Education- Role of the Education System

Question 1

What are the three functions of education according to functionalists?

Answer 1

1. Secondary socialisation
2. Sifts and sorts people for appropriate jobs- allocation function
3. Teaches skills needed in work and by economy

Question 2

What did Durkheim say?

Answer 2

Education passes on norms and values in order to integrate individuals into society, and it helps to create social order based on cohesion and value consensus so strengthens social solidarity

Question 3

What did Parsons say?

Answer 3

School is a bridge between the family and adult roles in society, the family judges children by particularistic views and school judges children by universalistic views, education is meritocratic

Question 4

What are particularistic views?

Answer 4

Beliefs and rules that only apply to one individual

Question 5

What are universalistic values?

Answer 5

Beliefs and rules that apply to everyone

Question 6

What does meritocratic mean in education?

Answer 6

The best students rise to the top

Question 7

What do Davis and Moore say?

Answer 7

Every society sorts its members into different positions, there are rules for how education does this (‘principles of stratification’), there has to be a system of unequal rewards to motivate people to train for top positions

Question 8

What does the functionalist perspective state about education?

Answer 8

Education is meritocratic so social rewards are allocated by talent and effort rather than because of a position someone was born into

Question 9

What are the three functions of education according to Marxists?

Answer 9

1. Prepares children for the world of work by giving them skills and values employers need
2. Passes on ruling class ideology that supports capitalism
3. Legitimises inequality

Question 10

What do Bowles and Gintis say?

Answer 10

There’s a correspondence principle between pupil experiences of school and adult work

Question 11

How are pupils prepared for the world of work by the school system?

Answer 11

• Pupils taught to accept hierarchy at school
• Motivated by grades to do boring work
• School day broken into small units
• Subservience is rewarded

Question 12

What do Marxists claim that education passes on?

Answer 12

Capitalist ideology

Question 13

What does Althusser say?

Answer 13

• Education is part of the ‘ideological state apparatus’ so a tool of capitalism which legitimises inequality
• Education produces a docile and obedient workforce who will not challenge authority

Question 14

What does Willis say?

Answer 14

Education doesn’t turn out an obedient workforce as some kids form an anti-school subculture

Question 15

What did Bourdieu do?

Answer 15

Used the concept of cultural capital to explain how middle-class children generally go on to fill the top jobs in society

Question 16

How are functionalists and Marxists similar (how they view education)?

Answer 16

They both look at the big picture and ignore social interaction

Question 17

What is the biggest difference between functionalists and Marxists (how they view education)?

Answer 17

How they see inequality as Marxists say education helps to reproduce and legitimise inequality and functionalists say education passes on the value of meritocracy and lets people better themselves

Question 18

What are criticisms of the functionalist view of education?

Answer 18

• Evidence of differential achievement (class, gender, ethnicity) suggests that education is not meritocratic
• Allocation function isn’t working properly as ‘who you know’ is still more important than ‘what you know’ in some parts of society
• Education system doesn’t always prepare people adequately for work
• Functionalists don’t explain conflict

Question 19

What are criticisms of the Marxist view of education?

Answer 19

• Assumes people are passive victims as it exaggerates how much working-class students are socialised into obedience
• Most people are aware of the inequality in education and don’t think it is legitimate

Question 20

How do feminists view education?

Answer 20

• Hidden curriculum unofficially reinforces gender differences
• Gender stereotyping may still exist
• Girls outperform boys in school generally but boys still demand more attention
• Men dominate top positions in schools

Question 21

What do liberal feminists want in education?

Answer 21

Equal access to education for both sexes

Question 22

What do radical feminists want in education?

Answer 22

Men are a bad influence, so they want female-centred education for girls

Question 23

What do Marxist feminists want in education?

Answer 23

To consider gender inequalities combined with inequalities of class and ethnicity

Question 24

What do New Right theorists believe in?

Answer 24

The power of individual choice and prefer this to the state intervening in people’s lives

Question 25

What do New Right theorists claim the role of a school should be?

Answer 25

More like the role of a business as they have to compete with one another to attract consumers and provide those consumers with the products they want and need which forces all businesses to continually improve their standards

Question 26

What do New Right theorists say about state schools?

Answer 26

They have poor standards as they are run by the state so don’t have to compete for consumers