Education: Topic 5- The role of education in society Flashcards
Functionalists
What does Durkheim argue about social solidarity?
- Society needs solidarity
- Education helps create it by transmitting societys culture
- At school and work we interact according to rules
Functionalists
What does Durkheim argue about specialist skills?
- Society needs different specialists
- Each person must have knowledge and skills to perform their role
- Schools help find find the skills
Functionalists
What does Parsons argue about meritocracy?
- Schools socialise children for wider society
- Everyone has equal opportunity and achieve from their effort and ability
Functionalists
What does Davis and Moore argue about role allocation?
- Inequality is neccessary so important roles are filled by the most talented
- High achiever recieve high positions
What are the strengths and weaknesess of functionalism?
Strengths:
* Role allocation explains why certain people gt high payed jobs
* Meritocracy- Explains how the disadvantaged still succeed academically
Weaknesses:
* Not everyone is seens as ‘puppets’
* The education system doesnt teach specialised skills
New right/neo-liberism
What does Chubb and Moe argue about consumer choice? What was their study?
- They compared 60,000 W/C students from private and state schools. 5% did better at private schools
- US schools are failing due to no equal opportunities, pupils dont have skills for the economy, private schools have better quality
What are the New rights views similar to functionalism?
- Belive some poeple are more talented than others
- Both favour an education system run on merocratic prinicples and run like a business
- Believe the education system should socialise pupils into shared values and sense of identity
New right/neo-liberism
What are the two roles important for the state?
- Imposes a framework on schools that they have to compete. E.g. league tables, Ofsted
- Ensure schools tranmit a shared culture. E.g. National curriculum
New right/neo-liberism
What are the strengths and weakesses of the New right argument?
Strenghts:
* Increasing standars of school
* Agrees it prepares students for workplace
Weaknesses:
* Real cause of low stadards is social inequality, lack of funding
* Benefits M/C with cultural capitqal to access desired school
Marxists
What does Althusser argue about the ideological state apparatus?
Schools maintain M/C rules by controlling ideas, values, beliefs.
Keeps the bourgeoisie in power:
* RSA (repressive state apparatuses)- Maintains power with force
* ISA (Ideological state apparatuses)- Maintains power with ideas, values, beliefs
Education performs 2 functions:
* Reproduces class inequality
* Legitmises class inequality
Marxists
What does Bowles and Gintis argue about schooling in capitalist america?
A study of 237 NY high school students. Found schools reward submissive students which produces obedient workers
Marxists
What does Bowles and Gintis argue about the correspondence principle and hidden curriculum?
- Schools and workplace has a hierachy
- The structure of schools mirror work
- ‘Lessons’ taught without being directly taught
Marxists
What does Bowles and Gintis argue about the myth of meritocracy?
- It prevents a rebeltion to not occur y legitmising class inequality
- Education justifies why inequality is fair, n atural
- W/C accepts inequality
Marxists: Learning to Labour
What does Willis argue about lads counter culture?
Participant observation of 12 W/C boys
* Lads found schools meaningless
* See manual work as superior
* Dont need qualification for manual work therefore underachieveing
Marxists
What are some strengths and weaknesses of the marxist arguement?
Strength:
* Exposes the myth of meritocracy
Weakness:
* Postmodernists argue this economy needs to produce different kinds of labour forces
* Argues Willis’ argument isnt representative
