Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

A-Level Sociology > Role of Education > Flashcards

Role of Education Flashcards

1
Q

What is Parson views on the function of education

A
  • sees school as a focal socializing agency which act like a bridge between the family and wider society
  • Bridge needed because the family and wider society operate on different principles
  • believes school is based on meritocratic principles - e.g. same exam & same pass mark for everyone
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

How does school promote Meritocracy?

A
  • Same test and same pass mark requirement for everyone
  • Same National Curriculum
  • Status is largely achieved not ascribed like the family
  • same set of universalistic and impersonal standards unlike the family where the child is judge by particularistic standards
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Define Meritocracy

A

Everyone is given equal opportunities and individuals rewards through their own effort and ability

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the overall view of education from a functionalist perspective?

A

Education performs functions that helps maintain society as a whole

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What 2 main function of education did Emile Durkheim identify

A
  • Creating Social Solidarity

- Teaching specialist Skills

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is social solidarity

A

people feeling they are part of the community

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How does the school achieve social solidarity

A
  • transmits society’s culture, it’s values, norms and shared beliefs from one generation to the next to maintain order. for instance, teachings of a countries history instills in pupils a sense of shared heritage and commitment to wider social groups
  • schools acts as society in miniature which prepares pupils for the transition from the family to society thereby promoting social solidarity. for instance, both in school and at work we have to cooperate with people that are neither friends or family. Similarly, both in school and at work we have to interact with other based on a set of impersonal rules that applies to everyone
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Why does school perform the function of teaching specialist skills

A

The economy has a complex division of labor which relies on cooperation and social solidarity to flourish. Hence schools teach the specialist skills required for an efficient labor force. For example, doctors needs to be trained with specialist skills in medicine and plumbers in plumbing.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are Davis and Moore view on Education

A

Schools perform the function of allocating pupils to their future work role by assessing pupils ability and “sifting and sorting” pupils so that the most able pupils get the functionally most important jobs.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Criticism of functionalist perspectives on education:

A
  • Education does not teach specialist skill as adequately as Durkheim claims
  • Equality opportunities in education does not exist. for example, achievement is greatly influenced by class background rather than ability. Marxist would critique this view as it is only those from U/MC that have the most educational opportunities
  • Education does not instils values of society but rather the values of capitalists ( bourgeoisie) which benefits them only as it maintain the hierarch of classes
  • Wrong critique functionalist for being to deterministic, in that functionalist wrongly imply that all pupils passively accept all they are taught and never reject school’s values
  • New Right argues that schools fails to adequately prepare students for work and that they are not taught specialist skills needed for certain professions.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are Neoliberalism View on Education?

A
  • argues that the government should not provide public services such education, health and welfare
  • Education should not regulated as a free market economy
  • Schools should operate more like businesses
  • values of education lies in how well it enables the country to compete in global market economy
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the similarities between Functionalist and New Rights views ?

A
  • believe some are naturally more talented than other
  • education should socialize children into shared values
  • Should instill a sense of national identity
  • favor an education system run on meritocratic principles of open competition
  • Education should serve the needs of the economy by preparing pupils for work
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the Key difference between New Right and Functionalist ideas ?

A
  • New right do not believe the current education system is succeeding in performing its functions well because it run by the state
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What do New Rights argue in regards to Education?

A
  • State Education system imposes uniformity and takes one size fits all approach
  • State education system is unresponsive and inefficient to consumers needs (parents/pupils)
  • Failing are not answerable to the consumers (parents)
  • competition amongst school and empowering parents will bring greater diversity, choice and efficiency needed to create a prosperous economy
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Evaluation of New Rights perspective on Education:

A
  • competition amongst schools benefit the middle class as they have the cultural and economic capital to full exercise their power. thus able to making informed choices and access to the more desirable school
  • Critiques argue the real cause of low educational standards is due to inadequate funds and social inequality not state control
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How do Marxist view education?

A

see education as based on class division and capitalist exploitation

17
Q

What does Marx believe and hope?

A

believe and hope for a revolution where the proletariats would overthrow the capitalist system and create a more classless, equal society

18
Q

What work under capitalism like?

A

alienating, unsatisfying and poorly paid but the proletariat have no control but to deal with it as they own no means of production

19
Q

How does Marxism see Education overall?

A

See it as functioning to prevent revolution and maintain capitalism

20
Q

Describe Althusser theory of ISAS

A

Althusser believed that no class could stay in power for an extensive period of time just by force, but ideology is a much more effective form of social control. Therefore, the ruling class maintains power in 2 main ways

21
Q

What are the 2 main ways Bourgeoisie maintain power explain

A
  • Repressive state apparatus - force (army, police)
  • ideological state apparatus - indoctrinating individuals by controlling their values, idea and belief via media , religion and education
22
Q

What 2 function does the education perform in Althusser’s view

A
  • reproduces class inequality by failing each successive generation of W.C pupils
  • Legitimizes class inequality via ideologies such as meritocracy and inequality is inevitable
23
Q

What does capitalism require and how is it achieved?

A
  • requires hardworking and obedient workforce that is too divided the authority of the ruling class
  • achieved via the hidden curriculum
24
Q

What is correspondence theory?

A
  • it’s the link and mirror between the social relationships in the workplace and in education
25
Q

What is the hidden curriculum?

A

consists of subtle and implicit messages pupils learn through the experience of attending school rather than what they are specifically taught through the National Curriculum

26
Q

define meritocracy

A

everyone has equal an equal opportunity to achieve as rewards are based on effort and ability

27
Q

What are the critiques of Meritocracy

A

Marxist believe it legitimizes inequality because it makes it appear that the ruling class deserve the success they have got and that the working class are poor due to their lack of effort in school

28
Q

what are the features of counter-school subculture

A
  • see no value is gaining qualifications
  • sexist and racists
  • manual labor is seen more worth than non-manual
  • believe school is a “con”
  • smoke and drink
  • find school boring and a place to have a “laugh”
29
Q

What does Willis Believe about education?

A

believe school serves capitalism but argues that some WC pupils do see through the ideology and resist such attempts of indoctrination by forming counter-school subcultures

30
Q

Evaluation of Marxist approach of education

A
  • Marxist approaches contrast with each other about how legitimatization of inequality take place: Bowles and Gintis take on a deterministic point of view whilst Willis argues pupils can resist school, but yet it still leads them into working class jobs
  • Willis study only used 12 boys and so is not true representative of all similar school boys
- Morrow & Torres criticize Marxists for taking a ‘class first’ approach that sees class as the key inequality and ignores other kinds such as  gender and race thus argues Marxists must explain 
how education legitimizes all forms of inequality.
31
Q

what a positive evaluation from Willis’s study

A

Willis’ work led onto other researches about how education leads to other forms inequalities. For example, Conneley explored how education reproduces both ethnic and gender inequality

A-Level Sociology (7 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions