Education (Functionalism and Education) Flashcards
Google slides (27 cards)
What term do functionalists use to describe how society works like the human body?
Biological Analogy
What are some different parts of the Biological Analogy?
Family
Education System
Mass Media
What is a structural theory?
Society influences our norms and behaviours. We are passive products of our social system. (puppets on a string - top down)
What is a macro theory?
Looks at the social system as a whole and is not interested in small interactions between individuals/
What is a consensus theory?
Sees society as being harmonious and free from disagreement. Shared norms and values.
What do they believe is the foundation of society?
Value consensus - shared set of norms and values.
Why do they believe the education system is fair?
Students gain an achieved status by their own effort and non an ascribed status.
What does Durkheim mean by the education system is meritocratic?
Everyone has an equal chance based upon ability and effort.
Why do marxists say meritocracy is a myth?
They think people achievement is determined by their social class.
What is the bridge and who discovered it?
American functionalist sociologist, Talcott Parsons (1959) argues the education system is a bridge between the family and wider society.
Why is the bridge needed?
The family operates on particularistic norms and wider society operates on universalistic norms
What are particularistic norms?
Individualistic standards, each person is treat differently (home).
What are universalistic norms?
The individual is judged against standards which apply equally to all members of society (school/law/rules)
What is role allocation and who discovered it?
Davis and Moore (1945) argue that the education system selects and allocates
Schools try to match people to jobs based in attitudes and abilities, how will this encourage competition?
People will compete for highly skilled jobs and society can then select the most talented.
What is the way the education system groups people due to their abilities?
Sifts and Sorts
Why do marxists reject the idea of role allocation?
They argue it is not the most talented people but is the most privileged who get these positions.
What is economic function?
Modern societies have a complex division of labour, where people need specialist skills.
What does Durkheim claim the education system teaches?
Specialist skills and knowledge that is needed for people to play their part in the economy.
What did Schutz name ‘workers skills’?
Human Capital
Why are the New Right critical of economic function?
They claim the modern education is inadequate for teaching the skills needing to compete in a global economy, that the UK is falling behind its competitors.
What is social control?
Both in school and the workplace we have to cooperate with people who are neither friends or family (teachers/customers) according to a set of rules which schools teach us.
What can school act like which prepares us for a life in wider society?
Society in miniature
Why are marxists critical of social control?
They claim the education system persuades working class pupils to accept working class jobs which are boring and monotonous.
