Can achievement differentials be explained by social class alone?

This article assesses the importance of social class in explaining differentials in the educational achievements of minority ethnic pupils in England and Wales. It is found to be a key factor for all groups. The analysis finds significant differences between ethnic groups even when pupils from the same social class background are compared. When disparities within ethnic groups are examined, however, it is found that the effect of moving one place down the social class structure is similar for all ethnicities. This leads to the conclusion that social class operates in a similar way for all ethnic groups without a specifically `ethnic effect' that mitigates its impact in certain groups

純理上より觀たる財産重課の理由

BackgroundMaterial and social environmental stressors affect mental health in adolescence. Protective factors such as social support from family and friends may help to buffer the effects of adversity.AimsThe association of violence exposure and emotional disorders was examined in Cape Town adolescents.MethodA total of 1034 Grade 8 high school students participated from seven government co-educational schools in Cape Town, South Africa. Exposure to violence in the past 12 months and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were measured by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, depressive and anxiety symptoms by the Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire and the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale.ResultsExposure to violence was associated with high scores on depressive (odds ratio (OR)=6.23, 95% CI 4.2–9.2), anxiety (OR=5.40, 95% CI 2.4–12.4) and PTSD symptoms (OR=8.93, 95% CI 2.9–27.2) and increased risk of self-harm (OR=5.72, 95% CI 1.2–25.9) adjusting for gender and social support.ConclusionsWe found that high exposure to violence was associated with high levels of emotional disorders in adolescents that was not buffered by social support. There is an urgent need for interventions to reduce exposure to violence in young people in this setting

Family social support, community “social capital” and adolescents’ mental health and educational outcomes: a longitudinal study in England

Purpose To examine the associations between family social support, community “social capital” and mental health and educational outcomes. Methods The data come from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England, a multi-stage stratified nationally representative random sample. Family social support (parental relationships, evening meal with family, parental surveillance) and community social capital (parental involvement at school, sociability, involvement in activities outside the home) were measured at baseline (age 13–14), using a variety of instruments. Mental health was measured at age 14–15 (GHQ-12). Educational achievement was measured at age 15–16 by achievement at the General Certificate of Secondary Education. Results After adjustments, good paternal (OR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.56–0.86) and maternal (OR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.53–0.81) relationships, high parental surveillance (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.69–0.94) and frequency of evening meal with family (6 or 7 times a week: OR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.61–0.96) were associated with lower odds of poor mental health. A good paternal relationship (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.06–1.51), high parental surveillance (OR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.20–1.58), high frequency of evening meal with family (OR = 1.64, 95% CI 1.33–2.03) high involvement in extra-curricular activities (OR = 2.57, 95% CI 2.11–3.13) and parental involvement at school (OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.37–1.87) were associated with higher odds of reaching the educational benchmark. Participating in non-directed activities was associated with lower odds of reaching the benchmark (OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.70–0.89). Conclusions Building social capital in deprived communities may be one way in which both mental health and educational outcomes could be improved. In particular, there is a need to focus on the family as a provider of support

Physical activity and depressive symptoms in adolescents: a prospective study

Background: The frequency of mental illness amongst adolescents and its potential long-term consequences make it an important topic to research in relation to risk and protective factors. Research on the relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms in adolescents is limited. There is a particular lack of evidence from longitudinal studies. This study examines the relationship between depression and physical activity using the Research with East London Adolescents: Community Health Survey (RELACHS).Methods: This was a prospective cohort study. Participants were recruited from three Local Education Authority boroughs in East London in 2001 from year 7 (aged 11-12) and year 9 (aged 13-14) and were followed-up in 2003. All pupils in the 28 schools that took part were eligible for the study. Of the total 3,322 pupils eligible for the survey the overall response rate was 84% (2,789 pupils). A total of 2,093 (75%) pupils were also followed-up in 2003. The sample was multiethnic (73% of respondents were non-white) and deprived. Just under half of the sample was male (49%). Depressive symptoms were measured using the Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ). Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms both cross-sectionally and longitudinally.Results: After adjustments, there was evidence for a cross-sectional association between physical activity and depressive symptoms for both boys and girls at baseline, with a decrease in the odds of depressive symptoms of about 8% for each additional hour of exercise undertaken per week (boys: odds ratio (OR) = 0.92, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.99; girls: OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.00). There was no evidence for an association between a change in physical activity from baseline to follow-up and depressive symptoms at follow-up.Conclusions: This study provides some evidence for an association between level of physical activity and decreased depressive symptoms in adolescents. Further longitudinal research of these associations is required before physical activity can be recommended as an intervention for depression in adolescents

Black and minority ethnic educational atainment and engagement with school in Britain

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Ethnic Penalties and Premia at the End of Lower Secondary Education

This chapter investigates the grades and test scores of second-generation minorities at the end of compulsory schooling (around age fifteen). We document the differences in overall achievement both between minorities and between countries, showing that Chinese and some other Asian groups out-perform the majority group while Turkish, North African, Caribbean, Sub-Saharan African groups and many European minorities all perform less well. Whilst the disadvantage of many European minorities can largely be explained by their disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, socioeconomic background does not explain the disadvantages experienced by minorities with Turkish and North African backgrounds, meaning that these groups experience significant ‘ethnic penalties’ even after controlling for their parent's socioeconomic circumstances. Conversely, the Chinese experience substantial ‘ethnic premia’. We then investigate explanations for these ethnic premia and penalties, concluding by considering the extent to which different countries offer more or less favourable environments for the educational success of the children of immigrants.</p

Equalisation or inflation? Social class and gender differentials in England and Wales

The Labour government elected in 1997, which lost power in 2010, was the longest serving Labour administration Britain has ever had. This period saw an enormous expansion of further and higher education, and an increase in the proportion of students achieving school-level qualifications. But have inequalities diminished as a result? We examine the impact of this educational expansion on levels of social class and gender differentials in educational attainment and participation, using the Youth Cohort Study data for the period 1990-2006. We take a novel approach to the presentation of inequalities, examining differentials in the form of 1) Percentage points, 2) Proportionate gaps and finally, 3) Relative rankings in the hierarchy of examination results. We find that social class inequalities have declined since 1997, but more modestly in terms of relative rankings than in terms of proportionate gaps. © 2011 Taylor &amp; Francis