education- the role of education in society Flashcards
5 perspectives on education
- marxist
- functionalist
- feminist
- new right
- interactionist
5. the functionalist perspective on education
what is functionalism
the view that society is a system of independant parts held together by a shared culture/value consesus.
5. the functionalist perspective on education
how is education an agency of socialisation
helps to maintain social stability through the development of value consensus, social harmony and social cohesion.
5. the functionalist perspective on education
the 3 main functionalists:
- Durkheim
- parsons
- davis & moore
5. the functionalist perspective on education
what two main functions of education did durkheim identify
- creating social solidarity
- teaching specialist skills
5. the functionalist perspective on education
why is social solidarity so important
prevents chaos as society wouldnt cooperate, everyone would just pursue their selfish desires.
5. the functionalist perspective on society
how does the education system help to create social solidarity
- acts as a society in miniature
- forced to cooperate with people who arent family and friends
- forced to work with people that they may not like
- this is reflected in work, having to maintain a professional working relationship with others
5. the functionalist perspective on education
difference between the hidden and formal curriculum
- hidden- educates on societal needs, teaching values and expectations in order to behave and communicate
- formal- required to teac by national curriculum in order to gain qualifications
5. the functionalist perspective on education
how does durkheim believe education prepare people for their part in the social division of labour
education provides children with the specialist knowledge and skills to perform a specific role
5. the functionalist perspective on education
how does parsons view schools
- as a place of secondary socialisation, taking over from the family as children get older
- provides the bridge between particularistic values and universalistic values of contempory societies based on meritocracy
5. the functionalist perspective on education
parsons believes school provides a bridge between which types of values
- particularistic- rules that apply for that specfic chuild from family
- universalistic- laws that apply to everyone
5. the functionalist perspective on education
what is the belief of meriotocracy
- through education, everyone is given an equal opportunity, intelligence + effort = sucess
5. the functionalist perspective on education
what do davis and moore believe the role of education is
- a device for selection and role allocation
5. the functionalist perspective on education
why do davis and moore believe inequality is necessary
- ensures the most talented and qualified individuals are allocated to the most important jobs
5. the functionalist perspective on education
what is role allocation
- fitting the most suitable people into the hierarchy of unequal positions in society
5. the functionalist perspective on education
why is the development of the human capital necessary?
- to provide a properly trained and qualified labour force to undertake the range of different jobs that arise from the division of labour
5. the functionalist perspective on education
what is social placement?
Education provides one of the major methods for upward social mobility (progressing towards the career you want)
5. the functionalist perspective on education
what are secondary functions and examples
- unintended functions
- e.g sopeaking to crush and building relationship- principle of courting
- opens up social networks, e.g. for jobs later on
- ability to work as a group
5. the functionalist perspective on education
what is the allocation function and what do functionalists believe about it
- classify students based off of acedemic abilities
- highest abilities- higher jobs
- functionalists believe it is fair, they believe in meritocracy
5. criticisms of the functionalist perspective
equal opportunity…
…in education does not exist, other factors e.g gender and race play a part
5. criticisms of the functionalist perspective
marxist argue…
…instead of transmitting shared values as a whole, education in a capitalist society only transmits the ideology of the ruling class
meritocracy promotes individualism and not shared values like functionalists claim
5. criticisms of the functionalist perspective
functionalism has an “over socialized” view of society wrongly impling that…
…pupils passively accept all that they are taught and never reject the schools values
5.criticisms of the functionalist perspective
the new right argue that the education system fails to prepare students for work as…
…education discourages efficiency, competition and choice.
5. criticisms of the functionalist perspective
the education system doesnt…
…teach specialised skills adequately
the marxist perspective on education
what is the difference between functionalists and marxists
- functionalists- see society and education as based on value consensus
- marxist- see society as based on class division and capitalist exploitation
the marxist perspective on education
what to marxists believe to be the role of education
- a means of social control, to conform, accept their social position
- suggests that this is done by giving the impression that those who fail in education do so because of their lack of effort
the marxist perspective on education
how did karl marx divide a capitalist society
- capitalist class/ bourgeosie- minority class who own the means of production
- working class/ proletariat- forced to sell their labour power to the capitalist class, no other source of income