Education key studies Flashcards
What did Durkheim say the functions of education were?
1) social solidarity through secondary socialization creating a shared culture e.g. citizenship lessons/ teaching British values
2) specialist skills for work e.g. ICT
What are some criticisms of Durkheim?
1) social solidarity- not everyone leaves school with British values/ shared culture e.g. prison
2) is there even a shared culture?
3) specialist skills- not everyone leaves with specialist skills i.e. N.E.E.Ts
What did Parsons say the function of education were?
1) agreed that education is a ‘vocal socialization agency’ i.e. school rules
2) he argued that status in school and society is achieved not ascribed
3) school is based on a meritocracy
What are some criticisms of Parsons?
1) some students have more opportunities than others “not what you know, it’s who you know”
2) barriers exist e.g. institutional racism
What did Davis and Moore say the functions of education were?
Role allocation
1) schools select and allocate pupils to their future work roles
2) inequality is necessary to ensure the most talented people fill the most important roles
3) education acts as a proving ground for ability “sifting and sorting” according to ability
What are some criticisms of Davis and Moore?
1) interactionists = people don’t always soak up values
2) Marxists = education transmits capitalistic ideology
3) not all important roles are highly rewarded e.g., nurses
What is one way Marx’s view could apply to school?
Alienation happens in school as students don’t get to choose what they learn and how they learn it
What did Althusser say about school?
- school is part of the ideological state apparatus (ISA)
- ISA maintains capitalism by controlling peoples ideas, values and beliefs
How does Althusser say these values are transferred in school?
- reproduces class inequality by transmitting it from one generation to another (failing each working-class generation )
- Legitimates (justifies) class inequalities by teaching pupils capitalist values
What is a criticism of Althusser?
-Sociology is a class = you learn about anti-capitalism
What do Bowles and Gintis say about school?
- the main role of education is to produce obedient workers
- After studying schools in the USA they concluded pupils are rewarded for these traits.
How does B+G say schools produce obedient workers
1)Hidden curriculum- things you learn at school without being directly taught e.g. competition, respect hierarchy, and working hard
2)Correspondance principle- school mirrors the workplace e.g. alienation
3)Myth of meritocracy- serves to justify the privilege of the mc which helps persuade the wc to accept the inequality and makes it less likely that they will overthrow capitalism
What does Willis say about school and what did he research?
- he was a neo-Marxist
-mixed method approach- observations + interviews - studied 12 WC boys he called “the lads”
-boys had anti school subculture to gain status and they subvert other sociological ideas e.g. false class consciousness = not mindless puppets - he found that wc boys will end up in WC jobs
-conclusion- school prep them for wc jobs + the boys only respected physical labor not academic
What are some evaluations of Willis?
-Willis only studied 12 students= not representative
- critics argue that Willis romanticizes the lads - portrays them as wc heroes despite their sexist anti-social attitudes
- Willis is potentially outdated since factory jobs no longer exist
- Marxists focus on social class inequality but ignores other inequalities
- Economically deterministic
What is a statistic of sexist behavior in schools?
60% of fem students and 37% of male students in mixed-sex 6th form has experienced / seen the use of sexist language
What do radical feminists think about school?
Schools are patriarchal e.g. sexual harassment in schools
What are the ways other radical feminists say schools are sexist
1) double standards - lee- sexual double standards reinforce traditional views
2) verbal abuse- Connell’s “ rich vocab of abuse” reinforce gender + sexual identity
- Paetcher- name-calling helps maintain male power e.g. gay, queer, and girls labels are used to police each other’s sexual identities
What did radical feminists Mac+ Ghaill say about school
1) the male gaze - this is a form of surveillance- objectifies girls - used to grow heterosexual masculinity- could be teachers to students or student to student
2) Male peer groups- verbal abuse to reinforce masculinity- found that “macho lads” referred to hardworking boys as “Dickhead achievements”
3) discipline- found teachers told boys off for “acting like girls”- teachers tend to ignore verbal abuse towards girls and blame them for inviting it - cannot generalize all schools
What are evaluations for Radical feminists?
- it is boys who experience sexism and this is why they achieve lower grades (e.g. stereotyping boys)
- outdated as schools are doing a lot to eradicate sexism e.g. policies + training ( but the UK feminista is recent)
What do new right theorists Chubb + Moe say about school?
- Consumer choice
- focused research on the USA
-some groups were disadvantaged - state education fails to give pupils skills needed for work
-private education delivers better education as they are answerable to paying consumers - Methods- analysis of exam results, parent surveys, and case studies
conclusion = call for a market in education that would put control in the hands of the consumers
What does Douglas say about intellectual development
Douglas found w/c children scored lower on ability tests
Argues w/c parents are less likely to support child intellectual development through educational activities
What do Bernstein and Young say on intellectual development
They found similar things to Douglas
They found m/c mothers were more likely to choose toys that encouraged thinking and listening skills
What is an evaluation of Douglas and Bernstein + Young on intellectual development
Keddie would argue cultural deprivation theorists are victim blaming
They blame parents rather than the system (e.g. capitalism)
Massive generalisation (stereotypes of w/c parents)
What do Bereiter and Engelmann say about language
They claimed that language used by lower class families is deficient and so are at a disadvantage
What are Bernsteins 2 different language codes
Restricted- used by w/c, limited vocabulary, descriptive
Elaborated- used by m/c, wider vocab, complex sentences
Elaborated codes give m/c an advantage as its often used by teachers and is more effective in communicating
What is an evaluation of Bereiter + Engleman and Bernstein
Troyna + William’s argue w/c language is not an issue but schools have a negative attitude towards it
What did Douglas say about attitudes and values
He found w/c parents place less value on educational achievement, less ambitious and gave less encouragement which leads to a lack of motivation for w/c pupils
What did Feinstein say about attitudes and values
He found parents’ lack of interest is more important than financial hardship or internal factors
What are Sugarmans 4 key values
1) fatalism - what will be will be
2) collectivism - valuing group membership rather than individual gratification
3) immediate gratification- receiving rewards straight away
4) present time orientation- more focused on the present rather than the future
What did Sugarmann argue about his 4 values
He argued these are consequences of the lack of stability and promotion prospects in w/c jobs and are passed through primary socialization
What are some evaluations of Sugarmann
Blackstone + Moritmore argue that w/c parents are no less interested in their children’s education but may not be able to attend parents evenings e.g. because of work hours etc.
Stereotyping
What did Jane Elliott do and find
A field experiment with primary school children
Treating students differently based on eye colour
She found that negative labelling led to a lack of motivation and students performed worse in a card sort
What is an evaluation of Jane Elliott
Unethical to do this with children
Small scale - not generalisable
What did Becker say about labeling?
-Interviewed 60 teachers
-work, conduct, and appearance influenced how teachers judged pupils
teachers saw m/c students as closest to the ideal
What are some criticisms of Becker?
only 60 teachers - not representative
outdated- 1971 - teachers may change their preferred traits
What did Cicourel and Kitsuse say about school?
education counselors were more likely to label m/c students as having college potential
What did Rist say about primary schools?
-carried out research on primary school
- found that m/c pupils labeled as the tigers were sat closer to the teachers
-w/c children labeled as the clowns and cardinals were sat further away
What did Dunne and Gazeley say?
w/c underachievements because of labeling and teacher’s assumptions
- interviews: normalized underachievement of w/c children
unconcerned about it and felt there was little they could do
What is the Rosenthal/ Pygmalian effect?
beginning of the school year some teachers were told some students had incredible potential which was made up
teachers were told not to tell the children
all random students
end-of-year IQ test showed the students who were told would do better did better
Factors of the Rosenthal/ Pygmalian effect
climate factor= tend to create a warmer climate (nicer) for children with higher expectations
Input factor= they teach more to those with higher expectations
response opportunity factor= get a bigger chance to talk more often and longer
Feedback factor= more praise for answers. Teachers are more willing to accept low-quality answers from children with lower expectations
Criticisms of the Rosenthal effect experiment?
unethical
deception- teachers were lied to
lack of informed consent
harm to students grades
Bordieu and his capitals
capitals are inter-related
cultural capital= m/c attitudes knowledge etc traits needed for success in education system
education + economic capital = cultural capital help education capital
possibe edu. cap. in eco. cap. e.g private schools
Leech + Campos = catchment areas
Who tested Bordieus theory
Sullivan
questionnaires 465 pupils
gap between w/c and m/c pupils = cultural capital + lack of resources
What did Gillborn and Youdell say about streaming
w/c and black students less likely to be seen as having “ability”
put them in lower streams - less access to knowledge + opportunities for good grades widens class gap
need good league table to attract pupils + funding
A-C economy = teachers focus time on pupils with potential
G+Y called this educational triage= sorting pupils that will pass, has potential and the no hopes
can lead to SPF
conclusion: marketisation can lead to labeling
Criticisms of Gillborn and Youdell
League tables changed= no longer give teachers C/D borderlines= outdated
Now judged on every student= achievement rather than attainment= means teachers must focus on all students so less focus on students getting 4/C grades
What did Lacey say about pupil subcultures?
Differentiation: when teachers categorize pupils based on ability e.g. streaming
Polarisation: pupils respond to differentiation by moving to one of two extremes
pro school: placed in higher streams, mostly m/c, gain status through academic achievement
Anti-school: lower streams, suffer the loss of self-esteem, finds other ways to gain status
Criticisms of Lacey’s pupil subcultures?
too simplistic
reject labels
What are Woods’ reactions to labeling?
integration= teacher’s pet
ritualism= going through the motions and staying out of trouble
retreatism = daydreaming + mucking about
Rebellion= rejecting what school stands for
Furlong said students move between types to respond to labeling, acting differently in different lessons with different teachers
Evaluation of Woods
deterministic= ignores free will
Marxist= blames teachers for labeling but ignores why it happens + fails to examine the impact of education in a capitalist society
generalization of teachers behaviors e.g. if teachers are w/c themselves
What did archer say about Nike Identities?
self-worth and status through meaningful class identities e.g branded clothes
conflicts with schools - dress codes
students with this style are labeled as rebels
causes marginalization and gives the message that education is “not for the likes of them” and leads to rejecting education as it doesn’t fit with their identity
Bordieus symbolic capital and symbolic violence
schools have m/c habitus so pupils socialized into m/c preferences gain symbolic capital
school devalues w/c habitus - corrects speech
Bourdieu calls this withholding of symbolic capital symbolic violence
this clash between the 2 habitus makes them feel they don’t fit in unless they change the way they talk and present themselves
as a result, w/c pupils may experience the school world as alien
What did Mason say about discrimination?
poverty is a product of discrimination
What did Rex say about discrimination
shows racial discrimination leads to social exclusion
What did Wood et al investigate and find?
sent 3 closely matched job applications to 1000 job vacancies
one appeared from a white background and two from EM
1/16 EM applications were offered an interview compared to 1/9 white applications
could impact self-esteem of EM pupils
Evaluation for Woods et al
surely Indian and Chinese people also experience this racism but are able to overcome it
counter= not everyone experiences racism the same way
Evaluation of critical race theory
Sewell- his report 2021 - UK not racist and should be viewed as a model for other multi-ethnic countries
What did Palmer say about EM?
1/2 of EM children live in LIH vs 1/4 of white children
EM x2 as likely to be unemployed
EM x3 as likely to be homeless
EM is more likely to do shift work leads to unemployment, low pay, and overcrowding
Marxists would argue these are class based
Evaluation of Palmer
Indian + Chinese pupils who are materially deprived still do better than other ethnic groups.Shows social class doesn’t completely override ethnicity
What did Berieter and Englemann say about EM?
language code is spoken by low-income black American as inadequate for educational
Criticisms: Mirza noted that Indian students do well despite this barrier
What did Moynihan say about EM?
many black families are headed by a lone mother
boys lack male role models of male achievement
creates a cycle of inadequate parenting
Supported by Murray= high rate of lone parenting leads to underachievements for some EM
Criticisms: Drivers = can provide girls with a strong independent role model
What did Sewell say about EM?
bad parenting style of black parents e.g. a lack of a nurturing father leads boys to anti-school subcultures or street gangs, leads to poor grades
criticisms: Keddie - victim blaming
Gillborn- institutional racism is what produces the failure of a large number of black boys
Generalization of black parents
What did Driver and Ballardsay about EM?
Asian parents = a more positive attitude toward education
high aspiration for children’s futures = more supportive
Criticisms: doesnt explain the poor performance of Pakistani students
Khan = such families are often stress-ridden rather than supportive
Generalisation
What did Archer say about EM?
interviewed teachers- stereotypical ethnic identities
1)ideal pupil identity= white m/c masculinized identity with a normal sexuality= achieving the ‘right’ way through natural ability and initiative
2) Pathologised Pupil identities= an Asian, ‘deserving poor’, feminized identity, either asexual or oppressed sexuality= seen as plodding conformists,culture-bound ‘over-achievers’, a slogger who succeed through hard work rather than natural ability
3) Demonised pupil identity= a black or white, w/c, hyper-sexualised identity= seen as unintelligent, peer-led, culturally deprived under-achiever
What did Fuller find out about EM and labeling?
group of y11 black girls - London comprehensive school
channeled anger about being labeled as educational success
did not seek approval - saw them as racist
did not limit choice of friends to other academic achievers
only conformed as far as schoolwork was concerned
concluded: students will still succeed even when they refuse to conform
negative labeling doesn’t always lead to failure
What did Mirza say about racism in teachers?
failed strategies of avoiding racism
racist teachers discouraged black pupils from being ambitious through advice they gave
1) the colour-blind = allow racism to go unchallenged but see all pupils as equal
2) the liberal chauvanists= black pupils are culturally deprived and have low expectations for them
3) the overt racist = believe black pupils are inferior and actively discriminates against them
what did Sewell say about boys responses?
1) the rebel- rejected goals + rules-expressed opposition through peer groups memberships- conforms to ‘black macho lad’ stereotypes- believes superiority based on black masculinity dismissive of conformist black boys
2) the conformists- keen to succeed- accepted goals - friends from different EM- not part of a subculture- anxious to avoid being stereotyped by teachers
3) the retreatists- disconnected from school and black subcultures- despised by rebels
4) the innovators - pro-education but anti-schools - valued success but did not seek approval- conformed only as far as school work
Evaluation of Sewell’s boy’s identities
only sees stereotypes as product of individual teachers, not the whole education system
assume that once labeled pupils automatically fall victim to SFP and fail - Mirza’s study
What did Troyna+Williams say about institutional racism?
goes beyond teacher racism its in the whole system of school
the ethnocentric curriculum is a prime example as it demonstrates racial bias
What did Hatcher say about institutional racism?
found that school gave low priority to race issues
criticism: outdated- now racism is a high priority
What did David say about institutional racism?
describes the national curriculum as ‘specifically British’ ignores non-European languages and literature
What did Ball say about institutional racism?
argues it promotes ‘little Englandism’ and ignores the history of black and Asian people
What did McRobbie say about the impact of racism?
compared magazines and found in the past girl’s magazines would be focused on settling down, starting a family
More recently magazines are focused on careers
What did Boaler say about the School policies?
argues that school policies have removed barriers for girls
What did theorists say about GCSEs Coursework?
Gorard - found that the gender gap was constant until coursework was introduced
Mitsos + Browne - found girls:
spend longer on CW
take more care
better on deadlines
What did theorists say about Teacher Attention?
French+French- boys get more attention and reprimands
Francis- boys felt picked on
What does Weiner say about challenging stereotypes?
since the 1980s teachers have been challenging stereotypes
e.g. old textbooks - gendered jobs
What does Jackson say about league tables?
girls are attentive to schools as they do better in exams
criticisms of internal factors of the gender gap?
schools cant be sexist- Ofsted inspections
laws+policies that make this illegal
What did Mitsos and Browne say about the crisis of masculinity?
Globalisation= boys jobs moved to countries with lower min wage
e.g engineering, shipbuilding, iron, and steel industries
this lead to boys having less drive
criticism: factory work requires few qualifications- did they really have drive
What did Sewell say about feminization?
he argued education has become feminized e.g. female traits are an advantage in the classroom e.g. coursework
criticism: rad fem = school is patriarchal
What did Epstein say about laddish subculture?
w/c boys are likely to be harassed and labeled as “sissies” or “swots” if they appear to try hard
Francis argued this is becoming more wide spread
What did Norman say about gender subject choice?
he notes that girls and boys are encouraged to take part in different activities from a young age
What did Kelly say about gender subject choice ?
Internal:
she argued that science is seen as a male subject because science teachers are likely to be male, textbook examples and boys often monopolise apparatus
What did Colley say about gendered subject choice?
Internal:
she argued computer science is seen as a boy’s subject because it involves machines and the way it was taught
