Education Flashcards
Describe the functionalist view of the role of education.
The role of education is to prepare children for the work place, this is done through the teaching of specialist skills, creation of social solidarity, role allocation and meritocracy. `
Explain the beliefs of Durkheim (1903).
F
Argues education provides ‘social solidarity’ by transmitting society’s culture, beliefs and values.
School also teaches ‘specialist skills’ which prepare us to play our role in the social division of labor.
Explain the beliefs of Parsons (1961).
F
Believed education was meritocratic, those who work hard get rewarded. A person’s status is achieved through hard work not ascribed. Education is equal and therefor everyone has an equal opportunity, those who take it and work hard are rewarded.
Also believed that school took ‘particularistic standards’ and made them ‘universalisitc’, preparing us to move from family to society.
Explain the beliefs of Davis and Moore (1945).
F
Schools preform the function of selecting and allocating pupils to their future job roles in a process called ‘role allocation’. They argue that ineqality is necessary to ensure the most important roles are are filled by the most skilled people.
Describe the Marxist role in education.
They agree that the functionalist role of education is fulfilled but argue that it is corrupt and based on class division and capitalist exploitation.
Define the ‘hidden curriculum’.
What is learnt in school without being directly taught and the learning of norms and values that are part of everyday routines and procedures. This includes te teaching of;
- hierarchy
- punctuality
- uniform
- obedience
- conformity
Explain the beliefs of Althusser (1971).
M
Believed in the ‘repressive state apparatus’ (RSA) and the ‘ideological state apparatus’ (ISA.)
The RSA: maintained the rule of the bourgeoisie by force or threat (police, army, courts ect)
The ISA maintained rule by controlling ideas, values and beliefs (education, religion, media ect)
Education reproduces class inequality by transmitting from generation to generation and legitimising inequality by producing ideologies to disguise the true cause.
Explain the beliefs of Bowles and Gintis (1976).
M
School reward desirable personality traits such as;
- obedience
- discipline
- conformity
- submissiveness/passiveness
The rewarding of these behaviors produces compliant submissive workers.
Bowles and Gintis also believed in the ‘correspondence principle’ which are the close parallels between work and school. The relationships and structures found in education mirror those found in employment and thus prepare children for employment.
Define the ‘New Right’ approach to education.
The New Right share many believes with functionalists, arguing that the role of education is to prepare children for employment and their future role within society and the economy. However, they argued that the state was failing to do this effectively. They argue that state education is ineffective because it isn’t answerable to it’s consumers (parents and pupils). The solution of this is marketisation.
Define ‘marketisation’.
NR
The creation of competition between schools in order to drive up standards by forcing them to compete for consumers.
Define ‘parentocracy’.
NR
Giving parents consumer choice over schools. This is achieved through a framework set by the government which includes;
- national exams and exam boards to create competition
- publication of league tables and Ofsted reports.
- Allowing parents and others to set up free schools
Formula funding - schools receive the same amount of money per pupil.
What is ‘funding formula’.
Each school receives the same amount of funding per pupil, around £4000.
