'Internal' factors (within the school) include institutional racism, teacher labelling, and an ethnocentric curriculum that may alienate minority students. 'External' factors (outside the school) include material deprivation (ethnic minorities are more likely to experience poverty, which can impact educational resources) and cultural factors such as parental attitudes to education and language barriers. It's important to note that there are significant differences between ethnic groups; for example, students of Chinese and Indian origin tend to outperform white students on average.
Common mistakes
Making stereotypical or racist generalisations instead of using sociological concepts. For example, saying 'their parents don't care about education' instead of discussing concepts like cultural capital.
Practice the full AQA GCSE Sociology Paper 2
22 questions · hints · full answers · grading
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