Topic 6 The Role Of Education Flashcards
What does the founding farther of functionalism see the roles of the education system to be?
Durkeim explains that it creates social solidarity and teaches specialist skills
Explain the functionalist view that the education system produces social solidarity. (Theorist)
Durkeim argues society needs a sense of solidarity. Without this cooperation is impossible. Education creates solidarity by forming society on miniature. Preparing us for life on a wider scale.
Explain the functionalist view that the education system teaches specialist skills. (Theorist)
Durkeim argues modern society has a complex division of labour requiring very specialised skills. School is the way of teaching these skills.
Explain the functionalist idea that school is a focal socialising agency (theorist)
Pasons suggests school bridges the gap between home and wider society.
In school students are judged by a universalistic standard the same laws apply to everyone. Pass or fail based on your efforts.
Functionalist view school as a way of forming social solidarity, teaching specialist skills and bridging the gap between home and the wider world. What is the last view they have. Who came up with it?
Role allocation (Davis and Moore) school helps to sort pupils to the roles best suited for them based on their aptitude and ability.
Give an example of why the education system does not teach specialist skills adequately.
Wolf Report - found high quality apprenticeships are rare and up to a third of 16-19 year old are on courses that don’t lead to good jobs.
How are the New Right similar to functionalists in their view of education
- Both believe some are more talented than others
- Both favour meritocracy
- Education prepares young people for work
How do the New Right differ from Functionalists in their views of education?
- It disregards local needs taking a one size fits all approach
- They are unresponsive and inefficient
- Belive marketisaiton is the solution
Give an example of 2 theorists who have the New Right perspective on education.
Chubb and Moe - they belive that state run education in America has failed as it does not give equal opportunities and doesn’t provide new workers for the economy
What key roles do the New Right believe the state should hold?
- Impose a framework for school in which they can compete
- The state insures that schools transmit a shared culture in order to create conformity and cooperation
Explain the two state apparatuses and link them to a theorist.
Althusser argues there is;
The repressive state apparatus - maintaining rule by force via the police to repress the wc
The ideological state apparatus -
Maintaining rule by controlling people’s values and beliefs through the media
What are the 2 functions of education as perceived by Marxists (theorist)
Althusser explains that;
1. Education reproduces class inequalities by failing each generation of working class pupils
- Education legitimises class inequalities by creating the ideology that inequality is inevitable and not to question it.
How do Marxists say the capitalist creates an obedient workforce (theorists)
Bowles and Gintis
- Correspondence principal close parallels between school and the workplace as there are hierarchies as there a similarities between teachers and bosses
- Hidden curriculum the former principle operates through the hidden curriculum where lessons are learnt outside of classrooms such as hierarchy and competition
Who came up with the myth of meritocracy? What perspective did they have. What did it actually mean?
Bowels and Gintis (Marxist)
They argue that meritocracy doesn’t exist and that the main factor for if someone performs is their class and background, not ability. This myth serves to justify the privileged as deserving.
Explain the Lads’ counter culture (theorist)
willis studied a group of boys who rejected school fighting indoctrination. This shows students can resist the myth of meritocracy.
But their anti-school attitudes guarantee that they will stay in low paying jobs in the working class.
