Education Flashcards
Functionalist explanation of the role of education - Durkheim
-Education isn’t just installing shared values , also preparation for work
-Schools create sense of social solidarity
-Schools provide specialist skills & knowledge required in workforce, parents might not be able to impart
Functionalist explanation of the role of education - Parsons
-Particularistic values-parents judge kids according to values which only apply to them
-Universalistic values-wider society, applied to everyone
-Schools as socialising young people into value consensus
-Everyone has equal chance to succeed
Functionalist explanation of the role of education - Davis & Moore
-Prepares young people for work & operate on principle of meritocracy
-Role allocation
-Selecting/sifting people for different levels of job markets
Evaluation of functionalist explanations
-Assume students are passive
-Transmits common set of values, these imposed on people in form of brain washing
-Increase in diversity, rather than shared values
-Education system isn’t meritocratic
-values & skills passed on through education don’t benefit society, favour rich/powerfull
Marxist explanation of the role of education - Althusser
-ideological state apparatus to transmit capitalist ideology
-transmits values of ruling class, disguised as common values
Marxist explanation of the role of education - Bourdieu
-Working class cultural attributes are rejected as education system is defined by/for middle class
-Working class are duped into accepting their failure & low social mobility as justifies symbolic violence
Marxist explanation of the role of education - Bowles & Gintis
-education reproduces capitalist relations of production
-Correspondence theory=what goes on at school corresponds directly to world of work
-Myth of meritocracy
-Hidden curriculum
Marxist explanation of the role of education - Willis
-lads formed counter-school subculture little interest in academic work/getting qualifications
-Saw manual work as superior to mental work
-no matter how hard they tried, success still lower than middle class
Evaluation of Marxist explanations
-Only loose links between pupils abilities
-B&G focused heavily on hidden curriculum
-B&G&A UK education run by local councils, employers complain that its not what they want
-B&G seen out of date
Social Democratic explanation of the role of education - Halsey
-11+ tested middle class culture & falsely labelled W/C kids as less intelligent
-Abolition of tripartite system & replacement of comprehensive system, same opportunities
Social Democratic views on the role of education
-Proving state schools for free education for all, giving extra resources & help those who need to e providing grants & help for those who cannot afford fee paying extra institutions
-Equality of opportunity=education act hasn’t completely got rid of inequality in education
-Wastage of ability=educational opportunities is right to be provided to all kids, many bright W/c aren’t recognised by current system-don’t have resources
-Economic growth=need more highly trained & specialised workforce, qualified workforce able to compete with other countries
Social Democratic explanation of the role of education - Crossland
-Fairer education system, equalise distribution of rewards/privileges
-social mobility would increase, mean that class distinctions would become blurred
Social Democratic explanation of the role of education - Shulz
-Prosperity be brought to all allowing everyone to develop potential & maximum contribution to society
-Skills/knowledge were forms of capital
-increased spending on education=more skilled workforce
Social Democratic explanation of the role of education - Woolf
-Education spending doesn’t lead to economic benefits
-Better to promote vocational training
Evaluation of Social Democratic explanations
-Marxists argue-doesn’t go far enough
-New Right argue-influence of SD on education is the problem, schools have been too obsessed with ensuring all kids have equal outcomes
-Studies have questioned assumption that spending more £ on education leads to economic growth
-Influenced government policies pushing for non-selective systems
-alternative to New Right, democratic argues creates more inequality & only middle class can exploit the system
2 elements to New Right
-Neo-liberals=individuals are rational & should be allowed to make own decisions about own futures
-Neo-conservatives-people need guidance & their choices need to be limited
New Right explanation of the role of education
-Some people are naturally more able than others & education should create meritocratic social order, best will prosper
-Education system should help create united/integral society by creating common national culture/identity
-Current education system is failing to achieve goals
New Right explanation of the role of education - Secret Garden
-They want to break down walls of secret garden & unleash power of market, letting consumer decide how education is organised/run
-Power to parents (Parentocracy)
New Right explanation of the role of education - State of Monopoly
-Competition is needed to stimulate improvement
-Views of ‘consumer’ should be taken into account
New Right explanations of the role of education - Parentocracy
-Running of education by a ‘secret garden’ with few people controlling education & dominating decision making in own interests
-They want to break down walls & unleash power of market (marketisation), letting consumers decide how education is organised & run
-want to give power to parents - Parentocracy
New Right explanations of the role of education - Competition
-Concerned that it has moved too far ways from
