Education Theories

Question 1

Role of Education - Functionalist

Answer 1

1. Socialisation role - Secondary socialisation
2. Allocation role - Sifting and Sorting
3. Workplace/Vocational role - Transmitting vocational skills

Question 2

1. Socialisation Role - Functionalists

Answer 2

Durkheim - Becoming social beings
Parsons - Microcosm of society - small society with the same characteristics as a larger one

Question 3

Particularistic and Universalistic standards

Answer 3

Particularistic - Set of rules applied differently to all members of a social group
Universalistic - Set of rules applies uniformly to all members of a social group

Question 4

Meritocracy

Answer 4

Meritocracy - An individuals social situation is a result of individual achievement - ability and effort

Question 5

2. Allocation Role - Functionalists

Answer 5

Parsons and Davis & Moore
- Allocating young people to suitable occupations on the basis of their merit.
- Sifting and Sorting pupils into appropriate occupations

Question 6

3. Vocational Role - Functionalists

Answer 6

Transmitting vocational skills ~> Education system needs a strong vocational role that can assist the economy

Schultz - Human Capital Theory - Education is a productive investment and sustains economic growth

Question 7

Role of Education - Marxist

Answer 7

1. Socialisation Role - Instilling capitalist norms and values
2. Allocation Role - Reproducing existing social class inequalities
3. Vocational Role - illusion of equality of opportunity

Question 8

1. Socialisation Role Marxists

Answer 8

Althusser (72) - Ideological State Apparatus (ISA) - creates the ideology that capitalist social arrangements are normal

Question 9

How are Marxist ideologies taught.

Answer 9

1. Formal Curriculum (Althusser) - timetabled subjects where students accept dominant ideologies. Very few students learn about Marxism or Feminism which challenges the capitalist state / status quo. This was made more difficult after the Education Reform Act (88).
2. Hidden Curriculum (Bowles & Gintis) - Hidden curriculum perpetuates norms and values of the ruling class.
   Social Reproduction Theory - provides the ruling class with a workforce containing useful norms and values.
   Correspondence Principle - Education is direct preparation for students going into the workforce

Question 10

2. Allocation Role Marxists

Answer 10

• Bowles & Gintis and Pierre Bourdieu - Allocation role exists however there is a myth of Meritocracy - it exists to disguise the reality of exploitation and inequality.

Question 11

Myth of meritocracy - Marxism

Answer 11

Bowles & Gintis - Educational attainment is due to family social class background. Middle-class white males tend to be over-concentrated in higher occupations.

Question 12

The social function of elimination

Answer 12

Bourdieu - members of lower social class are eliminated from the higher levels of education by :
- Exam failure
- Self-elimination

Question 13

3. Vocational Training Role - Marxist

Answer 13

Benefits the ruling class only, not the whole social system