Stereotyping someone with a set of characteristics based on biased perceptions.
Labelling has been identified as a significant and powerful sociological explanation for why pupils are underachieving.
Teachers have been labelling students, some being unintentional.
Research has found that the working class students are more likely to get negative labels compared to middle and upper class students who tend to receive positive labels.
Students were labelled by the school they went to. Those who passed the 11-plus and went to grammar school were viewed as academically bright and successful. Secondary modern students had to endure for the rest of their lives the label that they had ‘failed’ the 11-plus.
Can you think of examples of labels teachers may use?
Labelling has been identified as a significant and powerful sociological explanation for why pupils are underachieving.
Teachers have been labelling students, some being unintentional.
Research has found that the working class students are more likely to get negative labels compared to middle and upper class students who tend to receive positive labels.
Students were labelled by the school they went to. Those who passed the 11-plus and went to grammar school were viewed as academically bright and successful. Secondary modern students had to endure for the rest of their lives the label that they had ‘failed’ the 11-plus.
Can you think of examples of labels teachers may use?
Schools – expectations
There is a correlation between educational achievement and social class.
uResearch has shown that social class plays a huge role in educational attainment. Those from a working class background tend to perform less in school than those from middle and upper class backgrounds.
Schools are also middle class, where there are teachers who are middle class due to their profession. Hence working class students tend to struggle to fit in.
If a students behaviour is seen as bad, then they shall be labelled as badly behaved as well as not so bright.
Whereas well behaved children are seen as bright and are usually middle class. .
uResearch has shown that social class plays a huge role in educational attainment. Those from a working class background tend to perform less in school than those from middle and upper class backgrounds.
Schools are also middle class, where there are teachers who are middle class due to their profession. Hence working class students tend to struggle to fit in.
If a students behaviour is seen as bad, then they shall be labelled as badly behaved as well as not so bright.
Whereas well behaved children are seen as bright and are usually middle class. .
Limitations of labelling theory
The approaches studied start from the idea that under achievement is the result of pupils being negatively labelled. This results in a self fulfilling prophecy – with pupils joining anti social subcultures that help to guarantee their failure.
Studies show how the interactions within schools actively create class inequalities. Schools are not neutral institutions.
The theory has been accused of determinism – assumes pupils who are labelled have no choice but to fulfill the prophecy and will inevitably fail. However, studies show this is not always the case.
Marxists believe the theory ignores the wider structures of power within which labelling takes place. Labelling theory tends to blame teachers for labelling pupils, but fails to explain why they do so.
Marxists believe labels are not merely he result of teachers’ individual prejudices, but stem from the fact that teachers work in a system that reproduces class divisions.
These theories fail to explain where wider class inequalities come from.
They ignore other factors e.g. cultural/material
Studies show how the interactions within schools actively create class inequalities. Schools are not neutral institutions.
The theory has been accused of determinism – assumes pupils who are labelled have no choice but to fulfill the prophecy and will inevitably fail. However, studies show this is not always the case.
Marxists believe the theory ignores the wider structures of power within which labelling takes place. Labelling theory tends to blame teachers for labelling pupils, but fails to explain why they do so.
Marxists believe labels are not merely he result of teachers’ individual prejudices, but stem from the fact that teachers work in a system that reproduces class divisions.
These theories fail to explain where wider class inequalities come from.
They ignore other factors e.g. cultural/material
Labels shape teacher expectations.
All children have some troubling behaviours. Labels can exaggerate a student's actions in the eyes of a teacher. A teacher may overreact to behaviour of a labelled child that would be tolerated in another.
Not all pupils live up to labelling by teachers.
It is deterministic – pupils have little control over their own success.
All children have some troubling behaviours. Labels can exaggerate a student's actions in the eyes of a teacher. A teacher may overreact to behaviour of a labelled child that would be tolerated in another.
Not all pupils live up to labelling by teachers.
It is deterministic – pupils have little control over their own success.