Paper 1 SAQ Flashcards
Outline three ways in which school may mirror work in capitalist society (6 marks) AS June 2017
hierarchical structure (1 mark); in schools head teacher at the top
and students low down, in work boss at the top workers low down
(+1 mark)
* rewards (1 mark); grades in school, pay in work (+1 mark)
fragmentation (1 mark); school divided into unconnected subjects,
work divided into unconnected tasks (+1 mark)
* degree of autonomy (1 mark); senior pupils/those in higher streams
have more autonomy, managers/skilled workers have more
autonomy (+1 mark)
* monotony (1 mark); having boring lessons, carrying out repetitive
tasks at work (+1 mark)
* dress code (1 mark); in school you wear uniform to represent the
school and in the workplace you wear uniform to represent the
company/brand (+1 mark)
* legitimation (1 mark); in school pupils are taught that exams are fair
and in work promotional opportunities are portrayed as fair (+1
mark)
Outline three examples of how the education system could be seen as fair to everyone (6 marks) AS June 2018
education is free and available to everyone (1 mark) so income is no barrier(+1 mark)
everyone is measured against the same standards (1 mark); educational success is measured against external national standards (i.e exams) (+1mark)
open enrolment (1 mark); gives parents right to identify a preferred school (+1 mark)
the exam system rewards on the basis of intelligence (1 mark); therefore the most intelligent are the most successful (+1 mark)
policies to address gender inequality eg GIST and WISE (1 mark); this aims to reduce barriers to achievement and/or subject choice for girls (+1 mark)
Outline three criticisms of the functionalist view of education (6 marks) AS June 2019
assumes education is a meritocratic system (1 mark);
achievement is greatly influenced by social backgrounds such
as class or ethnicity. (+1 mark)
* It is deterministic (1 mark), many functionalists wrongly assume
that pupils passively accept the values they are taught and
never reject them. (+ 1 mark)
* assumes the education system transmits society’s values (1
mark); in fact it transmits ruling class ideology/patriarchy / any
alternative (+1 mark)
* education system fails to adequately prepare young people for
work (1 mark); by failing to teach appropriate skills/values necessary for work (+ 1mark)
* education system fails to promote social solidarity (1 mark);
schools promote competition and individual achievement (+1 mark)
* education system fails to allocate roles efficiently (1 mark);
because exam system does not adequately measure skills and
abilities (+1 mark)
Outline three reasons why girls may be more successful in schools than boys (6 marks) AS November 2020
Motivation of girls to succeed (1 mark); girls use the increased presence of women in the world of work as an incentive to succeed (+1 mark).
* Teacher expectations (1 mark); teachers may have more positive and higher expectations of girls than boys – so linking to self-fulfilling prophecies (+1 mark).
* Feminisation of education (1 mark); the curriculum is delivered in a way that might suit ‘feminine traits’/girls rather than boys eg passive reading, writing and listening (+1 mark).
* Higher standards of literacy (1 mark); higher standards of literacy in girls allows them to achieve more highly than boys (+1 mark).
* Crisis of masculinity (1 mark); boys try and assert their masculinity through the rejection of school (+1 mark).
Outline two cultural factors that may affect ethnic differences in
educational achievement (4 marks) June 2017
language (1 mark); for some pupils English may be a second
language and so they may have difficulty in understanding class
work (+1 mark)
* parental attitudes to education (1 mark); Indian and Chinese
parents are more likely to be pro-school and encourage their
children to be successful in education (+1 mark)
* pupil subcultures (1 mark); black pupils are more likely to be
subjected to anti-educational peer group pressure, leading to them
rejecting school (+1 mark)
* ethnocentric curriculum (1 mark); the school curriculum reflects the
dominant culture and this benefits White British students (+1 mark)
Outline three ways in which factors within schools may shape gender
differences in subject choice (6 marks ) June 2017
peer group pressure (1 mark); leads to girls and boys choosing
subjects which reflect stereotypical gender identities (+1 mark)
* career advice (1 mark); for example, girls are more likely to choose
childcare courses, because childcare jobs are seen as female (+1
mark)
* subject counselling (1 mark); teachers may channel boys and girls
into different subject choices in relation to their own gender
stereotypes (+1 mark)
* learning resources may include gender stereotypes (1 mark); for
example, science may be represented as a mainly male activity
* gender of teachers (1 mark); for example, males may pick science
as a subject because the teachers are more likely to be men (+1
mark).
Outline two reasons why marketisation policies may produce inequality of educational achievement between social classes (4 marks) June 2018
cream-skimming (1 mark); successful schools can attract higher achievers, who are more likely to be middle-class (+ 1 mark).
silt-shifting (1 mark); successful schools can avoid taking less able, largely working-class pupils, who thus end up in low-achieving schools (+ 1 mark).
schools can establish their own catchment areas (1 mark); middle-class parents can afford to move into the catchment areas of successful schools (+ 1 mark).
parental choice of school (1 mark); middle-class parents can use their cultural capital/knowledge of the education system to make more successful choices of school (+ 1 mark)
Outline three reasons for gender differences in educational achievement (6 marks) June 2018
laddish subcultures (1 mark); boys are more likely to join anti-school
subcultures that prevent them from achieving (+ 1 mark).
changes in the job market (1 mark): more jobs for women/decline in traditional men’s jobs increase girls’/reduce boys’ motivation to achieve (+1 mark).
feminisation of education (1 mark); more female teachers as role models today gives girls an advantage over boys (+1 mark).
leisure pursuits (1 mark); for example, girls’ leisure often involves a ‘bedroom culture’ of talking with friends, which develops their communication skills (+ 1 mark).
reduction of coursework (1 mark); this reduces the advantage in achievement that girls had through being better organised and taking care of their work (+1 mark).
Outline two criticisms of schools selecting pupils by ability (4 marks) June 2019
Some pupils are late developers (1 mark); selecting by ability at age 11 means that students who develop academically at a later age are at a disadvantage (+1 mark).
* Selection may benefit middle class children (1 mark); middle class parents can provide tutors and coaching for their children so that they do well in tests (+1 mark).
* There are difficulties in measuring ability (1 mark); IQ tests only measure one aspect of ability.
* Testing may result in lower self-esteem for children (1 mark); testing may stigmatise both children and the schools they attend (+1 mark).
* Tests used to select pupils might be culturally biased (1 mark); the
language used may be biased against working-class and minority ethnic groups (+1 mark)
Outline three ways in which the characteristics of schools may be similar to the characteristics of workplaces (6 marks) June 2019
Both are fragmented (1 mark); at school knowledge is fragmented into different subjects; at work labour is fragmented into small meaningless tasks (+1mark).
* Both are based on extrinsic satisfaction (1 mark); at school students are rewarded by grades rather than the intrinsic satisfaction of the knowledge gained; at work employees are rewarded through pay rather than the intrinsic satisfaction of their work (+1 mark).
* Both are based on competition (1 mark); at school students compete for high grades; at work, employees compete for high wages (+1 mark).
* Both have a hierarchy of authority (1 mark); at school there are hierarchies between teachers and between teachers and students; at work there are hierarchies of management (+1 mark).
* Both are based on alienation (1 mark); at school students have little control over their time or what they study; at work, employees have little control of the production process ( +1 mark)
Outline two factors external to schools that may affect social class differences in educational achievement (4 marks) November 2020
Financial capital (1 mark); middle class parents may be able to afford the equipment and experiences that contribute to high levels of educational achievement (+1 mark).
* Poor housing (1 mark); overcrowding in working class homes may mean there is no quiet place to study leading to lower levels of educational achievement (+1 mark).
* Parental attitudes towards education (1 mark); middle class parents may be more likely to value educational achievement for their children (+1 mark).
* Linguistic codes (1 mark); middle class children are more likely to use the elaborated speech code which contributes to high educational achievement (+1 mark).
* Subcultural values (1 mark); working class subcultural values such as immediate gratification and fatalism may contribute to lower levels of educational achievement (+1 mark).
* Cultural capital (1 mark); middle class children are more likely to have the knowledge and experiences that improve educational achievement (+1 mark).
Outline three functions that the education system performs for society (6 marks) November 2020
Social solidarity (1 mark); through the teaching of history and culture, school helps to create a shared sense of identity (+1 mark).
* Teaching specialist work skills (1 mark); in a society with a complex division of labour this helps to meet the needs of the economy (+1 mark).
* Secondary socialisation (1 mark); schools are focal socialising agencies teaching universalistic principles of behaviour to children (+1 mark).
* Role allocation (1 mark); selecting children for the most appropriate occupations based on meritocratic principles (+1 mark).
* To reproduce class inequality (1 mark); differences in cultural capital limits social mobility (+1 mark).
* To reproduce patriarchy (1 mark); processes such as labelling and differences in subject choice perpetuate gender inequality in society (+1 mark).
Outline two ways that the nature of capitalism may cause people to commit crime (4 marks) November 2021
- experiences of poverty or homelessness (1 mark); crime can be seen as an inevitable and rational response to wealth and income inequality (+1 mark)
- status frustration and feelings of alienation and powerlessness (1 mark); this may result in deviant subcultures forming to relieve these feelings through violence, gangs and drug dealing (+1 mark)
- capitalist cultures are becoming more individualistic (1 mark); this may cause some people to turn to crime in order to attain individualistic goals such as personal wealth (+1 mark)
- blocked opportunities to achieve materialistic goals of success (1 mark); the result of tensions and strain may lead some to turn to illegitimate ways to achieve these goals (+1 mark)
- feelings of relative deprivation (1 mark); the media have encouraged
consumerism by showing desirable lifestyles which may result in criminality (+1 mark).
Outline three reasons for gender differences in levels of recorded crime (6 marks) November 2021
women have fewer opportunities to commit crime (1 mark); due to patriarchal control at home and in the workplace (+1 mark)
* males are more likely to commit acts of violence (1 mark); because they are more likely to be socialised to be tough, aggressive and take risks (+1 mark)
* males commit more crime as a way of accomplishing a traditional form of masculinity (1 mark); men may see criminality as a demonstration of hegemonic masculinity in looking tough and macho (+1 mark)
* women are more likely to be treated leniently by the criminal justice system (1 mark); due to stereotypes and chivalry female, offences are less likely to be recorded (+1 mark)
* biological differences may result in men engaging in higher levels of violent crime (1 mark); this is because males have higher levels of testosterone which is linked to aggression (+1 mark)
* men are more likely to turn to crime as a result of being labelled as criminal (1 mark); men are portrayed by the media as more criminal and this may result in a self-fulfilling prophecy (+1 mark).
Outline two ways in which schools may promote competition between pupils (4 marks) June 2022
ranking pupils by ability (1 mark); tests and examinations emphasise individual achievement (+1 mark)
* setting, banding or streaming (1 mark); pupils are divided by perceived ability and compete to get into higher sets, bands or streams (+1 mark)
* pupils are encouraged to compete with each other for rewards (1 mark); through behaviour reward systems such as merits (+1 mark)
* the value placed on competitive teams (1 mark); pupils compete to be chosen for eg sports or quiz teams (+1 mark)
* school entrance exams or criteria (1 mark); creating competition for places at the desirable schools (+1 mark).
Outline three ways in which the education system may be seen as patriarchal (6 marks) June 2022
the curriculum can be seen as patriarchal (1 mark); there are more examples of males in some subject content (+1 mark)
* there may be bias in careers advice and/or in allocating work placements (1 mark); girls and boys may be encouraged to consider different career paths based on gender stereotypes (+1 mark)
* gendered subject images lead to boys taking higher status subjects (1 mark); girls do not take more prestigious subjects because of a male-dominated classroom environment (+1 mark)
* double standards (1 mark); teachers may give more of their time to boys (+1 mark)
* patriarchal hierarchies of power in schools (1 mark); males are more likely to be in senior positions in schools (+1 mark)
* the male gaze (1 mark); girls may be seen as sexual objects (+1 mark)
the use of assessment (1 mark); reduction of coursework could be perceived to be for the benefit of boys (+1 mark).
Outline two similarities between the functionalist and Marxist views of education (4 marks) June 2023
both see education as an agency of secondary socialisation (1 mark); for example functionalists argue that education teaches pupils norms and values (+1 mark)
* education has a selective role (1 mark); both theories see schools as a way of filtering people into different jobs (+1 mark)
* both are structural theories (1 mark); education is seen as a key social institution within a larger social system (+1 mark)
* both focus on inequality in educational outcomes (1 mark); the process of education teaches pupils that inequality is necessary (+1 mark)
* education performs an economic role (1 mark); students learn skills that may be needed in the workplace (+1 mark).
Outline three criticisms of marketisation policies in education (6 marks) June 2023
marketisation policies assume that league tables can measure school
performance (1 mark); league tables use a narrow range of data ignoring the wider context (+1 mark)
* assume competition between schools is desirable (1 mark); it may discourage cooperation between schools in an area (+1 mark)
* increased testing can have negative effects (1 mark); it can lead to labelling and the creation of self-fulfilling prophecies (+1 mark)
* marketisation policies may lead to unfair selection practices (1 mark); leads to less popular schools going into a spiral of decline which adversely affects their pupils (+1 mark)
* assume competition between schools creates a meritocracy (1 mark); middle- class parents can use their cultural capital to ensure their children succeed (+1 mark)
* fewer resources are available for supporting learning directly (1 mark); due to time and money spent on marketing and publicity (+1 mark).
Outline three criticisms of Marxist views of the role of education in capitalist society (6 marks) AS June 2023
Schools are meritocratic and do not discriminate against the working class (1 mark); according to functionalists, schools are meritocracies and so there is equality of opportunity (+1 mark).
* Labelling as opposed to capitalism is responsible for the pattern of achievement in schools (1 mark); interactionists argue that it is teacher labels and not capitalism that leads to underachievement (+1 mark).
* Government educational policies work to eliminate class inequality (1 mark); many government educational policies (Aim higher, pupil premium) are directed towards working class students in order to help them achieve (+1 mark).
* Some Marxists neglect the study of factors other than class (1 mark); factors such as gender and ethnicity may be under explained by Marxism (+1 mark).
* Linguistic deprivation and not capitalism is responsible for the pattern of working class achievement in schools (1 mark); theorists, such as Bernstein, suggest speech codes and not the needs of capitalism are key to understanding pupil achievement (+1 mark).
* Marxism is deterministic, leaves no room for free will (1 mark); some working class students do succeed and achieve at a high level (+1 mark)
Outline two ways in which globalisation may have had an influence on educational policies in the UK (4 marks)
involvement in international testing programmes such as PISA testing (1 mark);
allow international comparison of standards (+1 mark) • traditional subjects such as STEM / EBacc subjects are prioritised in the curriculum (1 mark); these subjects equip pupils with the skills required for the
global skills-based economy (+1 mark) • The UK has adopted marketisation / privatisation policies similar to those adopted in some other countries (1 mark); this has led to the emergence of global education companies involved in curriculum and assessment
development (+1 mark) • growth of the Internet offers new ways of accessing information and testing (1 mark); some schools have policies on home-based learning
(+1 mark).
Other relevant material should be credited.
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