Topic 5-The Role Of Education In Society

Question 1

Functionalism

Answer 1

Based on the belief that society is a system of interdependent parts which are held together by society’s shared culture or consensus.

Question 2

Consensus

Answer 2

An agreement between societys members that values are important in order to avoid conflict

Question 3

Durkheim

Answer 3

Identified social solidarity and specialist skills he did this by emphasising 2 main function that education has.

Question 4

Social Solidarity

Answer 4

society members should feel themselves being members of one body or a community or elsewhere without social solidarity society will not be able to cooperate and have a social life because everyone would try to persuade their own selfish desires.

Question 5

Specialist Skills

Answer 5

In order for social solidarity to occur each individual member should be able to have the necessary skills and knowledge that their jobs requires them.Education tends to teach that in order individuals to play a big part in the social divison of labour.

Question 6

Parson

Answer 6

Meritocracy-school is the socialising agency in modern society.
School acts as a bridge between family and the wider society and is needed cause these 2 operate on different principles.
School and society prepare us to move away from family because these are both based on meritocratic principles

Question 7

Family-Parson

Answer 7

A child is judged by particularistic standards(rules that are applied only to one particular child) and that the child status is ascribed(fixed the birth)=different genders have different roles

Question 8

MSchool and Wider Society-Parson

Answer 8

Judges individuals by universalistic and impersonal standards(laws and all students judged by the same exam)
A person status is achieved through their aptitudes and abilities rather then ascribed(work-promotion/scaked based on ability,school merits/pass gails exams.

Question 9

NOTES

Answer 9

After primary socialization in the family,the school takes over as a focal socializing agency and provides a BRIDGE between family and society as a whole.
WITHIN THE FAM
-child is judged by particularistic standards(rules applied only to that particular child)
-child status is ascribed(given at birth)
IN WIDER SOCIETY
-treated and judged by universalistic standards(same laws apply to everyone)
-Parson status is achieved(not ascribed)
-based on meritocratic principles(status is achieved on the basis of merit/worth)

Question 10

Parson

Answer 10

Schools prepare us to move from family to wider society cause school and society are based on meritocratic principles.
=everyone has been given equal opportunities + individuals own abilities and efforts

Question 11

Davis and Moore-role allocation

Answer 11

-schools also perform role allocation=the process of selecting and allocating pupils to their future work roles in order to asses their abilities and aptitudes(natural ability to do sm)-schools match them to the jobs they are best suited to.
-argue inequality is important so that the most important role in society are filled by the most talented people

Question 12

Duncan and Blau=human capital(workers skills)

Answer 12

argue modern economy depends for prosperity(conditions of being successful/thriving especially in economic well being)
-meritocratic education system does this best it enables each person to be allocated to the job best suited to their abilities=maximize their productivity & makes most effected use of their talents

Question 13

EVCALUATION-Duncan and Blau

Answer 13

-Education in capitalist society only transmits the ideology of minority(ruling class)-Marxist
-Education system fails to prepare young people adequately for work=Neoliberals & New right
-Equal opportunities dont exist-achievement is greatly influenced by class background rather than ability
-Not everyone is equally talented so society has to offer higher reward for these important jobs therefore it encourages everyone to compete for them and society can select the most talented -EDUCATION is important as it acts as a key ground to identifying these aptitudes and abilitys

Question 14

Neoliberalism

Answer 14

An economic doctrine has had a major influence on education policy
-argue state should NOT provide services such as education health and welfare & its based on the idea that the state should NOT dictate individuals how to dispose their own property & not try to regulate a FM
-it claims schools should become more like businesses, empowering pupils and parents as + using comp between schools to drive up standards this brings value to education

Question 15

New Right

Answer 15

-Conservative political view that incorporates neoliberal economic ideas.
-BELIEF: state cannot meet the needs of people and that they are best left to meet their own needs in the FM-favour marketisation of education

Question 16

SIMILARITIES between the New right and functionalist views

Answer 16

Believe that some people are naturally more talented than others
-Both favour meritocratic principles of open competition+one that serves the needs of economy BY preparing young people to work
-Believe education should socialise pupils into shared values(ie-comp/national identity)

Question 17

DIFFERENCE between the New right and functionalist views

Answer 17

-NR believe that the current education system is not achieving these goals-failure is due to it being run by the state.
-argue the state takes a ‘ONE SIZE FITS ALL’ approach by discarding local needs and imposing uniformity(same,equal)
-lacal consumers who use