Sociological perspectives on education

Question 1

What is the functionalist view on education?

Answer 1

Takes a consensus view
Education has 3 roles
1) socialisation into work force
2) specialist work skills
3) selection for workrooms

Question 2

What was Durkheim’s view on education? - Functionalist

Answer 2

Argues two functions of education
1) social solidarity
2) teach special skills

Question 3

What is social solidarity and how is it achieved in schools?

Answer 3

It is the idea that education transmits beliefs/ norms / values through generations.

Achieved by
shared heritage - history / literature
communal gatherings - assemblies
social cohesion - house systems

Question 4

What are specialist skills ?

Answer 4

Each person has to have specialist skills in order to perform their roles in society successfully –> children gain the skills they need for the workforce

Question 5

Criticisms of Durkheim

Answer 5

MARXISTS - believe only ruling class culture is being taught
- Ethnocentric curriculum
- Feminists –> girls are discouraged from certain subjects

Question 6

What was parsons view on education? - Functionalist

Answer 6

Views education as the ‘second socialisation’ bridging the gap between family and society -

Question 7

How does education achieve this second socialisation?

Answer 7

All students expected to follow the same rules like laws are applicable to all in society

Promote collectivism rather than individualism inn the home

Status in school is achieved while in families is ascribed

EDUCATION PREPARES US FOR SOCIETY AS BOTH ARE MERITOCRATIC

Question 8

What was Davis and Moore’s view on education - Functionalist

Answer 8

Argues school performs the function of role allocation by allocating children to specific roles based on their skill set.

Question 9

How does education reach this role allocation?

Answer 9

• students have ability to prove themselves
• Promote meritocracy
• the access to qualifications applicable to certain jobs

Question 10

Criticisms of the FUNCTIONALIST view

Answer 10

1) Education is not teaching specialist skills effectively as many 16-19 apprenticeships don’t lead to good jobs

2) Marxists - education only passes on ruling class ideology

3) WONG argues functionalists over socialised view that students are passive and just accept ( they don’t)

4) Neo liberals argue that the state education system fails to prepare people for work

Question 11

What is the neoliberalism view on education?

Answer 11

That the state should not interfere with education

• favours marketisation
• ## believes schools that waste money = less qualified workforce

Question 12

similarities between functionalist and new right views

Answer 12

1) both believe some are more naturally talented

2) both favour the education run on meritocratic principles

3) both believe education should socialise children into shared values

Question 13

What did Chubb and Moe argue ? - Neo liberalists

Answer 13

Argue that state run education has failed

1) does not create equal opportunities
2) insufficient - fails to give students skills
3) Private schools = higher education - due to pay from consumers

Question 14

What study did Chubb and Moe carry out ?

Answer 14

60,000 disadvantaged kids in public schools found that low income families did 5% better in private schools

Question 15

What was Chubb and Moe’s market system proposal?

Answer 15

Puts parents in control

proposed voucher to be given to parents to spend their choice –> makes schools more competitive

Question 16

What are the two new right roles for the state?

Answer 16

1) state gives out framework in which schools have to compete e.g ofstead

2) schools transmit shared culture e.g national curriculum

Question 17

Criticisms of NEO/ NEW RIGHT view

Answer 17

1) GERWITS AND BALL –> competition favours middle class

2) critics argue that the problem is social inequality and inadequate funding not the state

3) Marxists argue education only imposes the culture of the nominating bourgeoisie not a shared culture

Question 18

what is the marxist view of education?

Answer 18

Take a class conflict approach
Education is based on class division / exploitation and its function is to prevent revolution and to maintain capitalism

Question 19

How does education prevent a rebellion?

Answer 19

As the ruling class controls the state which controls the education

Question 20

what Did Althusser argue? - Marxist

Answer 20

Ideological / repressive state apparatus
Education is important due to
1) reproducing class inequality
2) legitimates class inequality

Question 21

What is Ideological / repressive state apparatus ?

Answer 21

ideological - maintain control through control of peoples ideas beliefs and values ( media/education)

Repressive - maintains control through threat ( police/army/courts)

Question 22

What did Althusser mean by reproducing class inequality?

Answer 22

Transmitting through generations by failing successive generations of working class people

Question 23

What did Althusser mean by legitimates class inequality?

Answer 23

Through producing ideologies in disguise its true cause - e.g people accept inequality as inevitable

Question 24

What did Bowles and Gintis argue ? - Marxist

Answer 24

Argued that capitalism requires a workforce with behaviour suited to their role as exploited workers willing to accept orders from above.

Question 25

what did Bowles and Gintis believe the role of education was ?

Answer 25

to reproduce an obedient workforce that will accept inequality as inevitable

Question 26

what was Bowles and Gintis study ?

Answer 26

Studies 237 NY high schools
Found schools reward submissive and compliant people - those who got high grades were obedient and disciplined

Question 27

what did Bowles and Gintis mean by the correspondence principle and hidden curriculum ?

Answer 27

The correspondence principle is that their are close parallels between schooling and work on a capitalist society.

They argue this occurs through the hidden curriculum ( indirect teaching from school)

Question 28

what is the myth of meritocracy in education - marxist approach?

Answer 28

schools prevent the lower class rebelling against unfair ruling by legitimate class inequalities

Meritocracy only justifies the privileges of the higher class making it seem as though they earned it but did not

Question 29

what did Willis argue ? - Marxist

Answer 29

working class people can resist the attempts to indoctorine / ruling class orders

Question 30

What was willis Lad’s counter culture study?

Answer 30

A group of 12 working class boys studied work - school –> work

1) form opposition to conformers

2) Find school boring and values and morals pointless so distract the class

3) Reject meritocracy that working class reach good jobs through hardworking

Question 31

What correlation did Willis notice?

Answer 31

The lad behaviour in school was the same as men in work.

• Both see manual work as superior and intellectual work as inferior
• view manual work of more rewarding

Question 32

Willis conclusions of lads’ counter culture

Answer 32

• gives higher status to manual labour - through failing of socialisation of meritocracy
• Lads’ made own decisions away from ruling ideology
• Boys aware of indoctrination but chose not to take place

Question 33

Criticism of marxist approach

Answer 33

• post modernists criticise bowels and Gintis stating eduction produces diversity
• Marxists argue with each other
  Bowels and Gintis state that students have no free will
  Willis argues students are able to rebel
• Feminists argue schools reproduce patriarchy not capitalism
• critics criticise marxists for being heavily focused on class inequalities not others

Question 34

What was the post modernist view on education?

Answer 34

Argues education has become m ore diverse and responsive to needs of different individuals - diversity