role of education Flashcards
(41 cards)
what’s the functionalist perspective on the role of education
education performs positive functions for society + i9ndividuals socialising new members of society and by helping to create and sustain social solidarity.
functionalism is a …. view of society
conservative
which functionalist discuss the role of education
Durkheim, Parsons, Davis and Moore
what are durkhiems 2 functions of education
-promote social solidarity: (transmits social norms + values, binds ppl together to cooperate) e.g. singing national anthem (teaches children to follow university rules essential to corporate in society)
-education prepares young ppl for work
(thru specialist skills)
what dies parson argue schools main function
argues school is the ‘focal socialising agency’ of modern society.
AND meritocracy.
parsons secondary socliasation:
what does school teach
teachers universal standards and acts as a bridge between family and wider society. in particular it socilases individuals into shared values of a meroitic society.
Parsons:
what is a meritocratic society based on
(2)
- individual achievement
teaches status thru own efforts n abilities. not where u come form but w hate u can do that gives u that position in society.
2.equal opportunity
for everyone to achieve their full potential.
Argue school is society in miniature.
includes these meritocratic ideas.
indiviuadals succeed or fail depending one their own ability n effort, prepares them fir life in modern society which is competitive and individualistic.
what did Davis and Moore say abt function of education
(RA)
main function is role allocation.
= the election n allocation of indivdiduals for their future work roles.
what is Davis and Moores expansion of social stratification
- some ppl r more tanelented than others
-sone ppl work roles r more complex than others + require greater skill
-for society to function efficiently the most tanelented indidivualks need to be allocated to most important jobs
-higher rewards r offered for these jobs to motivate everyone to strive for them.
-a meritocratic education system allows everyone to compete equally. it ‘sifts and sorts’ individuals so that the most taneleted get the best qualifications and r allocated to the most important jobs.
-result, society is more productive because the most able ppl do the most important jobs.
human capital theory
similar to Davis n moore.
mordern industrial society is tech advanced specalist skills of its workforce r its main economic asses (capital). a meritocratic education system is the best way to develop a suffiecnetly skilled workforce + create greater economic effieciency + higher living standards.
key term for Davis and Moore main function of education
sifts and sorts
A03 functionalist perspective on the role of education
- Marx: values transmitted by education r not society’s shared values but rather those of the ruling class.
-education is not meritocratic, bcs schools discriminate against some groups (WC, Black) n don’t give them a equal opportunity to achieve.
-Hargreaves 1982 A schools place ore value on competition + developing individuals than on developing sense of social solidarity as D claims.
-difficult to see direct link between subjects studied at school m what’s required form workers in jobs. Education doesn’t nessecarily equip ppl for future work roles.
-interactionists a functionalist view of socialisation is too deterministic. not all pupils passively accept the schools values- some reject + rebel.
-a persons ascribed characteristic - their class backgrounds, gender + ethnicity r more important in determining their income later in life than is their achievement in school.
(internalfactors more important)
new right perspective and …
neoliberalism
Marxist is a what explantation
conflict
what’s Althussers two ways ruling class maintain their power
- repressive state apparatus = use force or threat to maintain rules (police, court)
2.ideological state apparatus = control of peoples ideas, values + culture (thru media, religion EDUCATION)
what does Althusser say education system does
reproduces class inequality by transmitting it from generation, by failing each generation of WC pupils. education legitimises class inequalities by persuading workers to accept inequality is inevitable.
what does Bowles and Ginitis 1976 say abt education
(capitalist schooling)
argue - education system is controlled by capitalists and serves their interests.
what is the correspondence principle??
school mirrors the workplace - structure, organisation, hierarchy.
bc schooling used to prepare children for working in capitalist businesses
e.g. obeying teachers w/out question = doing what ur told by CEO managers etc.
what’s the hidden curriculum??
deffcc
education prepares children for work thru this:
-conformist pupils awarded higher grades than those who challenge authority.
- teaches acceptance of hierarchy, teachers > pupils obey
-pupils motivated by external rewards of exam success - same as workers motivated by wages.
-both work + education fragmented, so workers + pupils have little overall understanding of production or society.
-creates false class consciousness so prevents revolutionary action = why capitalism reproduced.
Myth of meritocracy
BOWLES AND GINTIS
-role allocation based on social class NOT MERITOCRACY.
E.g. old school tie network - ensures top jobs in society go to middle class.
-unequal role allocation ensures - few opportunities for social mobility + why economic class structure is reproduced.
-education helps to legitimises economic/class inequalities by creating belief that allocation is fair, natural and meritocratic.
-vocational courses merely a form of cheap, exploitive labour.
WILLIS
learning to labour
(looked into how some pupils resisted indoctrination into accepting metrirorcry)
QUALITATIVE METHODS
study COUNTER-CULTURE
12 WC BOYS
‘the lads’
acts of defiance: smoking, disrupting lesson, truanting
-gained status within the group by being scornful to conformist boys (ear’oles), used intimidating beh taking the piss.
what was WILLIS findings of 12 WC boys
similarties between anti school lads n shop floor culture of male manual workers.
-lads saw manual work as masculine n intellectual work as feminine.
CONCLUDED:
anti-school subculture helped them slot into WC jobs that capitalism requires them to perform.
- lack of qualifications confines them to these jobs.
EVALUATION OF MARXISM ROLE OF EDUCATION
(4)
1.NEO-MARXIST, not all WC pupils passively accept everything they’re taught + often resist discipline imposed on them.
2.WILLIS CRICISTED for romanticising ‘the lads’ as WC heroes. & difficult to generalise his findings only 12 sample.
3.REYNOLDS believes some education does encourage critical thinking SOCIOLOGY :)
4.POSTMODERNIST argue today’s economy requires schools to produce a different kind of labour force than what max described. Produces diversity not inequality. & gender, ethnicity, sexuality important factors.
NEW RIGHT
similarities with functionalism
- believe some ppl more talented than others
- favour an education system based on meritocratic principles, competition + serves need of the economy by preparing young ppl for work.
-education should sopcalise pupils into shared values & national identity.
