Sociology Education Topic 5

Question 1

Functionalism
Durkheim

Answer 1

2 main functions of education: social solidarity and specialists skills.
Social solidarity - feel themselves part of community. Education do this by transmitting society’s culture from one generation to next. Schools act as a ‘society in miniature’, preparing us for life in wider society.

Question 2

Parsons

Answer 2

Argue schools are meritocratic -belief that all pupils have equal chance to succeed through talents and abilities, irrespective of gender, ethnicity and class.
Also see school as an agent of socialisation, acting as a bridge between family and wider society.

Question 3

Davis and Moore

Answer 3

Schools perform the function of selecting and allocating pupils to their future work roles by assessing individual’s aptitude and abilities, schools help to match them to job they are best suited to.
Argue inequality is necessary, cannot give job of pilot to someone who unable to do so, would be dangerous. Not everyone is equally talented so society has to offer higher rewards.

Question 4

Marxism
Althusser

Answer 4

Education system performs two functions for the ISA (ideological state apparatus)
Reproduction —> education system reproduces class inequality by failing each generation of the WC pupil.
Legitimation —> education system tries to convince people that inequality is inevitable and failure is fault of individual, not capital system.

Question 5

Bowles and Gintis

Answer 5

• schools create the new generations of workers to serve the capitalist system
• Hidden curriculum in schools (lessons that are ‘learnt’ but not taught) which is used to serve the capitalist system (pupils accept hierarchy, competition and alienation)
• Functionalist idea of meritocracy is a myth; success is based on class background, not ability or educational achievement.

Question 6

Similarities between the New Right and Functionalist

Answer 6

. Both believe that people are naturally more talented than others
. Both favour education system run on meritocratic principles of open communication, and one that serves the needs of the economy by preparing young people for work.
. Education should socialise pupils into shares values, such as competition and instil a sense of national identity.

Question 7

Difference between New Right and Functionalist

Answer 7

New Right do not believe current education system is achieve in these goals
Reason for failure is - run by state

Question 8

What is New Right solution?

Answer 8

Marketisation of education.
They believe that competition between schools and empowering consumers will bring greater diversity, choice and efficiency to schools and increase pupils’ ability to meet the needs of pupils, parents and employers.

Question 9

Chubb and Moe
3 reason why they believe state-run has failed?

Answer 9

1. Not created equal diversity + failed needs of disadvantages groups
2. Inefficient because fails to produce pupils with skills needed by economy
3. Private schools deliver higher quality education because unlike state education, they are answerable to parents.

Question 10

2 roles of state

Answer 10

1. State imposes a framework on schools within which hey have to compensate eg publish Ofsted Inspections and league tables of schools
2. State ensures that schools transmit a shared culture eg National curriculum —> guarantee schools socialise pupils into single cultural heritage