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education: 5. education and society > 5.1 Theories about the role of education > Flashcards

5.1 Theories about the role of education Flashcards

- Functionalist views about how education contributes to value consensus and social solidarity. - Education and role allocation. - Marxist views about how education contributes to the maintenance of the capitalist economic system. - Education as an instrument of ideological control and cultural reproduction. - New Right and social democratic views on the relationship between education and the economy.

1
Q

History/context

Mass education

A

Where the majority of the population experience formal schooling (a feature of most modern industrial societies).

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2
Q

History/context

Why was there no need for formal education in the past?

A

In pre-industrial societies, most people lived and worked around the home, so there was no need for formal education.

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3
Q

History/context

What created a need for a literate/numerative workforce?

A

Industrialisation.

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4
Q

History/context

What does formal education have a complex relationship with?

A

The workplace.

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5
Q

History/context

What does the organisation of education reflect?

A

Ideological beliefs about its meaning, purpose and relationship to other social institutions.

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6
Q

Functionalist view

How do functionalists see society

A

As a social system consisting of different institutions (family, work, education etc.) that are functionally connected.

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7
Q

Functionalist view

According to functionalists, what is each social institution responsible for?

A

Performing a certain, essential function.

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8
Q

Functionalist view

Why does the workplace require education?

A

You need a certain level of knowledge and skill in order to be successful in a career.

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9
Q

Functionalist view

What do individuals learn during their time at school?

A

The norms and values of society.

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10
Q

Functionalist view

In what ways do schools teach pupils society’s norms and values?

A
  • Explicitly - through lessons, assemblies etc.
  • Implicitly - through unspoken rules and the ways students and teachers interact.
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11
Q

Functionalist view

What do schools often focus on creating amongst pupils?

A

A shared identity (this can be done through house points etc.).

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12
Q

Functionalist view - Durkheim

What did Durkheim argue education teaches individuals?

A

Specific skills necessary for their future occupations.

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13
Q

Functionalist view - Durkheim

According to Durkheim, what did the relatively unspecialised division of labour in pre-industrial societies mean?

A

Occupational skills could be passed down from parents to children without the need for formal education.

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14
Q

Functionalist view - Durkheim

According to Durkheim, what is becoming increasingly complex in industrial societies?

A

The division of labour.

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15
Q

Functionalist view - Davis and Moore (1945)

Meritocracy

A

The most functionally important economic roles (high status, power and income) must be filled by the most intellectually capable members of society.

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16
Q

Functionalist view - Davis and Moore (1945)

What do Davis and Moore (1945) claim there is a clear relationship between?

A

Education and the economy.

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17
Q

Functionalist view - Davis and Moore (1945)

How do Davis and Moore (1945) claim the education system organises students?

A

It ‘shifts and sorts’ individuals according to their intelligence and ability, allocating them to appropriate schools or courses. The individuals then obtain the skills or qualification that enable them to take up particular work roles in society.

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18
Q

Criticisms of the functionalist view

Tumin (1953)

A

Questions whether we can objectively measure the functional importance of different roles in society.

Can we really say that a carer should have a lower status/pay than an accountant?

This is something we can only establish subjectively.

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19
Q

Criticisms of the functionalist view

Tautologous argument

A

A circular argument that contains its own proof.

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20
Q

Criticisms of the functionalist view

What is there little evidence of existing in modern industrial societies?

A

A genuinely meritocratic system.

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21
Q

Criticisms of the functionalist view

What factors affect who is able to achieve in the education system?

A

Inequalities.

For example, wealthy people can send their children to fee-paying schools, effectively buying them social status, rather than children earning it through their own talents.

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22
Q

Criticisms of the functionalist view

Which perspectives criticise the functionalist view of education?

A

Interactionists and Marxists.

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23
Q

Education and role allocation

The Education (Butler) Act (1944)

A

Established free, universal education and explicitly established the relationship between education and the workplace through a distinction between vocational and academic students.

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24
Q

Education and role allocation

What did the Butler Act establish a distinction between?

A
  • Vocational students
  • Academic students
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25
Q

Education and role allocation

Academic students

A

Destined to move on to university and professional employment.

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26
Q

Education and role allocation

Vocational students

A

Destined to follow a practical or technical route into the workforce.

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27
Q

Education and role allocation

Following the introduction of the Butler Act, what was the education system organised into?

A

A tripartite system.

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28
Q

Education and role allocation

Tripartite system

A

Students allocated into 1/3 school types after taking an intelligence test at age 11, called the 11+.

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29
Q

Education and role allocation

What school types did the tripartite system consist of?

A
  • Grammar
  • Secondary technical
  • Secondary modern
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30
Q

Education and role allocation

What did the school types in the tripartite system reflect?

A

Contemporary beliefs about the nature of intelligence, as well as current economic needs in terms of types of labour.

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31
Q

Education and role allocation

Which countries reflect the argument that divisions in education systems is functional and necessary worldwide?

A
  • India
  • Pakistan
  • Mauritius
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32
Q

Education and role allocation

What two basic forms of work does the seperation of academic and vocational educational routes reflect beliefs in?

A
  1. Professional careers = requiring higher levels of deep, abstract knowledge and lower levels of practical expertise.
  2. Non-professional work = requiring higher levels of practical expertise and lower levels of abstract knowledge.
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33
Q

Marxist view - Bowles and Gintis (1976)

Schooling in Capitalist America

A

A classic Marxist analysis of education which describes how school prepares workers for a life of exploitation in the capitalist system.

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34
Q

Marxist view - Bowles and Gintis (1976)

How do Parsons, Bowles and Gintis view the education system?

A

They dismiss the idea that it is meritocratic, instead describing a system that reproduces social class inequality.

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35
Q

Marxist view - Bowles and Gintis (1976)

Where do Bowles and Gintis argue the structure/organisation of the workplace is copied?

A

In the organisation of schools.

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36
Q

Marxist view - Bowles and Gintis (1976)

The correspondence principle

A

The argument that the structure/organisation of the workplace is copied in the organisation of schools.

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37
Q

Marxist view - Bowles and Gintis (1976)

In what ways are workplace inequalities reflected/reproduced through the education system?

A
  • The school disciplines students to the demands of work. This involves behaviour such as regular attendance, where students should be and why they should be there.
  • Social relationships within the school- teachers exercise authority over pupils as employers exercise control over employees. The way they behave, what they learn and the pedagogical process where students are encouraged to compete with each other, is all dictated by those in charge.
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38
Q

Marxist view - Bowles and Gintis (1976)

What techniques are used to maintain the correspondence principle at all levels of the education system?

A
  • Streaming
  • Setting
  • Banding
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39
Q

Marxist view - Bowles and Gintis (1976)

What is emphasised to those destined for lower levels of work? How is this reiterated?

A

Rule following - students are given little responsibility and made to do simple, repetitive tasks.

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40
Q

Marxist view - Bowles and Gintis (1976)

What is emphasised to those destined for higher levels of work?

A

Working independently and taking some control over their academic work.

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41
Q

Marxist view - the hidden curriculum

What would Marxists say capitalism needs to succeed?

A

Hard-working, docile and obedient workers- a workforce that is highly motivated and not too divided/fragmented to challenge the authority of the management.

42
Q

Marxist view - the hidden curriculum

Hidden curriculum

A

The idea that it’s not the content of lessons or examinations which are important, but the form that teaching and learning takes and the way the school is organised.

Consists of things that students learn through the experience of attending school, rather than the stated educational objectives of such institutions.

43
Q

Marxist view - the hidden curriculum

According to Bowles and Gintis, how does the hidden curriculum shape the future workforce?

A
  • By helping to produce doclie, subservient workers.
  • By encouraging an acceptance of hierarchy.
  • By learning to be motivated by external rewards.
44
Q

Criticisms of the Marxist view

What do critics say Bowles and Gintis exaggerated the correspondence between?

A

The workplace and education.

45
Q

Criticisms of the Marxist view

M.S.H Hickox (1982)

A

Questions the view that there is a close correspondence between education and economic development.

He points out that in Britain, compulsory education was introduced long after the onset of industrialisation. Despite the fact that for a long time capitalists did not employ a workforce which had its attitude and values shaped by education, the development of capitalism did not appear to be affected.

46
Q

Criticisms of the Marxist view

Why can Bowles and Gintis be criticised for the claims about the way that schools shape personality?

A

They did not carry out detailed research into life within schools and tended to assume that the hidden curriculum was influencing students.

47
Q

Criticisms of the Marxist view

What is Paul Willis’ Learning to Labour (1977) evidence of?

A

Many students having scant regard for the rules of the school and little respect for the authority of the teacher.

48
Q

Education as an instrument of ideological control/cultural reproduction

What is the relationship between education and the economy based around?

A

Cultural reproduction.

49
Q

Education as an instrument of ideological control/cultural reproduction

Cultural reproduction

A

The Marxist idea that higher social classes try to reproduce their leadership and advantages by investing time, money and resources in the education of their children.

50
Q

Education as an instrument of ideological control/cultural reproduction

Ideological state apparatus

A

A Marxist concept that argues that institutions such as schools encourage values which benefit the interests of a ruling class in capitalist societies.

51
Q

Education as an instrument of ideological control/cultural reproduction

Bourdieu (1986)

A

Meritocracy is a myth.

52
Q

Education as an instrument of ideological control/cultural reproduction

Why does Bourdieu argue the education system is a myth?

A

It has the appearance of fairness, equality and merit, legitimising the way things are when, in fact, it is the opposite- unfair, unequal and without merit.

53
Q

Education as an instrument of ideological control/cultural reproduction

How does Althusser (1971) label schools? What do they involve?

A

Schools are an ideological state apparatus that involves social learning.

54
Q

Education as an instrument of ideological control/cultural reproduction

What does Althusser (1971) argue teachers do in schools?

A

‘Transform pupil consciousness’ by encouraging them to accept not just ‘the realities of life’ that the workplace is unequal, but also their likely future positions.

55
Q

Education as an instrument of ideological control/cultural reproduction

What two main advantages does vocational education within schools have for the ruling elite?

A
  • It eliminates working class children as competitors for higher level occupations.
  • It gives the appearance of being chosen by the working class, either through choice or because they have failed to reach a required level of academic achievement.
56
Q

The New Right on the relationship between education and the economy

What do the New Right claim no longer exists?

A

A meritocratic society/economy.

57
Q

The New Right on the relationship between education and the economy

What would the New Right say about the division between vocational and academic students in our modern education system?

A

This two-part division is too inflexible to meet the needs of a globalised economy.

58
Q

The New Right on the relationship between education and the economy

What has caused a need for change in the education system?

A

A change in the nature of economic production.

59
Q

The New Right on the relationship between education and the economy

What changes in the education system did the New Right see the need for?

A
  • A breaking down of rigid distinctions between ‘academic’ and ‘vocational’ subjects.
  • A moving away from a curriculum wholly focused on subject knowledge to one more focused of functional knowledge and skills- things like the ability to work with others/solve problems.
  • A narrowing of the distinction between different types of knowledge and skills.
59
Q

The New Right on the relationship between education and the economy

The New Right argues that if societies provide the same opportunities to their members through a meritocratic schooling system…

A

…then education success or failure results from the different choices people make.

60
Q

The New Right on the relationship between education and the economy

How did Saunders (1996) say social mobility is related to education?

A

It reflects life choices made by people.

61
Q

The New Right on the relationship between education and the economy

Who the winners and losers are in meritocratic societies is decided by…

A

The choices they make, not determined by factors such as class, ethnicity or gender.

62
Q

The New Right on the relationship between education and the economy

Middle class parents heavily investing in their children’s education, combined with hard work by the children themselves, is rewarded by what according to Saunders (1996)?

A

Higher qualifications.

63
Q

The New Right on the relationship between education and the economy

When middle class parents invest in their children’s education, what can it help to prevent?

A

Downward mobility.

It does not guarantee upward mobility but usually guards against downward mobility.

64
Q

The New Right on the relationship between education and the economy

Differences in achievement are seen by the New Right as the results of what?

A

Unsuccessful students choosing not to participate.

65
Q

The New Right on the relationship between education and the economy

According to Saunders, where individuals end up in the class system is the outcome of what?

A

Their life choices- choosing to work consistently to gain qualification or choosing to leave school as soon as possible.

66
Q

The New Right (neo-liberalism)

Do the New Right prefer schools to be privately owned or state controlled?

A

Privately owned.

67
Q

The New Right (neo-liberalism)

What process do the New Right believe in, in regards to schooling?

A

Marketisation.

68
Q

The New Right (neo-liberalism)

Marketisation

A

The process by which the supply and consumption of educational goods and services are opened up to private and public competition.

69
Q

The New Right (neo-liberalism)

According to neoliberalism, marketisation is a good thing because it is the key to what?

A

Raising standards in education.

70
Q

The New Right (neo-liberalism)

Neoliberalists believe parents and students should have the choice to what?

A

Select their preferred educational institution.

71
Q

The New Right (neo-liberalism)

What do parents/students choosing their preferred educational institution lead to?

A

Gives the institutions the incentive to raise their standards in order to attract the best students.

72
Q

The New Right (neo-liberalism) - problems with marketisation

Parentocracy

A

The power of parents to strongly influence the educational experience of their children.

73
Q

The New Right (neo-liberalism) - problems with marketisation

What is the key problem with marketisation?

A

It limits the chances of mobility for children from lower levels of society, whose parents cannot afford to pay for an alternative education to that offered by the state.

74
Q

The New Right (neo-liberalism) - problems with marketisation

Cultural capital

A

Anything in the individual’s background that gives them an advantage over others.

Things such as going to theatres, reading books, watching informative programmes, opera etc.

75
Q

The New Right (neo-liberalism) - problems with marketisation

What is an issue with marketisation, related to cultural capital?

A

Intelligent working class students who lack the economic, family, social and cultural capital available to other classes are left to attend schools that fail to recognise their talents. As a result, they may end up being committed to academic failure and a lack of mobility.

76
Q

Neoliberalism, globalisation and education

Education is seen as … in an increasingly competitive global market.

A

The key to success.

It provides the skills needed to compete, the scientific knowledge and new technology to stay in the race.

77
Q

Neoliberalism, globalisation and education

With the emphasis on education and the economy, schools and colleges have increasingly focused on…?

A

Vocationalism - training and preparing for occupations.

78
Q

Neoliberalism, globalisation and education

Stephen J Ball (2012)

A

Argues that global organisations such as the World Bank and the WTO are increasingly involved in ‘producing and disseminating global educational policies’.

79
Q

Neoliberalism, globalisation and education

Global educational policy

A

A generic set of concepts, language and practices that is recognisable and is for sale.

80
Q

Criticisms of the neoliberal view

Why are some parents (such as middle class) in a better position to manipulate educational markets?

A

Some parents have more knowledge of the system and more resources (cultural capital).

Middle class parents are more likely to be able to get their children into schools of their choice and to afford private schools, tuition or extracurricular activities.

81
Q

Criticisms of the neoliberal view

What can an open market in education lead to?

A

Provider choice, where schools choose the students.

82
Q

Criticisms of the neoliberal view

Bartlett and Le Grand (1993)

A

The most successful schools will have more applications than places and will therefore ‘cream’ the best students, mainly those from middle class backgrounds.

83
Q

Criticisms of the neoliberal view

Ranson (1996)

A

Markets are based on the assumption that each individual will pursure an ‘instrumental rationality’ in which their sole concern will be to maximise their own self-interest.

Ranson believes that when individuals act in this way, it is because the market encourages them to do so.

84
Q

Criticisms of the neoliberal view

According to Ransom, students are what?

A

‘Exam factories’, who are ‘mark hungry and obsessed by exams’.

Teachers just ‘teach to the test’.

85
Q

Social democratic view

According to this perspective, the state should represent whose interests? What does this require?

A

Represent the interests of the population as a whole.

This requires a democratic system, in which adult members of society elect those who govern them.

86
Q

Social democratic view

What do social democrats say democracy is the best way to ensure?

A

The best way to ensure equality of opportunity so that every member of society has an equal chance of becoming successful.

87
Q

Social democratic view

What view is the social democratic similar to in some respects? Why?

A

Functionalism.

They both see education as a means towards equality of opportunity and as essential for economic growth.

88
Q

Social democratic view

What is the main difference between the social democrats view of education compared to the functionalist view?

A

Social democrats recognise that inequalities in society can prevent equality of educational opportunity and can reduce the effectiveness of education in promoting economic growth.

89
Q

Social democratic view - social changes

What two related processes does social democratic theory look at the relationship between education and the economy in terms of?

A
  • Technological changes in the workplace.
  • Social changes based on ideas about equality in gender, sexuality, ethnicity and class.
90
Q

Social democratic view - social changes

Why did the tripartite system fail to meet the need for a better-qualified service-industry workforce?

A

The tripartite system produced a small percentage of highly qualified university entrants and a large number of poorly qualified school leavers.

91
Q

Social democratic view

Why would social democratic theory say that the tripartite system failed to meet the requirements of social fairness?

A

Because it was based on ideas about intelligence that were increasingly divided along class lines.

92
Q

Social democratic view

What did social democrats believe could solve the issues the tripartite system caused?

A

Comprehensive education, designed to address social inequality and technological change.

93
Q

Social democratic view

What idea do social democrats say comprehensive schools fulfill?

A

The idea of meritocracy.

94
Q

Social democratic view

From the social democratic perspective, education is the means through what?

A

Education is the means through which problems of technological and social inequality can be addressed and managed.

95
Q

Social democratic view

In the UK, what was the introduction of comprehensive schools intended to introduce?

A

A system of equality of opportunity.

96
Q

Social democratic view

What would a truly meritocratic system result in?

A

A fairer distribution of economic and social rewards, increased social mobility and a decline in social inequality.

97
Q

Social democratic view

Chitty (2009)

A

To address social and economic changes, we need to see ‘education and training’ as the means through which industrial societies are ‘transformed from low-skill, low-wage economies into high-skill, high-wage and technologically advanced economies’.

98
Q

Criticisms of the social democratic view

What perspective criticises the social democratic view that comprehensive schooling is a way of reducing class inequality? What do they say?

A

Marxism.

They say it fails to understand institutional relationships in capitalist societies. Fundamental economic inequalities are not affected by educational changes.

99
Q

Criticisms of the social democratic view

Bowles and Gintis (2002) argue that economic inequality drives what other type of inequality?

A

Educational inequality.

100
Q

Criticisms of the social democratic view

What evidence is there of comprehensive education not having the effect that social democrats claim it has?

A

Over the past 60 years, changes in primary, secondary and higher education have not significantly reduced class differences in educational attainment.

101
Q

Criticisms of the social democratic view

According to Basil Bernstein (1971), education cannot compensate for…?

A

‘Education cannot compensate for society’.

In other words, education cannot make up for inequalities in the wider society.

education: 5. education and society (3 decks)

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