LU 1: Education & Sociology Flashcards

1
Q

What is the sociology of education?

A

The SYSTEMATIC study of the formal learning institutions and the INTERRELATIONSHIP between these institutions from a sociological viewpoint.

This field examines how societal factors influence education and vice versa.

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2
Q

What impact does society have on schools?

A

Cultural norms, values, and socioeconomic factors.

This impact can shape educational policies, curricula, and the overall school environment.

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3
Q

What is the focus of Sociology and Education?

A

The focus is on how institutions such as economics, politics, and religion influence and mold the education system.

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4
Q

What role does education play in society?

A
  • Education prepares young people for participation in society.
  • Powerful agent of socialisation.
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5
Q

What basic factors influence a learner?

A

Consider the influence of various institutions and social factors on a learner’s development.

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6
Q

What is the relationship between education and the labour market?

A

Education plays a crucial role in preparing individuals for the labour market.

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7
Q

What are the two streams of thought in sociology regarding education?

A
  • education as imparting science
  • serving broader social functions.
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8
Q

How do some view the function of education?

A

Education serves broader social functions beyond just imparting knowledge.

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9
Q

What does the Positive Perspective by Durkheim focus on?

A

It focuses on how education equips children for their positions in later life.

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10
Q

What are the roots of Durkheim’s Positive Perspective?

A

It has roots in the functionalist approach.

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11
Q

How does Durkheim compare society?

A

He compares society to a human body.

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12
Q

What analogy has Durkheim used to understand society?

A

He has always used the popular analogy of the human body.

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13
Q

What does the Positivist Perspective focus on?

A

It focuses on how education equips children for their positions in later life.

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14
Q

What approach does the Positivist Perspective have roots in?

A

It has roots in the functionalist approach.

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15
Q

How does Durkheim use the analogy of the human body?

A

He uses it to understand society.

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16
Q

What role does education play in society according to Durkheim?

A

Education makes up one part of the system in society.

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17
Q

How are the different institutions in society related?

A

They are interconnected and interdependent on one another.

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18
Q

What is the goal of the institutions in society?

A

They work towards maintaining social order.

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19
Q

What does Durkheim focus on in his analysis?

A

Durkheim focuses on the POSITION of values in society and the FUNCTION of schools in transferring those values to learners.

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20
Q

What relationships did Durkheim analyze?

A
  • schools and other public institutions
  • interplay between education and social change
  • schools and the function of a social system.
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21
Q

What is the importance of society according to Durkheim?

A

The importance of society is over the individual.

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22
Q

How is moral order created in society?

A

Moral order is created by members of society to guide our actions.

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23
Q

What is the nature of society’s authority according to Durkheim?

A
  • Society commands us because it is exterior and superior to us.
  • The moral distance between it and us makes it an authority before which our wills defer.
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24
Q

Can we separate education from society?

A

No, schools are a social system that promotes social order and stability in society.

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25
Q

What does the educational system transmit?

A

The educational system transmits traditions, rules, values, and skills from one generation to another.

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26
Q

What role does education play in culture?

A

Education maintains the ‘accepted’ culture.

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27
Q

What is the purpose of knowledge in education?

A

Knowledge must work toward ‘solidarity and integration rather than pluralism and differentiation.’

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28
Q

What is the role of teachers in education?

A

Teachers are ‘agents of legitimate knowledge transmission.’

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29
Q

What does education prepare learners for?

A

Education prepares learners for work roles in adult life.

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30
Q

What skills and values does education teach?

A
  • punctuality
  • cooperation
  • conformity.
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31
Q

What behavior does education encourage?

A
  • socially appropriate behavior
  • acceptance of authority and academic ability.
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32
Q

What is a criticism of functionalism in education?

A

The criticism of functionalism is that it ignores the allocation of adult roles and the gap between societal expectations of schools and actual school performance.

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33
Q

What does the functionalist perspective emphasize?

A
  • value consensus
  • integration
  • stability to keep society in balance.
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34
Q

What does the functionalist perspective tend to ignore?

A
  • ignore the diversity of interests
  • thoughts
  • ideologies
  • opposing interest groups in society.
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35
Q

What does the conflict perspective highlight?

A

the tensions in society due to competition for resources.

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36
Q

What are the two main groups identified in the conflict perspective?

A
  • dominant (have’s)
  • subordinate groups (have nots).
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37
Q

What characterizes the dominant group in society?

A

Command power and privilege and have access to resources and goods.

38
Q

What is the situation of the subordinate group in the conflict perspective?

A

lack power in society, leading to tensions and conflict between the groups.

39
Q

What do conflict theorists focus on regarding education?

A

examine how the education given to working-class children serves ruling class interests.

40
Q

How do conflict theorists view the role of education?

A

They share the view with functionalists that education prepares learners for future roles in family, economy, and society.

41
Q

What is Marx’s belief about the education system?

A

Marx believes the education system perpetuates the dominance of one class over another.

42
Q

How does Marx view the role of schools in society?

A

Marx believes schools support the status quo and preserve inequality, especially under capitalism.

43
Q

What are the two types of functions in education according to the Conflict Perspective?

A
  • manifest (obvious, stated)
  • latent (concealed, covert) functions.
44
Q

What is the manifest function of education?

A

Provide skills and prepare learners for their future roles in society.

45
Q

What is the latent function of education?

A
  • The latent function is unrecognized and unintended
  • Sometimes referred to as the hidden curriculum —> prepares students to accept what is given and not to be critical or question things.
46
Q

How does education affect class inequalities in society?

A

Education perpetuates class inequalities in society.

47
Q

Do the haves and have-nots receive different education in South Africa?

A

Yes, the haves and have-nots receive different education in South Africa.

48
Q

What is the Conflict Perspective?

A

A theoretical framework that examines social inequalities and divisions in society.

49
Q

What is Credentialism?

A

The idea that some people are better than others based on their educational credentials.

50
Q

What does Credentialism denote?

A

It is a status marker and denotes knowledge or expertise in an area.

51
Q

What do Conflict theorists argue about Credentialism?

A

Further creates social divisions in society and rewards people unequally based on their class position.

52
Q

What is the role of schools according to Conflict theorists?

A

They argue that schools merely propagate social inequality in society.

53
Q

Is there Credentialism in South Africa?

A

This is a question posed to consider the presence of Credentialism in SA.

54
Q

What does Weber’s work provide regarding schools?

A

Weber’s work on bureaucracies, organisations, and status provides a macro overview of how schools are organised while also offering an interpretive perspective.

55
Q

What framework did Weber provide for formal organisations of schools?

A
  • division of labour
  • administrative hierarchy
  • rules and regulations
  • formal relationships
  • rational behaviour.
56
Q

What issue did Weber consider in relation to schools?

A

Weber considered the issue of ‘STATUS CULTURES’ and how schools perpetuate this relationship among groups both inside and outside of schools.

57
Q

How does power influence education according to Weber?

A

Power places PRESSURE on education, supporting the interests of the dominant group:

1.	Bureaucratization of Education
2.	Credentialism
3.	Reinforcement of Status and Class Divisions
4.	Control through Rationalization
5.	Influence of Political Power
6.	Domination of Technical Knowledge
58
Q

What did Weber argue regarding teachers and academics?

A

Weber argued that teachers and academics should keep their values under control in a classroom. TEACHERS MUST PASS ON ONLY FACTS.

59
Q

What should teachers and academics focus on according to Weber?

A

Teachers and academics should only teach facts.

60
Q

How would Marx’s view differ from Weber’s regarding facts and values?

A

Marx would disagree, stating that fact and value are closely interwoven.

61
Q

What does society structure itself around according to the interpretivist perspective?

A
  1. economics
  2. status
  3. power
62
Q

What is central to the interpretivist perspective?

A

Symbolic interactionism is central to the interpretivist perspective —> how meanings are constructed.

63
Q

What does the interpretivist perspective emphasize?

A

It emphasizes how meanings are constructed.

64
Q

What does the interpretivist perspective concentrate on?

A

It concentrates on the interactions of individuals and the behavior of small groups.

65
Q

What do individuals sharing a culture have in common?

A

Their immediate experiences and norms and values.

66
Q

What do individuals sharing a culture have in common?

A

They have much in common in terms of their immediate experiences and norms and values.

67
Q

What does the Interpretivist Perspective recognize?

A

It recognizes differences due to individual experiences of class and broader social experiences.

68
Q

What is the focus of the Interpretivist Perspective?

A

The focus is on the actions between teacher, student, parental, and peer-group relationships.

69
Q

What theories are found within the interactionist perspective?

A

Tracking and labelling theory.

70
Q

What is tracking or streaming in education?

A

It is a sorting mechanism used to assign students to particular programmes or educational streams based on evaluations.

71
Q

What are some potential positives and negatives of streaming?

A

This is a question for reflection.

72
Q

What criticism does the interactionist perspective face?

A

It has been criticised for failing to acknowledge the agency of individuals in the education process.

73
Q

What is a legacy of apartheid in South Africa’s education?

A

The legacy of apartheid continues to affect educational access and quality in South Africa.

74
Q

What are FET colleges?

A

FET colleges are Further Education and Training colleges that provide vocational education.

75
Q

What is the National Central Application system?

A

It is a system used for applying to higher education institutions in South Africa.

76
Q

What issue do South African schools face regarding teachers?

A

Many schools have vacant teacher posts, leading to a shortage of qualified educators.

77
Q

What challenges do South African schools face with textbooks?

A

There are issues with the availability and distribution of textbooks in schools.

78
Q

What is a significant concern in South African schools?

A

Sexual abuse is a serious issue affecting students in South African schools.

79
Q

What societal issues impact education in South Africa?

A

Exclusion and inequality are major societal issues affecting educational opportunities.

80
Q

What types of schools exist in South Africa?

A

There are both public and private schools in South Africa.

81
Q

What is a challenge related to student retention?

A

Many students struggle to remain in school until graduation.

82
Q

What is a concern regarding teaching as a profession?

A

Teaching is often undervalued and faces challenges in attracting qualified professionals.

83
Q

How does poverty affect families in South Africa?

A

Poverty significantly impacts educational access and family stability.

84
Q

What health crisis affects families in South Africa?

A

HIV/AIDS is a major health issue that affects many families.

85
Q

What type of households are prevalent in South Africa?

A

Single and child-headed households are common in South Africa.

86
Q

What is important for addressing educational challenges?

A

All-inclusive dialogue is essential for addressing the challenges in education.

87
Q

What are examples of the STATE in education today:

A
  • legacy of apartheid
  • education policies
  • FET colleges
  • National central application system
88
Q

What are examples of SOCIETY in education today:

A
  • exclusion
  • inequality
  • public/ private schools
  • student retention
  • teaching as a profession
89
Q

What are examples of SCHOOLS in education today:

A
  • vacant teacher posts
  • textbooks
  • sexual abuse
90
Q

What are examples of FAMILY in education today:

A
  • poverty
  • HIV/ AIDS
  • Single and child headed households
  • all inclusive dialogues