EDUCATION TOPIC FIVE (paper 1)

Question 1

What are Durkheims 2 main functions of education?

Answer 1

Social solidarity
Specialist skills

Question 2

What is Social Solidarity?

Answer 2

Without social solidarity social life and cooperation would be impossible because each individual would pursue own desires

Question 3

How does education create Social Solidarity?

Answer 3

Transmits society culture
Teaching country’s history instils in children a sense of a shared heritage

Question 4

How does school act?

Answer 4

School acts as ‘society in miniature’ preparing us for wider society
We have to cooperate with people who neither friends or family in schools and work

Question 5

What are specialist skills?

Answer 5

Each person has the necessary specialist knowledge and skills to perform their role needed for the social division of labour

Question 6

How does Parsons view School?

Answer 6

‘focal socialising agency’
Acts as a bridge between family and wider society
Bridge needed as family and society operated on different principles so children need to learn a new way of living

Question 7

How does school prepare us?

Answer 7

Prepares us from moving from the family to wider society
school and society based on meritocratic society

Question 8

What is meritocracy?

Answer 8

Everyone is given equal opportunity and individuals achieve rewards through own efforts & ability

Question 9

How does Davis and Moore see education?

Answer 9

Device selection for role allocation
Focus on the relationship between education & social inequality

Question 10

What doe Davis & Moore Argue?

Answer 10

Inequality is necessary to ensure the most important people are in the most important roles.
This encourages everyone to compete for them and society can select from the most talented to fill those positions

Question 11

How does education play a key part in role allocation?

Answer 11

Acts as proving ground for ability
Education is where individuals show what they can do
‘sifts and sort’ us according to ability
Most able gain highest qualifications which gives entry to highly rewarded postions

Question 12

What are Evaluations?

Answer 12

Education doesn’t teach specialised skills
Wolf:
Study of vocational education
third of 16-18 year olds are on courses that don’t lead to higher education

There is evidence that equal opportunity in education doesn’t exist. E,g; achievement is influenced by class background