Education, theories and policies

Question 1

Social class external

Answer 1

Sugarman
Smith and nobel
Bourdieu

Question 2

Social class internal

Answer 2

Becker
Ball and whitty
Archer et al

Question 3

Sugar man

Answer 3

Differences in attitudes and values of the working class and middle class

Wc= fatalistic, immediate gratification, collectivism
Mc= controlled, deferred gratification, individualism

However in society today these divides in different attitudes and values of classes have been blurred as now the majority of people fit into both categories

Question 4

Smith and nobel

Answer 4

Material deprivation of wc

Working class can’t afford aids such as computers and textbooks puts them at a disadvantage

Working-class may not have room in the home to study so I left distracted and can’t perform to their best ability

The government have introduced compensatory policies such as pupil premium free school meals and sixth form bursary to combat material deprivation

Question 5

Bourdieu

Answer 5

Cultural capital

Watching documentaries, reading books, or visiting museums in your spare time gives them a head start and more confidence in school.

Middle class have the right cultural capital so are at an advantage

Working class have cultural deprivation so are left to feel uncomfortable in school.

The Government has introduced a range of aims aimed at encouraging working-class families to take part in activities that to increase their cultural capital over time the working class will also start to develop cultural capital not cultural deprivation

Question 6

Becker

Answer 6

Labelling

Interactionist study

Teachers judge pupils according to how closely they fit an image of the ideal pupil

Working-class children are the furthest away from it and middle class are seen as closest

The middle class have a sfp and end up achieving well in school and the working class have a sfp of failing in school

Question 7

Sugarman and becker link

Answer 7

The attitudes and values that Sugerman came up with is what is forms the label of the ideal pupil which teachers label positively in Beckers study

Question 8

Ball and whitty

Answer 8

School selection policies

Good Schools are in demand so are very selective as to the students that they let into the school, they select the students that performed best in primary school and with parents that have prestigious jobs

Lower Chevening schools are not in demand so are not selective and are willing to take on any student so the school Can run

This creates a cycle of inequality which means that good schools become even better and bad schools struggle to improve so the middle-class are destined to do well in the good schools and the working-class are destined to fail in the bad schools

Question 9

Archer et al

Answer 9

Habitus and symbolic capital

Habitus is a social groups every day were you thinking and acting

Having middle class habitus leads to symbolic capital, teachers go out of their way to help middle-class students with symbolic capital to do better in exams and the working-class students are left to fail

Question 10

Smith and nobel and ball and whitty link

Answer 10

Schools are likely to select pupils from a poor family and location this means that they are left to receive a bad education from a bad school which results in a differences in educational achievement

Question 11

Bourdieu and archer et al link

Answer 11

The middle-class cultural capital that bourdieu discusses creates a habitus which leads to symbolic capital told by archer et al

Question 12

Social class intro

Answer 12

Social class refers to the divisions in society based on economic and social status

Many sociologists argue that the middle-class students do better than the working-class students

External factors argue outside of school and internal factors argue inside of school

Question 13

Smart ass para social class

Answer 13

However in a marxist theory, bourdieu says how working class students are trapped in a cycle of inequality, as a result of material deprivation and cultural deprivation the children are less likely to get good qualifications so are left to work as subservient workers for the bourgeoisie

Question 14

Ethnic minority intro

Answer 14

Chinese and Indian students do better in school and black Afro-Caribbean do the worst

External = outside school
Internal = inside school

Question 15

Ethnic minorities external

Answer 15

Bowker
Arnot
Murray

Question 16

Ethnic minorities internal

Answer 16

Wright
Gilbourne and youdell
Report from guardian

Question 17

Bowker

Answer 17

Linguistic skills

Lack of standard English creates a huge barrier in the UK education

Afro-Caribbeans language in the home is ungrammatical disjointed and incapable of expressing abstract ideas, creates a strain on their chances to do well in school because they don’t understand the way the teachers teach and are unable to write an exam style.

Whereas English students are able to fully understand the teachers and come right in a way that allows them to achieve well in their exams

Swan report found that the language in home has little impact on their achievements

Question 18

Arnot

Answer 18

Media influence

Media has created a negative auntie school role model for black people is it creates a persona over and I will check tough ghetto superstar which is formed in rap lyrics and MTV which talks about drugs and crime.

Black students try to live up to this persona so are turned against school hence why their achievement is so low.

Inside there is too deterministic as by watching TV and listening to rap music will not automatically lead boys to wanting to become this so-called ultra tough ghetto superstar

Question 19

Murray

Answer 19

Family structure and parental support

Afro-Caribbean students are lacking a male role model due to fathers leaving. Mothers tend to struggle to socialise their children properly so their children may sometimes lead towards gang cultures to seek a male role model so the students may start care less about education and more about socialising in crime therefore underachieve in school.

This argument is too deterministic living in a single parent family doesn’t automatically mean they will become a criminal

Question 20

Wright

Answer 20

Marginalisation of Pakistani students

Teachers label them as a problem that can be ignored for having poor English so they are left out of class discussions teachers also disapprove of their customs and mispronounce names

Question 21

Gilbourne and youdell

Answer 21

Ethnic minority group students are labelled in school which may cause them to underachieve.

Teachers have racialised expectations and label black Afro-Caribbean students as threatening and challenging And having no potential or specialism in a subject. This leads to black students having a self fulfilling prophecy meaning that they end up meeting this label and expectations that teachers have of them which means they underachieving class

Question 22

Report from the guardian

Answer 22

Lack Of ethnic minority teachers

Ethnic minority backgrounds are significantly under represented in the school environment and are less likely to be in positions of authority in 2013 only 0.8% of headteachers were black and 1.7% of teachers were generally black.

So school is seen as a white experience limiting the chance of success for ethnic minority students

Question 23

Gender intro

Answer 23

Most sociologists argue that girls do better than boys, girls get better results in primary school national curriculum tests and girls also get better results in every subject in GCSE.

Question 24

Gender external

Answer 24

Sharpe
Barber
Beck n beck gernsheim

Question 25

Gender internal

Answer 25

Francis
Mitsos n browne
Boaler

Question 26

Sharpe

Answer 26

Girls changing ambitions and priorities

In the 1970s sue sharpe found that girl is top priority we are based around love and marriage whereas in the 90s girls main ambitions were to get a good job and to be economically independent.

This is linked to the increase in feminism in society. As the feminist movement became stronger girls in school have become more and more influence to have high aspirations for themselves.

However archer argues this is not true for all girls in her study of white working-class girls she found that many of them still strive for a hyper heterosexual feminine identity.

Question 27

Barber

Answer 27

The way boys are socialised

Barber found that boys overestimate their own ability well generally girls underestimate theirs. This attitude often comes from socialisation in the home where fathers encourage sons to have an attitude of arrogance. Boys are taught to play around and let off steam whereas girls spend more time reading and carrying out intellectually stimulating activities.

However the government has introduced a number for policies to change the way that boys are socialised for example the father and sons reading scheme

Question 28

Beck n beck gernsheim

Answer 28

Employment opportunities

In 20 1367% of women were paid in employment.

Girls now try harder in school than they did previously because they have the same opportunities for careers that boys have. This is due to the changes in law such as the equal pay act 1970 and the sex discrimination act 1975 there are now far more women in senior positions in the workplace they argue that women are smashing through the glass ceiling. Girls in school see older females achieving well so try to achieve well in school in order to get to this place.

However radical feminists argue that only a small Minority of females are actually able to reach the top jobs the most prestigious jobs are still dominated by men.

Question 29

Bowker and wright link

Answer 29

Because of the language barrier students are marginalised due to teachers believe in that their English isn’t good enough for them to be able to contribute in class discussions.

Question 30

Murray and report from guardian link

Answer 30

Lack of male role models in the family and role models in the school lead ethnic minority groups to be at a disadvantage and under represented in the school environment

Question 31

Arnot and gilbourne and youdell link

Answer 31

Media influences the black pupils to become the label that Guildbourne and Youdell gave them

Question 32

Francis

Answer 32

Girls tend to be labelled more positively them boys this leads to a positive self fulfilling prophecy.

Boys were labelled as unruly and disruptive and are more likely to spend time telling them off and helping them with school work teachers have lower expectations of boys and are less inclined to push them to achieve higher in exams.

If girls are labelled negatively they are more likely to be able to reject the negative labels fuller has a study Which describes how instead of accepting negative stereotypes a group of working-class black girls channelled their anger into rejecting the prophecy meaning that they did well in their exams.

Question 33

Mitsos n browne

Answer 33

Coursework and modular exams

The introduction of GCSEs in 1988 had a significant impact on helping girls to outperform boys this is because GCSEs involve module exams and coursework which is suited to girls as they are organised and maintain a focus over the two year period.

However the boys who are on organised couldn’t keep up with meeting deadlines and regular revision so therefore were set to underachieve compare to the girls

Question 34

Boaler

Answer 34

For opportunities in schools

Boaler points out that policies like GIST - getting girls into science had a positive impact on encouraging girls to do well in the subjects that were seen as not for them. This meant that girls achievement in school rose as they were starting to like subjects that weren’t seen as feminine.

Question 35

Sharpe and francis link

Answer 35

The label that girls receive is as a result of the change in aspiration that Sue sharpe describes

Question 36

Barber and mitsos n browne link

Answer 36

Girls are brought up to read and do intellectually stimulating activities so in coursework girls will thrive in research so I will do better

Question 37

Beck n beck gernsheim and boaler link

Answer 37

The change in opportunities in employment due to sex discrimination act 1975 has led to opportunity policies in school so girls have an equal place in education as boys

Question 38

Smart ass para gender

Answer 38

Other radical feminists argue that education is still a very patriarchal institution as most teachers in senior positions are men and girls are disadvantaged in certain subjects e.g. science. So education is what gives the differences in achievement for girls and boys as they are not given equal opportunities in the school

Question 39

Education theories

Answer 39

Functionalism
Marxism
Feminism
New right 
Post modernism

Question 40

Functionalism

Answer 40

Macro prospective on society

Durkheim
Parsons
Davis and moore

Question 41

Durkheim 1

Answer 41

Education creates value consensus among students this then leads to social solidarity

Value consensus is when the student share the same norms and values

Social solidarity is when society works together

Samples of this in education is when students wear the same uniform, when they sit the same exams.

Question 42

Durkheim 2

Answer 42

School is seen as the bridge between family life and work in life. Durkheim argues that education gives specialist skills to the students so they are prepared for the skills that they need to have in work.

However the new right theorists argue that the standard of education in Britain is not good enough to give people the skills they need for work.

Question 43

Parsons

Answer 43

Education is meritocratic- the idea that we all start equal and success is based on hard work of the individual.

Gives students the opportunity to move from their ascribed status to their achieved status this is known as social mobility.

However Bowles and gintis argue that meritocracy is a myth.

Question 44

Davis and moore

Answer 44

Role allocation

Education system sifts and sorts individuals according to their ability

Education gives people the chance to prove that they are clever enough to take on these higher responsibility jobs and should be given higher awards for their ability.

Education allows us to see what individuals are suitable for what jobs

However jobs aren’t always allocated based on skill and talent some jobs are allocated based on nepotism meaning they are given jobs through people that they know

Question 45

New right

Chub and moe

Answer 45

Chub and moe agree with functionalists That education should be positive. However they disagree because they think that the current state of education is not good enough.

They argue that the government is too involved in education and that they should let the schools run themselves that private businesses private schools are run like private businesses and they are always seem to be the most successful schools.

Relates to the Policies that Margaret facture introduced in 1988 called the education reform act making schools marketise like a business.

Question 46

Marxism

Answer 46

Bowles and gintis
Bourdieu
Willis

Question 47

Bowles and gintis

Education reproduces class inequality

Answer 47

Education plays a key role in conditioning students into the attitudes and values and routines that would make them easily exploited school and hard-working when they left school.

They argue that school life mirrors working life for the proletariat which is called the correspondence principle.

School students follow the hidden curriculum all of these lessons are taught to try and work it has to be subservient workers for the bourgeoisie

Those are there for like factories that churn out proletariat workers year after year

Question 48

Bourdieu

Education reproduces class inequality

Answer 48

Education creates a cycle of deprivation for the proletariats

This insures that the children are trapped in a system where they must grow up and become subservient workers for bourgeoisie. This is due to them having material deprivation and cultural deprivation meaning that they are less likely to get good qualifications so are therefore set to work for the bourgeoisie to earn money.

However the government has introduced a number of compensatory policies to try and help the working-class break the cycle of deprivation

Question 49

Bowles and gintis

Location legitimate’s class inequality

Answer 49

Education is a giant myth making machine the key myth being meritocracy.

Only the rich can succeed in education, the working-class are tricked into thinking that meritocracy does exist so see inequality as legitimate this means the proletariats blame themselves for having low paid jobs and false class consciousness.

Study by Willis of the 12 lads shows that education does not always digital it’s in quality-the 12 lads realised that meritocracy was a myth.

Question 50

Willis

Neo marxism

Answer 50

The 12 lads

The lads were part of an anti-school subculture they chose to fail in order to disrupt the system they knew that the education system was unfair and not meritocratic so kept misbehaving and failed school.

However this study is gender blind and it only focuses on boys.

Could be argued that ultimately the working-class lads ended up in working-class jobs therefore the system did its job of creating the subservient workers

Question 51

Post modernism

Usher and thompson

Answer 51

This theory criticises of a theory to be and outdated. Usher and Thompson argue that education give students the skills they need to be independent and creative. Education is now far more liberal and allow students to be creative and have their own input on this school lives. For example many schools have a student council which allows them to have a say.

However Marxists argue that schools today simply provide the illusion of giving students choice but in reality they are still just training students to be subservient workers.

Question 52

Liberal feminism

Harper

Answer 52

Harper believes that education was once very patriarchal but has recently become more equal.

Example girls are now encouraged to take subjects that were traditionally more male. And teachers now support girls and I’ve helped them to outperform boys

Question 53

Radical feminism

Answer 53

Greer believes that education is very patriarchal. Most senior positions are for men and girls are disadvantaged in certain subjects, furthermore they are encouraged to take certain subjects which reinforce the idea that they should stay at home e.g. health and social care/childcare

Question 54

30 marker theories

Answer 54

Durkheim: School is the bridge between family life and working life. Evaluation. Bowles and gintis: education reproduces class inequality and it turns out proletariat workers

Parsons: meritocracy- social mobility. Evaluation. Bowles and gintis: inequality as legitimate- blame themselves

Davis and moore- role allocation. Give students a chance to prove themselves. Evaluation

Conclusion: radical feminism: greer - education isn’t that positive

Question 55

Education policies

Answer 55

1944 - butler act
1965 - comprehensive act
1988 - ERA
1997 - labour
2010-2015 - coalition policies

Question 56

1944 butler act

Answer 56

Introduction of the 11+, aim to create a more educated workforce.

Consisted of grammar schools, technical schools, secondary modern schools

Advantages:
All students were given three secondary education, the 11+ was based on meritocracy

Disadvantages: 
It wasn’t actually meritocratic, middle-class students who are more likely to pass. It created a huge social class divide between the middle-class and the working-class. Being categorised into schools created a self for filling prophecy, this damaged the achievement of working-class students

Question 57

1965 comprehensive act

Answer 57

Aimed to reduce the social class divide made by the butler act. Comprehensive schools were made so that all social classes could be under one roof

Advantages: 
It produced the social class divide, it made education more meritocratic (all students were taught at the same standard by same teachers) 

Disadvantages:
In reality there was still a huge social class divide because the classes were separated by labelling and settings. Educational triage ( making decisions over who actually needs the help) is prominent in comprehensive schools

Question 58

Education reform act 1988

Answer 58

Introduced by margret thatcher. Main feature was marketisation. Makes schools more like businesses. Schools were made to compete in order to get pupils to attend the school.

Policies brought in:
GCSEs, league tables, formula funding, open enrolment, ofsted reports

Advantages:
It’s a raise the standards of education. Created a parentocracy meaning that parents could make informed decisions about their child’s education based on information available.

Disadvantages:
Gerwitz argues that middle-class parents have more material and cultural capital so can take advantage of the choice available however parentocracy is a myth for the working-class parents.
Ball and whitty, marketisation reproduces inequality through exam league tables and formula funding.

Question 59

1997 labour came to power

Answer 59

Marketisation:

Encouraged schools to apply for specialist status in a particular curriculum area.

Encouraged schools to become academies

Equality:

EMA payments: gave weekly allowance to students over 16 to stay in school to gain better qualifications

Education action zones: gave more money to schools in poorer areas

Aim higher: program designed to raise the aspiration of groups who were under represented in higher education, convinced students to stay in education longer to get better qualifications such as going to uni.

Question 60

Advantages and disadvantages of labour

Answer 60

Advantages:
Increased parentocracy by giving parents the option of choosing a school that could nurture their Childs particular interests. Academies raise standards of schools. The policies reduced inequality and created more social mobility in some cases.

Disadvantages:
Some academies weren’t successful and were poorly run.
The EMA acted as a perverse incentive by encouraging students to study post 16 without any intentions of getting the qualifications. Students would use the money for uneducation related things
Labour were identified as being hypocritical as they tried to reproduce material inequality but at the same time introduced university fees which puts working-class students off

Question 61

Coalition policies 2010-2015

Answer 61

Charged all schools to become academies
Making GCSEs and A-levels more difficult
Introduce the pupil premium programme
Introduced free schools-(which meant the local council could go to the government and asked for schools)
Encourage the privatisation of education -( private profit making businesses becoming increasingly involved in education, having businesses run in the school such as catering)

Question 62

AdVantages and disadvantages of coalition policies

Answer 62

Advantages:
Pupil premium fund allows schools to help disadvantaged students by helping of the cost of education.
Increased parentocracy I allowing parents to design and set up schools that meet their specific needs

Disadvantages:
A Report by ofsted Found that schools are not effectively using the extra income that they are saving for people premium students
Schools have been identified as having problems
It created a social class divide between working-class students who are put off university due to fear of debt
Privatisation in education meant that the bourgeoisie is controlling education and were using it to increase the profits

Question 63

Globalisation of education

Answer 63

PISA programmes- countries are constantly competing against each other to find out which country provides the best education for students

Increase in migration- education is now more multicultural. All schools now teach the six world religions meaning that ethnic minority students feel more comfortable in school

Entry requirements for teachers- 2012 the entry requirements for trainee teachers were raised to ensure that people enter in the profession were capable- raised to achieving above a 2:1

Question 64

Advantages and disadvantages of globalisation

Answer 64

Advantages:
Looking at what schools doing of a country can help to improve education in the UK.
Education in the UK has become more accommodating for migrant pupils.

Disadvantages:
Comparisons with other countries has meant the government has put more pressure on schools to achieve better results this pressure is then passed on to the students which leads to a number of problems