NEW RIGHT Flashcards
1)Theoretical Perspectives Of Education 2)To understand the role and functions of the education system, including its relationship to the economy and to class structure
What is the view of of the New Right?
The New Right is a politically conservative view which borrows its economic ideas from New Liberalism.
What type of theory do New Liberalism have?
An economic theory:
1) Governments should not dictate to people how to dispose of their own property
2) Governments should not try to regulate a free market economy as it hurls business.
What should governments instead do according to the New Right?
1) Encourage competition between businesses
2) Improve state run industries by privatising them.
3) Deregulate the markets
What are New Rights views on education?
1) Some people are naturally more talented than others
2) Education should run on meritocratic terms, fostering competition.
3) Education should socialise children into society’s shared values, and instil a sense of national identity.
4) Education should prepare young people for the world of work.
What are the similarities between New Rights and functionalism?
NEW RIGHT
1) Some people are more talented than others
2) Education should be meritocratic, fostering competition
3) Education should prepare young people for work
4) Education should socialise children into a set of shared values and create a sense of national identity
FUNCTIONALISM
1)Davis & Moore – not all children are equally talented
2)Parsons – Education is a meritocracy in which children earn rewards through their own hard work
3)Durkheim – Teaching specialist skills
Parsons/Davis & Moore – Role allocation
4)Durkheim – Creating social solidarity
Parsons – Secondary Socialisation
Why do the New Right disagree with functionalism?And what is their solution to this problem?
They believe schools are NOT doing what they are supposed to be doing- preparing people for work and creating a sense of national identity.
SOLUTION: Introduce market forces into education. They believe that competition between schools and empowering consumers will bring greater diversity, choice and efficiency to schools and increase schools ability to meet the needs of pupils, parents and employees.
What do Chubb and Moe argue? (New Right)
1) State schools are failing students, particularly poor and minority students. State education has failed to create equal opportunity.
2) State education has failed to provide students with skills they need to become effective workers.
3) Private schools provide a better service because they are answerable to paying customers- the parents.
To introduces a market into a state education Chubb and Moe propose a system Voucher system. What is this?
This would force schools to become more responsive to parent’s wishes, since the vouchers would be the schools main source of income.
The state needs to impose a framework which forces schools to complete with one another. What 2 things are they?
1) Parentocracy: Publish League tables of results, publish OFSTED inspection reports.
2) The state need to ensure schools transmit a shared culture which promotes a sense of national identity: 1988 National Curriculum.
What evaluative points can be made about the New Right’s view?
1) Gerwitz and Ball both argue that competition between schools benefits middle class parents, who have the economic and cultural capital to manipulate the system.
2) The real cause of low educational standards is not a state control of schools but social inequality and inadequate funding.
3) Marxists argue that schools do not transmit a shared culture. They transmit the culture of the elite ruling class.
4) The New Right contradict itself. It supports parental choice of school, but promotes a state control of what is actually taught in school.
