Educational Theories Flashcards
What does functionalism believe about society?
- Based on value consensus
- Social solidarity
- Each institution brings society together
What is social solidarity?
- Society needs to feel like it is working off the same goals, norms and values
- Need to feel a sense of community
- Stops individuals pursuing their own selfish ideas
Who talked about social solidarity?
Durkheim
How does the education system link to social solidarity?
- Teaches norms and values- secondary socialisation
- Teach the country’s history to provide a link between individual and society
- National curriculum
- School is a mini society
- School gives rules for everyone to follow
- Gives value consensus and shared culture
Who spoke about specialist skills?
Durkheim
What did Durkheim say about specialist skills?
- Education teaches skills for future jobs in society
- Highly trained, skilled, and qualified labour force
- Makes sure the ‘best’ people have the high paying jobs
- Human capital (workforce knowledge)
What is human capital?
Workforce knowledge
Who said education forms a bridge between home and society?
Parsons
What did Parsons say about education bridging the gap?
- Sees education as a mini society
- Bridges the gap between norms and values of the family and those of society
- Gives universalistic values
What is meritocracy?
- Society is based on achieved status
- Earn your place in society through skill, hard work and achievement
- Everyone has to be taught and treated the same
- Schools are selective based on skill rather than connections
Who spoke about meritocracy?
Parsons
What is role allocation?
- Education selects people for different jobs in the labour market
- Exam results find most suitable people for high powered jobs
- There’s equality in the education system, and it is a ‘race to success’
- Those who succeed deserve it, those who fail can only blame themselves
Who spoke about role allocation?
Davis and Moore
Evaluations of functionalism on education:
- Myth of meritocracy
- Norms and values are of the ruling class
- Is society truly universalistic?
- Most skills for jobs are learnt on the job not in school
- Class and gender majorly impact success
What does new right believe about education?
- More a political movement than a sociological theory
- Branch of functionalism
- Value consensus has been broken in modern societies
- Free market
- Minimal government intervention
- Traditional, conservative view of the world
- Marketisation, privatisation and parentocracy
What is the role of education according to the new right?
- Education should affirm national identity
- Emphasise Britain’s positive role in history, British literature
- Integrate students into a single set of traditions and cultural values
- Provide human capital- highly skilled workers with the education and skills to fill jobs
When were British values introduced to schools?
November 2014
What did OFSTED outline British values to be?
- Democracy
- Rule of law
- Individual liberty
- mutual respect for those of different beliefs
Why did OFSTED say schools should be teaching British values?
To enhance social cohesion
Criticisms of the new right:
- Low educational achievement is caused by inequality and low funding not state control
- Contradiction between parental control and national curriculum
- Education imposes the culture of the ruling class not society (Marxism)
- Gewirtz and Ball- competition benefits the middle class
What do marxists believe about society?
- Conflict between upper class (bourgeoisie) and working class (proletariat)
- Institutions reproduce and normalise inequality
- Working class have false class conciousness
What do marxists believe is the role of education?
To reproduce capitalism and oppress the working class
Who talked about the ideological state apparatus?
Althusser
What is the ideological state apparatus?
- The use of ideas to maintain power
- Ruling class ideas are used to oppress the working class
- Educational institutions prepare working class for a life of exploitation
What did Bowles and Gintis say about schooling in capitalist America?
- Kills creativity and independence
- Rewards obedience
Who spoke about the correspondence principle?
Bowles and Gintis
Who spoke about the hidden curriculum?
Bowles and Gintis
What is the correspondence principle?
- The education system mirrors the workplace
- Hierarchy, sanctions, competition, labelling etc.
What is the hidden curriculum?
Things students are taught that aren’t outlined in the curriculum e.g. punctuality, obedience, hard work, conformity etc.
Which theory believes in the myth of meritocracy?
Marxism
What is the myth of meritocracy
- Education reproduces inequality
- If people aren’t treated equally, meritocracy cannot exist
Who did the ‘learning to labour’ study?
Willis
Which group was the subject of the learning to labour study?
Working class boys/ ‘lads’
Marxist evaluations:
- Contradiction- B+G say working class passively accept, Willis says they try to resist
- Don’t look at other factors e.g. gender
- Postmodernists- Marxism is out of date, new flexible workforce, class is no longer important society is more diverse
