The role of Education Flashcards
(13 cards)
What do functionalists say about education?
They value education in the respect that it provides necessary functions for the rest of society- social solidarity and skills
Parsons- meritocracy- school is ‘focal socialising agency’ in modern society, acting as a bridge between the family and wider society - needed as fam and society operate on different principles so children need to learn a new way of living to cope with world.
-in fam- child’s status is ascribed- older son and younger daughter may be given 2 different right due to age and sex. By contrast- school and wider society judge us all by the same standards
What do the new right say about Education?
In order to fulfil such functions, schools should be centred around the consumer and their choices
What do Marxists say about education?
Criticise both functionalists and the new right in arguing the education system merely serves the needs of capitalism by ensuring the failure of working-class pupils
What do feminists say about education?
Rejects the education system for producing gender inequalities.
What does Durkheim say about the role of education (Functionalism) ?
- Identifies 2 main functions of education: social + specialist skills
-The education system helps to create social solidarity by transmitting society’s culture from one generation to the next
-Schools act as a ‘society in miniature’ preparing us for life in wider society
What does Parsons say about the role of education (Functionalism)?
-Argues that schools are meritocratic- all pupils have an equal chance to succeed through talent and abilities, irrespective of class, gender, ethnicity etc
What does Davis and Moore say about the role of education (Functionalism)?
- Believe that schools perform the function of selecting and allocating pupils to their future work roles by assessing individuals aptitudes and abilities, schools help to match them to the job they are best suited to
What is parsons perspective on education?
Parsons- meritocracy- school is ‘focal socialising agency’ in modern society, acting as a bridge between the family and wider society - needed as fam and society operate on different principles so children need to learn a new way of living to cope with world.
-in fam- child’s status is ascribed- older son and younger daughter may be given 2 different right due to age and sex. By contrast- school and wider society judge us all by the same universalistic standards- laws and school standards. - persons status is achieved due to hard work/effort
- school prepares us to overcome from the family to wider society- everyone is given equality opportunity
A03: myth of meritocracy
What is Davis and Moore’s perspective on education?
-school performs role of selecting/allocating students to their future work roles by assessing ability, schools help match them to their best suited roles.
- inequality is necessary to ensure that the most important roles in society are filled by the most talented people- it would be inefficient and dangerous to have less able people performing roles such as surgeon- not everyone is equally talented, so society has to offer high rewards for them.
- encourages everyone to compete.
-education plays key role, acts as ground for ability-where individuals show what they can do- most able gain qualifications- gives them entry to most important/highest rewarded jobs
A03: new right argue that the state education system fails to prepare young people adequately for work
What is the New right perspective on education? Chubb and Moe
-conservative political view, state cannot meet peoples needs and that people are best left to meet their own needs through the free market- same beliefs as functionlist- difference- they believe current system is failing due to being run by the state
-Chubb and Moe: consumer choice- based their arguments on a comparison of the achievements of 60k pupils from low income families in 1k private + state schools together with finings of a parent survey and case studies of ‘failing’ schools apparently being ‘turned around’. Evidence shows that pupils from ow income families consistently do better in priv than state schools
- based on findings, they call for introduction of a market system in state education that would put control in the hands of consumes (parents)- allows them to shape schools too meet their own needs + would improve quality and efficiency.
A03- gerwitz + ball- MC can use economic capital to get into desirable schools
What is Althussers perspective of education - Marxist?
- see education as based on class division and capitalist exploitation
The ideological state apparatus- state consists of 2 elements/ ‘apparatus’ which serve to keep bourgeoise in power: - The repressive state apparatus- maintain the rule of the bourgeoise by force, include police, courts. When necessary, use physical force to repress WC
The ideological state apparatus- maintain the rule of the bourgeoise by controlling peoples beliefs/ values- include religion, education system - education system is an important ISA- reproduces inequalities by transmitting it from one generation to another. Legitimises class inequality by producing ideologies that disguise its true cause. Function of ideology is to persuade workers to accept that inequality is inevitable and that they deserve their subordinate position - less likely to challenge or threaten capitalism
A03:
What is the myth of meritocracy- Bowles and gintis?
- because there is always danger that the poor will feel that this inequality is undeserved and that they will rebel against the system responsible for it. Education system helps to prevent this from happening, by legitimising class inequalities- by producing ideologies that serve to explain/ justo why inequality is inevitable
- describes education as ‘a giant myth- making machine’- key myth is that it promotes is the myth of meritocracy- everyone has equality of opportunity to achieve, rewards are based on ability
- evidence shows main factor determining high income is class background, family
- by disguising this- myth serves to justify the privileges of the higher classes, making it seem that they gained through succeeding in open and fair school competition
-A03-postmoderists argue that education now reproduces diversity- encourages students to develop unique talents and interests
