Role of Education- economy

Question 1

Durkheim

Answer 1

P – 2 Main functions of education Solidarity and specialist skills
E – Durkheim (1903)- individual members need to cooperate and be cohesive
E – Modern industrial economies have a complex DofL, each person needs to have specialist knowledge to play part
L – Education promotes teamwork and skill development
E – Wolf review (2011)- high quality apprentices are rare and 1/3 18–19-year-olds on courses that don’t lead to HE or good jobs

1903

Question 2

Parsons

Answer 2

P – Define socialisation
E – Parsons (1961)- education is the ‘focal agency,’ acting as a bridge between family and society
E – Child judged by particularistic standards in family and universalistic standards in wider society
L – Status in society achieved rather than ascribed, education seen as a route up as everyone judged by the same criteria, eg. Promotion = good grades
E – Teacher labelling + SFP

1961

Question 3

Davis + Moore

Answer 3

P – School acts as a method of allocating future roles
E – Davis + Moore (1945)- by assessing aptitude and ability through standardised tests
E – Inequality is necessary to ensure roles are fulfilled by talented people, inefficient for unskilled workers performing essential roles
L – Education acts as a proving ground for ability and instils a sense of competition
E – Students passively accept values, seen as mere puppets with no rejection

1945

Question 4

Bowles + Gintis

Answer 4

P – Marxists see main role as reproducing an obedient workforce passively accepting inequality
E – Bowles + Gintis (1976)- study of 237 high school students, found parallels between schooling and work in a capitalist society
E – Operates via Hidden curriculum, uniform, obedience, hierarchical structure etc.
L – Children become accustomed to competition and working for extrinsic rewards
E – Willis (1977)- system designed not to be passively accepted rather rejected

1976

Question 5

Althusser

Answer 5

P – Multiple ways of controlling bourgeoisie, ISA + RSA
E – Althusser (1971)- Education acts as an ISA, controlling ideology by reproducing generational inequality via failure in school
E – Legitimated by concealing true causes, such as material deprivation, by blaming on ability
L – WC feel inequality is inevitable and passively accept subordinate position, reproducing an obedient workforce exploited by capitalism
E – Feminists criticise for ignoring patriarchy

1971

Question 6

Willis

Answer 6

P – Pupils however can resist attempts of indoctrination
E – Willis (1977)- study of 12 WC boys making transition from school to work, held distinctive counterculture
E – Found school to be boring and meaningless, reject meritocratic ideology
L – Parallels between ‘shop floor culture’ of manual work and lads culture, ensuring their destination of unskilled work capitalism needs to function
E – Romanticises language and attitude of lads, ignores blatant discrimination

1977