Many of you are producing documentaries and need to research at least three each and post up details and analysis of these to your blogs.
Here's a useful site that has lots of really good documentaries grouped together under different headings...
Best Online Documentaries
Here's a useful site that has lots of really good documentaries grouped together under different headings...
Best Online Documentaries
3 comments:
Examine the reasons for differences in educational achievement between different ethnic groups.
By Saz.
In every ethnic group, class division is the key behind identifying who achieves better in education. The middle class in every ethnic group is often seen as the most successful because they achieve more educationally, this doesn't apply to upper class because ethinc minorities are seen to be split between the middle and working classes. Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black children are more likely to be brought up in low-income families which therefore leads to them suffering educational disadvantages due to their lack of funds. Parental pressure also plays a big part in educational achievement because it is shown that parents of certain ethnicities push their kids harder to achieve in education than others. This essay will continue to discuss and to draw conclusion over reasons for differences in educational achievement between different ethinic groups.
Drew (1995) did a study on the impact of class, gender and ethinicity on educational attainment. Although class was clearly still the main factor, Afro-Caribbean males were still at the bottom of each class group for attainment. However, in contrast to this, Afro-Caribbean females tend to better in their GCSE's than white working-class pupils. Fuller (1984) suggests that black girls may put on the image of being "cool" to present a good self-image to other peers and teachers, but they recognize the importance of achieving good qualifications so that they can break out of the class stereotypes. A study by Mirza (1992) found that black girls rejected the negative labelling from teachers, even when they have experienced some forms of open racism, they still encourage theirselves to complete education and to prove the label wrong, by achieving good marks and receiving qualifications.
Children from Chinese, Indian and African-Asian origin are seen to do very well in education. These ethinicities are more likely to succeed in education due to the fact that many of the children who come from these cultures have parents who have proffessional backgrounds, provide support in any instance, and are appropriate role models for their kids. Their culture is more accepted by teachers than that of Afro-Caribbeans because Afro-Caribbean pupils are seen to have more unstable and less professional parents. Statistics have shown that Afro-Caribbean males tend to get poorer GCSE results than any other ethnic group, they also tend to get expelled or suspended up to four times more than white working-class pupils. Afro-Caribbean underachievement has been blamed on the high numbers of one-parent families in Afro-Carribbean communities. Some politicians have suggested that the high volume of single parent households in the Afro-Caribbean community are lead by a female figure, they have concluded that it is because of the female being the sole parent that most Afro-Caribbean boys choose to rebel against authority becuase they have no father figure to implant discipline into them from an early age. On the other hand, Afro-Caribbean girls react differently to this. The accept the authority of a single mother and see her as being independent and a strong motivating influence. This is one of the reasons why sociologists have concluded that Afro-Caribbean girls achieve more out of education than Afro-Caribbean boys.
Ball (2002) states that ethnic-minority parents who were born abroad, face disadvantages when trying to get their kids into better schools. Because the parents were born abroad, they understand less about the British education system, and in some cases there maybe language problems which means the parents wont be able to ask questions they may want to or even understand the answers that the school may give them.
Labelling plays a major part in the educational achievement of ethnic minorities becuase they are most at risk of being labelling initially. Gilborn (1990) found that the most typical labels for Afro-Caribbean boys are 'unruly', 'disrespectful' and 'difficult to control'. Teachers misinterpret the dress, manner and actions of Afro-Caribbean pupils as representing a challenge to their authority. Due to this heavy labelling, some pupils responded in accordance with those labels. Tony Sewell (1996) claimed that some teachers feared the aspect of Black boys in school due to heavy stereotyping, which often is exposed by the media and emphasizes the Afro-Caribbean minority as mostly being the victims. Jasper (2002) investigates further in to suggest that the expectations that white female teachers have of black pupils behaviour dictates the style and form of teaching that those pupils will receive.
Some sociologists argue that what is taught in the cirriculum disadvantages people of ethnic minorities. The information that ethnic minorities learn at school may clash with their own cultural beliefs, this forms ethnocentrism. Coard (1971) showed how the content of education ignores black people. While all the main people who are taught are white, black music and culture tends to be largely ignored, Coard argued that this leads to low self-esteem amongst black pupils.
In conclusion, Afro-Caribbeans are most likely to fail any sort of educational achievement due to their fulfillment of labels and their lack of interest in education and abiding by the law. Afro-Caribbean females are more likely to pass and achieve higher qualifications than white working-class males due to the positive role of the single mother. Most asian and afro-asian pupils will succeed in their education due to positive influence from their parents, as well as the fact that they have been brought up amongst professional parents. So to conclude, the difference in educational success between ethnic minorities is based on several factors i.e. Parental pressure and impression, teacher labelling and streaming, and the influence of education.
Using information from the items, assess sociological explanations of sub-cultures as a source of educational failure.
By Saz.
Education is popular with the formation of subcultures among young pupils as they experience various stages of their adolesence during this time of learning. Subcultures can also be formed during the negative labelling often adapted to particular students by their teachers. These pupils then join together to form a subculture which then rebels against the rules projected by that teacher. Two main subcultures have been identified in todays education: "The teachers' pet" and the illustrious "Rebel". The teachers pet is often the pupil that is most likely to succeed and carries this out by abiding to all rules and anything the teachers commands. They are usually challenged by the "Rebels" who as their labelled, rebel against the rules and regulations of the cirriculum and abide by their own standards. Everyone in their lifetime wouldv'e been part of or experienced some form of a subculture through their educational career.
Considering the disadvantages, all subcultures have things in common: their members gain status, mutual support and a sense of belonging to that group.
Interactionalist Hargreaves believes that anti-school working-class subcultures are most likely found in the bottom streams in secondary schools. He argued that these w/c subcultures are formed by the negative labelling from teachers towards the working class as "low-stream failures". The unavailability of receiving status in mainstream education, through Hargreaves' interpretation, leads to the negatively labelled pupils to substitute the values of education with their own deliquent values which in their eyes will earn them status amongst their peer group. They achieve this by rebelling from school norms and replacing them with their own e.g. not respecting teachers, arriving late, having fights etc. Also, a joint study with Willis followed up with conclusions of pro and anti-school subcultures as homogeneous and coherent. Peter Woods however disagrees with this view. He argues that this view is too simpistic, pupils use a variety of adapations, depending on the way that the schools values have been accepted or rejected. Some pupils may respect and accept certain values of school but reject others.
Male subcultures can be identified as the main gender culture within education. There have been various studies which conclude that various levels of male subcultures reflects on their achievement in education. Paul Willis argues this view and challenges it by referring to his study on the "lads", he concluded from this study that the "lads" who were working class boys stay in the role of working class throughout their careers. The earliest form of labelling as held them back from achieving to their fullest because as the label grows on them, they begin to act into part- their self fulfilling prophecy has been achieved. Mac an Ghaill have illustrated that there are two main forms of the male subculture. The "Macho lads" were groups of males who were hostile towards the schools authority and learning who all fulfiled their labels as being working class failures. The second group that was identified was the "Academic Achievers", these were a group of working class males that although they would be criticised and bullies by the macho lads for being "teachers pets" they were still determined to break out of the working class cycle, and achieve in life. These pupils rejected any negative labelling given by teachers and pupils and worked to gain qualifications which would often lead them onto higher class proffessions such as doctors, lawyers and brain surgeons.
In contrast to the conclusions of male subcultures, female subcultures tell a different story of how creating your own norms and values challenges the view that forming a subculture leads to educational failure or in this study, how rejecting teachers labels encourages the pupils being negatively labelled to work harder. Mirza found that the Black girls in her study, who experienced forms of open rascism were being held back by the misguided behaviour of most teachers. She investigated the level of labelling amongst black girls in two comprehensive schools, she found that the black girls would reject negative labelling given to them by the teacher and use it to encourage themselves and other peers around them to work harder and prove the label wrong. She criticized teacher attitudes instead of pupil attitudes as the reason why black girls are seen to fail more, this is due to the teachers not encouraging and informing changes in the pupils edcuational life.
In conclusion, subcultures cannot be the sole source in the explanation of educational failure. Sociologists like Mirza and Rosenthal and Jacobson believe that educational failure is at the fault of the teacher, because of their one sided opinions, they make pupils who they have attached labels to, fail hence proving the theory that subcultures are a main source of education failure. Another point which can be concluded is that, pupils are more reluctant to continue with education if they have been labelled because they come under the influence that if a teacher believes they have or will fail, then that will be their outcome for the future, so they lose hope and rebel against the school system.
Analysis of TMNT film poster.
The name of one of the main characters is placed at the top of the poster to make his name stand out more. This shot is one of four that is used in the initial film poster. "Michaelangelo" is one of the four main characters, each have their own poster to promote the release of "TMNT". The Michaelangelo itself is written in a modern techincal font, the actual TMNT is written in the same way but with the edges cut of, this represents the idea of one of the most famous weapons that relate to the Tmnt's which is their samurai swords. The use of a white fill in the title could represent the theme of heroism, portraying the Tmnt's as heroes within the movie. This will attract more of a younger audience because they would be more appealed by its content. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been around in media for several years now, which is why this resurection has been up'd to a more techincal viewing. Prehand, the animations were either in cartoon or costume, but now, since the spark of technological animations i.e. Finding Nemo and the Blade animation series, Tmnt gets it own personal makeover and welcomes itself into a new century and new age of animation.
The shot of Michaelangelo is a long/medium shot because it shows all of his body at a short distance. This makes him appear larger to us and reflects his role in the movie as being one of the main characters. The shot shows him "flying" on a skateboard and sending across a mischievous and cheeky grin which informs the audience that the movie will contain aspects of the comedy drama thanks to the character of Michaelangelo. His headband is orange which can relate to the vibrant sun, sending us the image that the character is happy and full of bounce. This appeals to a younger audience because they want their idol aka the superhero to look good and not evil. The background shows a tunnel which an older audience can relate to as a sewer. The younger audience will relate the sewer to a whole different world than just a place where dump and waste goes, to a young child, the sewers that Tmnt live and move through can represent a hideout, where they can go to work and even mess about like Michaelangelo is doing in the picture, which all in all attracts more kids to go see it. An older audience who used to enjoy the young comics of Tmnt can also relate the sewer to the famous Tmnt hideout underground, where they owned their whole world and noone apart from the villains invaded their privacy.
Underneath the release date of the film, the four institutions that are producing Tmnt are shown. Warner Brothers entertainment is the most famous of the four, and the one that most bonds with the image of Tmnt. Warner Brothers is a company that produce, publish and promote all types of films, but they mostly focus on movies to attract children like animations and superhero readaptations and more recently, subtle romantic comedies for older audiences. Seeing the Warner Brothers logo in some aspects solidifies the outcome of the movie, as Warner Brothers are always known to produce excellent movies, all round enjoyment for the family.
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