Differential Educational Achievement (DEA) is a

sociological Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation and ...

term often given to a concept that disagrees with some of the functionalist views on

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

. Many functionalists believe that an individual's academic success depends completely upon that person's IQ (

intelligence quotient An intelligence quotient (IQ) is a total score derived from a set of standardized tests or subtests designed to assess human intelligence. The abbreviation "IQ" was coined by the psychologist William Stern for the German term ''Intelligen ...

) and the effort they apply to their studies. They also believe that society works in a meritocratic system: that people work for what they achieve, and achieve what they deserve, according to their own merit and effort, i.e., they work hard to get the best jobs in later life. Some other sociologists do not concur with this idea. They think that other factors have a more prominent impact on one's education. These factors may include social class background,

gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures ...

and ethnicity.- "A" Level Sociology
- Teaching Notes for Students ''Education and Training - Differential Educational Achievement'' Marxists believe that this is due to social class, and that in education only the ruling class values are transmitted. This means that working-class people find it difficult to connect with the education system. In this respect, according to this theory, many people from less

affluent Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating Old English word , which is from an I ...

backgrounds are academically disadvantaged from the very start.

References

External links

Discussion of Meritocracy including an Introduction and arguments on both sides of the issue
Philosophy of education Affirmative action {{edu-stub