Education Flashcards
Durkheim (1925) - Education and the Division of Labour
Functionalist theory that believes education should prepare young people for specific roles in life. Furthermore it promotes a shared identity among the population
Davis & Moore (1945) - Role Allocation
Believes that social stratification and a push for unequal reward will create the best society, putting the best people in top positions - otherwise society won’t function efficiently
Parsons (1961) - Particularistic and Universalistic Values
Particularistic - Personal relationships and social status
Universalistic - Objective criteria that applies to everyone equally
This has created a more meritocratic society
Althusser (1972) - Ideological State Apparatus
The belief that education is used by the ruling class to covertly control the population by normalising the state ideology and maintaining the status quo
Illich (1973) - Deschooling Society
A critique of the modern education system, proposing a way to empower people to learn in their own way - this led to a rise in homeschooling
Bowles and Gintis (1976) - Correspondence Theory: Hidden Curriculum and Meritocracy
Believes that schools teach and normalise values that benefit the capitalist system. The Hidden Curriculum is the teaching of norms and values in society.
It is privilege and status that leads to success, not working hard
Willis (1977) - Learning to Labour
A challenge to Marxist theory - he found that working-class boys rejected the idea of school, wanting to focus on manual labour, thus reinforcing their working-class heritage
Halsey et al (1980) - Social Democracy
Education should create a fairer society that gives everyone the opportunity to succeed - making sure that everyone has access to quality education
Chubb and Moe (1997) - Competition and self-management
Believe that combining self-management and competition in education will lead to higher standards and better performance overall - while acknowledging challenges surrounding the need to accountability and oversight
Arnott et al (1999) - Male dominance in STEM
They suggested that less women complete STEM degrees because of gender stereotypes and other social factors
Rikowski (2002 & 2005) Marketisation of education
An in-depth look at how education is used to bolster the economy rather than advance social development - stresses the need for education to prioritise human development and critical thinking
Woolf (2002) - Questioning Education v. Economic Growth
Questions the idea that education is main factor behind economic growth - arguing that governments need to prioritise poverty reduction and sustainability
Blanden and Gregg (2004) - Income v. Educational attainment
Found that those with more qualifications earn more than those without due to increased job opportunities - found that this relationship is strengthening over time
Evans (2007) - Social Variations in parental teaching
Found that middle class parents used more explanations when teaching children, while working class parents were far more direct
Bourdieau (1971/74/84) - Cultural Capital & habitus
Cultural Capital - Skills, knowledge, education, cultural tastes that is passed down from generations
Habitus - Attitudes, behaviours that can be modified through socialisation
These two are closely linked and may lead to barriers to success
Reay et al (2005) - Habitus and University
Found that working class students had less social connection than middle class students, meaning they found it more difficult to fit in.
Concluded that universities need to take into consideration social backgrounds
Hargreaves et al (1975) - Labelling and deviance in the classroom
This found that labelling students can greatly impact the way teachers act towards students, which can learn to a deviant attitude within the classroom
Dunne and Gazeley (2009) - Teacher expectations and social class
Found that teachers have their own biases regarding students and the social class they come from - showing that teachers need to be aware of their own biases
Connor et al (2004) - Differences in participations and performance based on ethnicity
Students from White and Asian backgrounds tend to perform better in school than Black and Mixed backgrounds - this is due to social expectations and familial income
Cassen (2007) - White, Working class, Male underachievement
Found that low income and lack of drive in school has led to attainment gap between white-working-class boys and other groups
Strand (2008) Parental Attitudes and ethnicity
White Kids were expected to do well
Black families prioritised discipline and obedience
Asian families placed high value on education and attainment
Jackson (2006) - Lads and ladettes
Boys will adopt a masculine way because they want to reject the idea of educational attainment, while girls may do the same as a means of escaping traditional gender roles
Machin & Vignoles (2006) - Assessment of educational policy since 1988
There has been improvements in attainment and standards, however there is a noticeable gap between wealthy and poor students - this could be addressed through funding disadvantaged areas more
Francis, Hutching and De Vries (2014) - Assessment of Academies
While more can be done to ensure all academies are a high standard, generally academies have improved attainment and increased the quality of education within schools allowing for more cohesion between parents, businesses and the schools
