Theoretical perspectives on education Flashcards
What does the functionalist perspective of the role of education entail?
Socialisation
Skills provision
Role allocation
Explain the socialisation function of education.
Durkheim emphasised the role of education in socialising young people into key cultural values and societal loyalty. He emphasised the importance of history, English and PSHE as these subjects give children a sense of nationalism and pride in their country as they are manipulated to glorify their own country.
Parsons argues that school is important in acting as a bridge between the family and wider society as children in school are judged to universalistic ones rather than the particularistic ones they have at home.
Explain the skills provision function of education.
Functionalists argue that education teaches the skills required by society such as general skills like literacy and numeracy as well as specialist ones. Functionalist theory ties in with human capital theory which suggests that investing in people through education acts like any other business investment such as one into new machinery as they both enable the production of more wealth.
Explain the role allocation function of education.
Moore suggests that education works on the basis of meritocracy, allocating people to the most appropriate jobs for their skills and aptitudes using examinations and qualifications.
This view suggests that there is a hierarchy of job importance and the brightest and most hardworking individuals need to be selected for the most important roles, these people are identified through the education system and is closely linked to a rewards system as those with the most important jobs are paid the most.
Evaluate the socialisation function of education.
(-) It assumes that there is a single shared culture within the UK however the UK is actually multicultural which is problematic as there is criticism of the forceful teaching of British values.
(-) The efficiency of schools in socialising children into a shared culture is questionable as so many young people are non-conforming and behave badly.
(-) Marxists argue that children are socialised into the dominant ideology of capitalism rather than the shared values of society.
Evaluate the skills provision function of education.
(-) Many children leave school without the basic skills needed to succeed in society- a large number of adults are functionally illiterate.
(-) There is a debate as to whether or not pupils are taught the right skills as the education system is failing to produce the sills required by the economy.
(-) A lot of the material taught in schools has very little relevance to later life or the workplace
Evaluate the role allocation function of education.
(+) There is a relationship between educational performance and later roles which shows that education does play a part in role allocation
(-) Meritocracy is a myth and people don’t have equal opportunities- things such as class, capital and ethnicity impact achievement
Briefly outline the Marxist perspective on education.
Marxists see education as being an important part of the superstructure, something that maintains and legitimates the bottom base. They see it as forming two main functions for capitalist society:
- class and inequality reproduction
- legitmates inequalities throught the myth of meritocracy
Explain the ideological function of education according to Marxists.
Althusser argues that education is part of the ideological state apparatus that maintains, legitimises and reproduces class inequalities in wealth and power, partly through instilling a false class consciousness- Lacking awareness of our class position.
Explain Bowles and Gintis’ correspondence theory.
Bowles and Gintis argue that education is controlled by capitalists and serves their interests. They argue there is a close relationship between schooling and work as school prepares children to for the capitalist workplace; education corresponds to employment. B & G propose that through the hidden curriculum, children are prepared to be hardworking and obedient in the capitalist workplace.
Explain Bowles and Gintis’ idea of the hidden curriculum.
The hidden curriculum prepares children for the capitalist work-place and is taught in schools.
- Conformist pupils are rewarded over those who challenge authority or think creatively.
- Schools teach acceptance of hierarchy
- Pupils are motivated by external awards of exam success like workers are with wages- neither are motivated by intrinsic satisfaction of learning or working
- Both education and work are fragmented- tasks are done in isolation to prevent anyone from gaining a holistic view.
Explain the myth of meritocracy.
Bowles and Gintis, as well as most marxists, view meritocracy as being a myth. They describe education as being a ‘giant myth making machine’ and suggest that meritocracy serves to justify the privileges of the higher classes by making it seem as though they have fairly earned their success. It also justifies poverty by blaming it on the individuals for not being intelligent or hard-working enough.
It legitimises capitalist relations and reconciles workers to their exploitation.
Evaluate the Marxist perspective of education.
(+) Draws attention to the inequalities within the education system.
(-) Overly deterministic
(-) Exaggerates the harmful effects of the education system
(-) It is questionable whether education is actually controlled by the bourgeoisie- local authorities and teachers have some independence
(-) Some things taught in schools don’t benefit capitalism- like sociology
Explain the Neo-Marxist perspective on education.
Neo-Marxism is a more holistic approach than traditional Marxism, looking at the individual as well as structural factors. The most influential Neo-Marxist study of education is an ethnographic study of a Midlands secondary school. The study was called ‘Learning to Labour’ and was conducted by Willis.
Explain the aim and procedure of the study by Willis.
Leanring to Labour was an ethnographic study of 12 working class ‘lads’ from a school in Birmingham. It was conducted bewteen 1972 and 1975. Willis observed the lads in school for 18 months and then for another 6 months when they were in work. The study aimed to uncover how and why working-class kids get working-class jobs. He attended all school classes, leisure activities and career classes and spoke to the lads’ parents and their teachers. He used participant observation which allowed him to fully immerse himself and ask teh lads questions.
