Education- Sociologists Flashcards
Davis & Moore
They argued that for society to function there had to be a system of unequal rewards. It is the ability to access a higher reward that encourages individuals to put in extra effort.
Davis and Moore
social stratification (what others might term inequality) is essential. It is social stratification – a system of unequal rewards – that facilitates meritocracy.
Davis and Moore
Meritocracy works because of competition. The most important jobs, that need the most able and determined people to carry them out, bring the most rewards. Through competition, the best get to the top. This way, the education system sifts and sorts people into their appropriate roles.
Davis and Moore
A Marxist criticism of this is that social stratification is what means the education system manifestly fails to grade people by their ability or effort.
Davis and Moore
those who get the best qualifications do necessarily go on to get the highest incomes. Factors such as social class also come into play here.
Talcott Parsons
His ideas are influenced by Durkheim. he sees education as performing an important role in terms of establishing shared norms and values, but Parsons is particularly interested in how education uses role allocation. the education system helps society to be meritocratic.
Talcott Parsons
Marxists criticise the functionalist view of role allocation and “sifting and sorting” arguing that the appearance of meritocracy is nothing but ideology. They call this the myth of meritocracy
Talcott Parsons
Marxists argue that the proletariat are persuaded to believe that the rich and powerful reached their positions through their hard work and natural ability rather than because of their privileged birth because this then leads them to accept inequality as fair.
Talcott Parsons
Marxists argue instead that class inequalities are reproduced in the next generation and that the education system plays a key role in this. they argue that the myth of meritocracy plays an important part in developing a false class consciousness.
Durkheim
Argues the education system provides what he terms secondary socialisation as opposed to the primary socialisation
Durkheim
Functionalists believe that all members of society are socialised into norms and values, first through the family and later through institutions such as education, the media and religion.
Durkheim
It is in this secondary socialisation that people learn universalistic values rather than the values particular to their own family or community.
Durkheim
Durkheim termed mechanical solidarity: people had face-to-face contact with each other and had very little contact with people in other parts of the country or the world. In this society, the family can provide most of the socialisation.
