Education: Theories

Question 1

What are Durkheim’s views on the function of education?

Answer 1

• Education should emphasise moral responsibilities

- Social solidarity should be achieved through the establishing of common values

Question 2

What are Parsons’ views on the function of education?

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

What are Davis and Moore’s views on the functions of education?

Answer 3

• 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.

Question 4

What was the New Right view on the functions of education?

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

What is the assertion of Chubb & Moe (New Right)?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

What are the criticisms of the Functionalist view?

Answer 6

• 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.

Question 7

What are the criticisms of the New Right view?

Answer 7

• 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

Question 8

From a Functionalist perspective, why is school meritocratic?

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Criticising the Functionalist perspective, why is school not meritocratic?

Answer 9

• 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.

Question 10

What is the Marxist view of education?

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

What is the Correspondence Principle?

Answer 11

• 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.

Question 12

Who theorised the Correspondence Principle?

Answer 12

Bowles & Gintis

Question 13

What is meant by Cultural Capital?

Answer 13

• 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.

Question 14

Who mainly theorised Cultural Capital?

Answer 14

Bourdieu

Question 15

What is the Feminist view of the education system?

Answer 15

Feminists see the education system as reproducing a patriarchy through established norms in textbooks and other hidden curriculum messages in school.

Question 16

How can it be argued that education serves capitalism?

Answer 16

• System takes the child from the family and prepares them for universalistic standard of hard work and making sure reward matched effort.
• The values of a cultural elite is engrained over time.
• With role allocations and the exam system, we also get losing out in life

Question 17

How do Liberal Feminists argue that the education system serves the patriarchy?

Answer 17

It’s getting better, but lots of parts of the education system still suggest more expectations are placed on boys than girls

Question 18

How do Radical Feminists argue that the education system serves the patriarchy?

Answer 18

It still exists to marginalise female concerns and oppresses women

Question 19

How would Difference Feminists argue that the education system serves the patriarchy?

Answer 19

Not all females have equally benefited from changes in gender expectations over the last twenty years

Question 20

What are criticisms of the Marxist view of education?

Answer 20

• Too much focus on class in equality and not enough on gender or race
• The correspondence principle is now dated. Brown argues that much of today’s work requires teamwork
• Marxism is applicable to the conflict created by the social upheaval of the 19th century. A neo-marxist viewpoint is more applicable.

Question 21

What are the criticisms of the Feminists view of education?

Answer 21

• Education is a female dominated sector

- Girls consistently out perform boys in the system

Question 22

Criticising conflict theories, why would the education system be considered meritocratic?

Answer 22

• There may be gaps in equity but not equality.
• Especially since the National Curriculum, all assessments are equal at every point regardless of educational setting. Everyone can achieve, no matter their starting point
• Once at university, former state school pupils and former private school pupils have the same experience