Education: Theories Flashcards
What are Durkheim’s views on the function of education?
- Education should emphasise moral responsibilities
- Social solidarity should be achieved through the establishing of common values
What are Parsons’ views on the function of education?
- Education forms a bridge between family and wider society
- Children get used to the meritocratic culture of society. In society universalistic standards apply and the individual will be judged by everyone’s standard
What are Davis and Moore’s views on the functions of education?
- Education allocates people for the best job to match their talents using exams and assessment > meritocracy
- Education helps identify the few people needed for the most high skilled jobs.
What was the New Right view on the functions of education?
Education is important for a healthy economy but needs to be run in a way so that schools are not a drain on the state’s resources.
What is the assertion of Chubb & Moe (New Right)?
Education needs to be treated like a business. Customers need to be pleased and as a result, schools need competition in order to remain dynamic and likely to improve
What are the criticisms of the Functionalist view?
- Ignorant of the aspects of education that might be dysfunctional and benefit some groups in societies more than others
- Too much is assumed > a number of studies suggest not all pupils are socialised into the system
- Acceptance of an institution that is not fit for all. Does education prepare children with the skills that benefit all or just the few and everyone else is just left behind.
What are the criticisms of the New Right view?
- Competition creates undue stress on children, by treating them as adults
- The stress of school improvement and constantly needing to evidence progress has adversely affected schools
- The wider marketisation of schools has led to some bad financial practices
From a Functionalist perspective, why is school meritocratic?
The assessment and exam system is the same for everyone at the point of taking the exam. Any student can study to pass if they are willing to work hard and overcome any perceived barriers.
Criticising the Functionalist perspective, why is school not meritocratic?
- The view that education is meritocratic ignores how social divisions might affect achievement
- The existence of Private Schools is seemingly ignored. Social class impacts educational opportunity.
- Whitty, Power and Sims (2013) found that students from private schools are more likely to get accepted to top universities with lower grades.
- Britland (2013) : private tutors are increasingly used by middle class parents and not just for exam preparation.
What is the Marxist view of education?
- Inequalities and social relations of productions in a capitalist society are reproduced over generations
- WC children are left behind by the system and end up in menial job. MC children are prepared to take up positions of power in society
What is the Correspondence Principle?
- There is a close relationship between school and work. The schools system prepares children to take their place as a part of hardworking, docile and obedient workforce.
- This is achieved through a hidden curriculum of how school is organised.
Who theorised the Correspondence Principle?
Bowles & Gintis
What is meant by Cultural Capital?
- The education system tricks the WC into accepting failure and limited social mobility when it is just the case that the system values the culture of higher classes.
- Cultural assets of the wealthy are regarded as worthy of investment and reward and given greater value as cultural capital.
Who mainly theorised Cultural Capital?
Bourdieu
What is the Feminist view of the education system?
Feminists see the education system as reproducing a patriarchy through established norms in textbooks and other hidden curriculum messages in school.
