Education: role of Education Flashcards
Functionalism: Durkheim’s 3 functions of education
- socialisation and the transmission of culture
- role allocation and selection
- adapting to the needs of industry
Functionalism: Durkheim’s socialisation and the transmission of culture
education continues the socialisation that began in the family. it is a secondary agency of socialisation. Durkheim believes that for society to survive, we need to share norms and values. education helps to create social solidarity by giving pupils a sense of shared identity (History, PD, prefects etc) it also ensures that culture is continued by teaching pupils about their heritage and society.
the hidden curriculum refers to things that are not directly taught, but messages that teachers and the school pass on to pupils about how to behave, about norms and values etc. So, functionalists think that the hidden curriculum is vital and carries out a positive function. education helps children realise they are part of something: wider society.
Functionalism: Durkheim’s role allocation and selection
schools have an essential function of ‘sifting and sorting’ pupils according to ability. it is essential that schools correctly allocate people to roles because different jobs require different skills. functionalists believe school is a meritocracy and those who try hard will get better jobs. Davis and Moore argued inequality is necessary to ensure that the most important roles in society are filled by the most talented people. Educations role is therefore to create a meritocracy in society. bright children should have the opportunity to achieve social mobility.
Functionalism: Durkheim’s adapting to the needs of industry
this helps society progress effectively. so if the needs of industry change, education adapts to these changes by teaching the necessary skills. in order for the economy to thrive, it should use its ‘human capital’ (workers skills). Blau and Duncan argue that a meritocratic education system does this best as it enables each person to be allocated to the job suited to their abilities.
Functionalism: Durkheim evaluation
feminists: girls are discouraged to take certain subjects.
Stephen Ball suggests we focus on not teaching the history of other nations.
teaching marginalises other faiths and nations.
Parsons: secondary socialisation
Parsons sees the school as the ‘focal socialising agency’ in modern society. Schools need to prepare children for adulthood. the family cannot do this effectively as family life is very different to the ‘big wide world’. Parsons sees education as the bridge between the two, preparing pupils for wider society and adult responsibilities.
Davis and Moore: Role Allocation
schools select and allocate people into their future roles. they do this by assessing abilities and match them to a suitable job. they believe inequality is necessary to ensure the most important jobs in society are fulfilled by the most able.
education is the start of the process- it ‘sifts and sorts’ us according to ability and gives the most able the higher qualifications, resulting in them receiving higher professions.
Blau and Duncan: Human Capital
the prosperity (position) of society today depends upon how well we use the workers skills.
argue that a meritocratic education does this best as it rewards abilities and talents.
enables each person to be allocated to the job best suited to them.
Functionalism: evaluation
- equal education is a myth
- marxists argue that education passes on dominant ideology.
- people are viewed as puppets who will simply accept their position
- New right: education doesn’t prepare people for the world of work.
New right: view on education
believe some people are naturally more able than others. they prefer an education system where schools compete on league tables and they believe education should prepare young people for the workplace through things like vocational education.
the new right argue that state ran education adopts a ‘one size fits all’ approach, disregarding the needs of the local community. this means that schools that waste resources and or get poor results are not answerable to the consumer. this ultimately results in low standards of education, less qualified leavers, and a less prosperous economy.
The NR suggest the creation of MARKETISATION. this is where schools have to compete against eachother on league tables and other measures of successs such as Ofsted reports. zit creates an education marketplace which gives parents a more informed choice over where to send their children to school.
New right: Chubb and Moe
Consumer Choice
Chubb and Moe (1990) came up with the idea that each family should be given a voucher to spend on buying education from a school of their choice. this would force schools to become more responsive to parents wishes since the vouchers would be the schools main source of income. they would no longer automatically receive funding from the government. this already takes place in private schools where parents pay £1000s per year for their child’s education. Chubb and Moe based their arguments on research of 60,000 pupils from LIH who attended either state or private schools (with assisted places) they found that pupils who attended private schools consistently did about 5% better than those in the state schools.
New Right: role of the state
- Provides a framework
the state provides the template on which schools compete eg publishing results on league tables and Ofsted results. this means parents choices are informed. - Transmits a shared culture
the state imposes a single national curriculum, aims to ensure students are socialised into a single cultural heritage.
New right: evaluation
Gerwhits: competition between schools can benefit the middle classes who can use their cultural and demonic capital to get into schools they want.
some argue that the real cause of poor education is social inequality and inadequate funding for schools in poorer areas.
The NR want parents to have choice (parentocracy) but equally want the state to enforce the national curriculum (gives limited choice over learning)
Marxist general views of education
Marxists see education as being there to ensure the working class children end up with working class jobs (class reproduction). They see the education system as only benefitting the ruling class. The norms and values passed on are capitalist norms and values. values such as competition, hard work, accept authority are all skills that capitalists need their workers to have so they can continue making vast profits.
Marxism: Althusser
The Ideological State Apparatus
Society consists of 2 elements to keep the ruling class in power;
the repressive state apparatus: maintains the rule of the capitalist class by force e.g. police, army
ideological state apparatus: maintain rule by controlling peoples’ ideas, values, and beliefs. e.g. media, religion, education.
