The role of education in society Flashcards
(10 cards)
what is the functionalist perspective on education
that social institutions such as education perform positive functions both for society as a whole and for individuals by socialising new members of society and by helping to create and sustain social solidarity
according to Durkheim education performs what two basic functions
- it promotes social solidarity, he says education binds people together and enables them to cooperate
- education preps young people for work, education equips individuals with specialist skills needed to participate in work in modern society.
what does parsons say a meritocratic society is based upon (two things)
- Individual achievement, everyone achieves status through their own efforts and abilities
- Equal opportunity, for every individual to achieve their full potential
what is role allocation (Davis and Moore)
the process by which individuals are placed into specific roles within a society, often based on their skills, abilities, and qualifications
what does the functionalist explanation of social stratification follow
- some people are more talented than others
-higher rewards are offered for more important jobs to motivate everyone to strive for them
-a meritocratic system allows everyone to compete equally
evaluation points of the functionalist perspective
-Marxists argue that the values transmitted by education are not society’s shared values, but those of the ruling class
-Education is not meritocratic
-Internationalists argues that the functionalist view is too deterministic
what is the Marxists perspective on education
they see education as reproducing class inequalities and play an ideological role by persuading exploited workers that inequality is acceptable.
what does the ideological state apparatus do
it controls peoples ideas, values and beliefs
what are two functions of an ISA
- Reproduction of class inequality
- Legitimisation of class inequality
