Sociological Theories Of Education

Question 1

Functionalism ( Durkheim) 2 main functions of education

Answer 1

1. Creates social solidarity
2. Specialists skills

Question 2

social solidarity

Answer 2

-Invokes trust, prevents the state of nature/anarchy
-Transmits culture, passes on norms & values, teaching history connects students to their shared heritage- promotes ‘social integration’, creates a ‘collective conscience’
- Turns children into ‘social beings’
- School as ‘society in miniature’, interacting with non- family members, rules of behaviour/engagement, socialisation

Question 3

Specialist skills

Answer 3

• Modern economies required specialist skills
• The division of labour

-Cooperation between specialists helps to create social solidarity

Question 4

Talcott parson’s argument on education

Answer 4

1. Education as a ‘focal socialising agent’
2. The bridge between the family & society
3. Different rules for different children at home: parents rules, elder son Vs younger daughter
4. Education: Universal & impersonal rules in society
5. Education: same rules for all, same exam questions + pass mark

Question 5

Parsons argument on school being similar to wider society ( status is gained through achievement)

Answer 5

1. Promotional or dismissal
2. Exam pass or exam fail
   MERITOCRACY
   - power, rank, influence & rewards gained via individuals according to their individual merit
   - equal opportunity for all
   - less focus on ‘ascribed status’

Question 6

What did David & Moore show

Answer 6

1. Education is a device for selection & role allocation (future work roles)
2. Identified inequalities within society, argued it was necessary to ensure that the most talented undertake important roles
3. Not everyone is equally talented
4. Offer higher rewards for challenging roles, to attract the most talented

Question 7

Davis & Moore why is education ‘proving ground’ for those with ability/ talent

Answer 7

-The most talented will gain the highest qualifications

Question 8

What did Blau & Duncan show

Answer 8

1. Prosperity in modern economies a product of human capital (workers skills)
2. Meritocratic education helps allocate the best jobs to the best workers, maximising productivity

Question 9

Criticism of functionalism

Answer 9

1. Equal opportunities in education may not exist, achievement greatly influenced by class
2. Melvin Tumin criticised Davis & Moore:
   • How do we know a job is important? It’s highly paid
   • Why are some jobs more high paid than others? Because they are important!
3. Functionalists argue that education instils the values of a whole society,
   Marxists argue education only instils the values of the ruling class

Question 10

More criticism of functionalism

Answer 10

1. Dennis Wrong
   • Functionalists have an over socialised view of students, passively absorb information, blank slates/tabula rasa, never push back or rebel, one way process
2. The Neoliberals/New Right argue that the state education does not prepare students adequately for work

Question 11

Neoliberalism & the new right

Answer 11

1. Similar to Functionalists:
   • Not everyone is equally talented
   • Meritocracy: education geared towards preparing people for the world of work
   • Socialise people into shared values (such as competition), instil a sense of national identity
2. Key difference?
   • NR do not think that education is achieving its goals

Question 12

Neoliberalism & the new right

Answer 12

1. The ‘one size fits all’ approach (the NR claim) imposes uniformity and disregards local needs
2. Consumers have no say
3. System is inefficient: wastes money, achieves poor results, demands little of teachers, ultimately results in a poor economy

Question 13

Solution for neoliberalism & new right

Answer 13

MARKETISATION:

• By turning education in to a market it would force schools to compete
• Increasing the diversity of schools available would give more choice to consumers
• Increase efficiency

Question 14

1. Chubb & Moe consumer choice

Answer 14

• Claim American state education has failed, therefore needs to be opened up to market forces
• Claim disadvantaged groups have been badly treated by state education, failed to create equal opportunity
• Claim state education is inefficient, does not train pupils for work
• Claim private schools are better because they are answerable to consumers

Question 15

2. Chubb & Moe consumer choice

Answer 15

• Compared achievements of 60k pupils from low-income backgrounds in state and private schools, the pupils in private schools did 5% better
• More market, more efficiency, power to consumers, increase that 5%!
• End guaranteed funding for schools by government, give parents a voucher to spend on education
• Force schools to compete for the vouchers and therefore their main source of funding

Question 16

Two roles for the state

Answer 16

1. State publishes a framework for schools to operate within
2. State imposes a National Curriculum to ensure students share in the same culture/heritage (creating social solidarity)

Question 17

1. State publishes a framework for schools to operate within

Answer 17

Ofsted produce inspection reports and league tables

Question 18

2. State imposes a National Curriculum to ensure students share in the same culture/heritage (creating social solidarity)

Answer 18

•Affirm national identity: British history, Christian values etc.
• Oppose multicultural education

Question 19

Evaluation of the Neoliberal/New right perspective on education

Answer 19

1. Competition between schools arguably only benefits the middle class
2. Social inequality and poor school funding could be to blame for low achievement rates
3. Parental (consumer) choice vs. national curriculum [contradiction?]
4. Marxists: imposes the culture/identity of the ruling class, not a shared culture/ identity

Question 20

Competition between schools arguably only benefits the middle class

Answer 20

• MC possess the knowledge of how the education system works
• Thus are able to gain access to better schools

Question 21

2 tools by which the bourgeoisie maintain power ( Louis Althusser)

Answer 21

1. The repressive state apparatus
2. Ideological state apparatus

Question 22

What is the repressive state apparatus

Answer 22

The monopoly of violence, the threat of its use, can use physical coercion (force) [police, army, courts)

Question 23

What is the Ideological state apparatus

Answer 23

Maintain rule by controlling people’s ideas, values and beliefs (religion, mass media, education]

Question 24

Education an important part of the ideological state apparatus

Answer 24

1. It creates and reproduces class inequality by:
   - Imposing the culture of the ruling class on to each generation of W/C students
2. It makes class inequality appear acceptable by:

• Persuading the W/C to accept their position and to ‘know their place’

Question 25

Bowles & Gintis study on New York high school

Answer 25

• Found that traits such as submissiveness and compliance are rewarded • Independence and creativity were punished • Teaches obedience and discipline

Question 26

What did Bowles & Gintis show

Answer 26

Capitalism needs a workforce of demoralised individuals willing to accept hard work, low pay, long hours and orders from above

Question 27

Bowles & Gintis view on the role of education

Answer 27

• The role of education is to reproduce inequality and have individuals accept it as inevitable and unchanging

Question 28

What is the ‘correspondence principle’

Answer 28

When schools mirror the workforce

Question 29

How does the ‘correspondence principle’ operate

Answer 29

1. Through the hidden curriculum - this is lessons learnt in school w/o being directly taught.

Question 30

What did Paul Willis show in his study of 12 W/C boys ‘the lads’

Answer 30

• The lads had formed a sub-culture against the school • School is seen as boring, meaningless and they break the rules - smoking and drinking. They reject the idea that as w/c kids they can succeed. • Similar to attitudes of male manual workers - manual work seen as being superior, intellectual/non-manual work seen as inferior and effeminate. • Students become accustomed to boredom and finding ways to distract themselves - they will use this at work.

Question 31

Criticism of the Marxist perspective on education

Answer 31

• In a post-Fordist economy a different kind of labour force is required to that which Bowles & Gintis describe • Seems to assume students have no free will • Not all students passively accept being 'programmed' or indoctrinated • Willis shows how working class students push back against indoctrination, yet still end up in W/C jobs

Question 32

What did Halsey argue

Answer 32

Marxist criticise education but fail to provide an alternative