Role And Function Of The Education System

Question 1

What is the functionalists perspective of the education system?

Answer 1

Functionalists take a positive view arguing that education benefits the individual and wider society
Helps maintain a values consensus
Education system is meritocratic

Question 2

What are the 5 functions of education?

Answer 2

1.secondary socialisation
2.social solidarity
3.focal socialising agency
4.specialist skills
5.role allocation

Question 3

Who talks about secondary socialisation and what is it ?

Answer 3

Parsons
Schools are places of secondary socialisation-learning norms and values beyond the family e.g queuing up for dinner in the canteen
This helps to create social cohesion
Teaches our first instrumental relationships- those based on getting something from them
Deferred gratification- waiting for rewards
Meritocracy- everyone is judged on ability and work ethic

Question 4

Why are feminists critical of the functionalists claim that schools teach norms and values that benefit everyone?

Answer 4

Feminists argue that schools pass on patriarchal values which disadvantage girls and women
Radical feminists claim that girls face the male gaze

Question 5

According to Marxists what do functionalists fail to recognise in secondary socialisation?

Answer 5

Marxists argue that ppl aren’t puppets of the system and argues that functionalists fail to recognise that pupils may reject the values that education attempts to pass to them.

Question 6

What did Durkheim argue education encourages?

Answer 6

Argues that education encourages a sense of social solidarity
Education helps to make sure that students are intergrated fully into society creating value consensus
E.g. in USA children pledge allegiance to the flag

Question 7

Why does bourdieu disagree with the functionalist view that schools teach the culture of society as a whole ?

Answer 7

Bourdieu claims that schools are middle class institutions teaching middle class culture
Working class children suffer symbolic violence in schools as their culture is belittled

Question 8

Who says that schools are a focal socialising agent and what does it do?

Answer 8

Parsons says that schools a focal socialising agent acting as a bridge between the family and wider society
In the family children are judged by particularistic standards-they’re treated as special individuals ascribed status
In wider society they’re judged by universalistic standards-same standards apply to everyone achieved status
Wider society is meritocratic and ppl earn their status, schools bridge the gap by teaching universalistic standards

Question 9

Why do Marxists Bowles and gintis disagree with the functionalist theories and the idea of meritocracy?

Answer 9

Meritocracy is a myth a students social class background determines their educational success not their effort or ability
Working class children do less well due to lack of cultural capital- a particular set of tastes,values, interests and knowledge which lead to material rewards

Question 10

Who talks about specialist skills ?

Answer 10

Durkheim argues that schools teach students specialist skills for work schools provide a range of qualifications which gradually become more specialised
This is good for the economy as there are so many jobs requiring different specialists
The gov introduced vocational education where students learn job specific knowledge and skills e.g. BTEC hairdressing,childcare

Question 11

What are two criticisms of functionalists theories and the transmission of specialist skills

Answer 11

Employers often complain that schools don’t prepare enough
Vocational courses such as BTEC are seen as lower skilled courses in school Marxists argue that wc are channelled into vocational courses ending up in low paid jobs

Question 12

Who talks about role allocation and what is it?

Answer 12

Davis and Moore argue that education sifts and sorts students into their future jobs through assessments- role allocation
E.g. someone who does well in hairdressing will become a hair dresser someone who does well in biology will become a doctor
Role allocation makes sure the most talented and qualified get the most important jobs
It’s fair as school is meritocratic and there is equality of opportunity

Question 13

Why are Marxists critical of role allocation?

Answer 13

Arguing that there isn’t equality of opportunity in education

Question 14

Why are feminsts critical of role allocation?

Answer 14

Argue that girls role allocation is determined by patriarchy and girls are socialised into taking stereotypically feminine subjects

Question 15

What services do new liberals/new right argue shouldn’t be provided by the state?

Answer 15

Health,welfare and education
The value of education is judged on how well it enables the country to compete in a global market place

Question 16

What do new right argue that the problem with education is?

Answer 16

They believe the education system should be controlled like businesses and not by the state
They have currently been run by bureaucracies which are accountable to elected politicians called LEAS in the uk- local education authorities

Question 17

What does tulloch argue that happens due to such organisations such as LEAS?

Answer 17

Producer capture takes place-those who produce it are in control rather than those who consume it
He argues that teachers want to increase expenditure on education so their jobs become more secure as a result expenditure increases but standards don’t

Question 18

How do brown and Lauder criticise new right approach of schools being run as businesses?

Answer 18

The reason of producer capture are an excuse to cut costs this will have a negative impact on educational achievement especially in disadvantage areas where there is no money to provide extra support

Question 19

What is new rights solution to increased expenditure and low standards?

Answer 19

Schools should be run like a business and parents should have a choice in the school they send their child to- marketisation
Market forces of supply and demand based on competition and consumer choice
E.g. open days, prospectus
This creates competition and NR believe this will increase standards as only the best schools will attract parents

Question 20

Why is it a weakness of marketisation is it turned schools into exam factories?

Answer 20

All the focus is on grades which can have a negative impact on students in recent years a. Lot of students have been suffering with depression and anxiety

Question 21

Why is it a weakness of marketisation if it has led to an A-C economy and who talks about this ?

Answer 21

Gillborn and youdell argue that students who have no chance of achieving a C or above are labelled as hopeless cases and given little or no support because their grades wont contribute to the image of the school the students tend to be from WC

Question 22

What is another solution to increased standards in school according to NR other than marketisation?

Answer 22

Parentocracy- parents should be able to shop around and make a choice for the right school for their child

Question 23

What is the voucher system and who proposed it?

Answer 23

Chubb and moe argues that all students should be given vouchers worth certain amounts of money to offer to their school of choice so every school has to work hard to improve teaching and exam results to appeal to new students this means all students leave school with better exam results

Question 24

Which Marxists critique the idea of parentocracy ?

Answer 24

Gerwitz and ball- parentocracy is a myth only mc have greater choice because they have educational capital they can also move into catchment areas “selection by mortgage”

Question 25

What is another solution to increased standards in school according to NR except privatisation and marketisation ?

Answer 25

Privatisation-taking state funded education out of state control and into the hands of private companies e.g. exam boards like aqa are private businesses they make profit from schools entering students for their exams

Question 26

What is a criticism of NR theories and the involvement of private companies ?

Answer 26

Education has become a multi million pound business where companies compete for customers e.g. schools will choose exam boards which lead to better grades as they are evaltued on their league table performance thus they may choose the easier options rather than increasing standards

Question 27

What judgement frameworks are there according to NR?

Answer 27

Ofsted,league tables, SATs

Question 28

What are criticisms of NR theories and the idea of imposed judgement frameworks ?

Answer 28

This still means that the state is still deciding what a good education looks like therefore not a real choice or free market e.g. summerheill a school founded on liberal perspectives and no compulsion to attend was failed by ofsted but as it was a popoluar choice the school won the court case and reopened These methods of judgement may be used for political gains e.g failing a state school so it becomes an academy

Question 29

How do NR wants to transmit a shared culture?

Answer 29

They want to transmit a shared culture through the national curriculum They want schools to teach British values through subjects such as history,religious studies with an emphasis on a single set of values and a move away from multiculturalism

Question 30

Why is does it seem contradictory as the NR want to impose a shared culture ?

Answer 30

There’s an emphasis on letting schools give the education that parents choose Marxists argue that through this other cultures are devalued

Question 31

what do the Marxists say about education ?

Answer 31

Schools prepare working class children for boring,repetitive labour while middle class children are encouraged to aim for higher levels of education and professional jobs thus wc remain poor and disadvantaged whilst the middle classes prosper

Question 32

Why do functionalists criticise the Marxists theory and their belief that schooling is negative?

Answer 32

Functionalists would disagree with the view that schooling is negative

Question 33

Who argues that the education system supports capitalism and in what 3 ways?

Answer 33

Bowles and gintis : 1.myth of meritocracy 2.hidden curriculum 3.correspondence principle

Question 34

What is the myth of meritocracy ?

Answer 34

The education. System isn’t meritocratic students don’t have an equal chance of success Achievement is determined by the students social class not ability

Question 35

What are criticisms of B&G Marxists theory?

Answer 35

Functionalists + new right perspective disagree as the grades students achieve are down to hard work so there is equality of opportunity

Question 36

What is the hidden curriculum ?

Answer 36

Attitudes and expectations that are taught informally and isn’t part of the formal curriculum e.g. being obedient This helps reproduce the capitalist system as students take these attitudes when they leave school to become obedient workers E.g. punctuality

Question 37

How do post fordists criticise the hidden curriculum?

Answer 37

Argue that their view is outdated as we now live in a society where we work at high levels on more specialised goods therefore students need a range of skills

Question 38

How does Reynolds criticise the hidden curriculum ?

Answer 38

Argues that the humanities produce critical thinkers there seems to be a lack of correspondence where the formal curriculum is concerned

Question 39

What is the correspondence principle ?

Answer 39

The idea that schools mirrors the world of work Bowles and gintis argue that school is preparing students for future roles at work WC- low paid jobs MC- encouraged to think of their futures as the owners of the means of production with high paid jobs

Question 40

How does Tomlinson agree with the correspondence principle ?

Answer 40

Argues that students simply learn for the examination and are taught to be non critical This theory can be applied to fordists production line where work is mundane repetitative so workers feel alienated

Question 41

who talks about the working class habitas and what is it?

Answer 41

Bourdieu- argues the main role of education. Is to reproduce the class structure The MC habitus gives them an advantage as they have been socialised at home into middle class ideas and values ‘symbolic capital” Wc habitus is seen as inferior “symbolic violence” so they’re forced to learn MC values which disencourages them to apply to uni

Question 42

What is the ideological state apparatus and who talks about it?

Answer 42

Althusser- an institution which spreads ruling class beleifs, ideas and values schools persuade students to accept capitalist values and beliefs such as being rewarded for hard work and obeying Schools keep wc in a state of false class consciousness

Question 43

What are althussers ideas?

Answer 43

Too deterministic

Question 44

How does friere support Althusser ideological state apparatus ?

Answer 44

Argues that education plays an important role in producing the hegemonic control of the ruiling class

Question 45

Who studied the lads and what is this?

Answer 45

Willis- studied 12 WC boys who formed an anti school subculture the lads rejected school Therefore he concluded that schools don’t directly prepare an obediant work force

Question 46

Why is a small sample in the lads. Bad?

Answer 46

Can’t be representative of other schools

Question 47

Why do feminsts disagree with the fact that education reproduces capitalism?

Answer 47

It reproduces the partiarchal ideology male dominance Radical feminists male gaze

Question 48

How do morrow and Torres criticise Marxists for focusing too much on social class?

Answer 48

They argue that society is more diverse and ethnicity,sexuality and gender are just as important Sociologists must seek to understand how education reinforces and legitimises all forms of inequality and how different forms of inequality are interrelated

Question 49

How does Mirza criticise morrow and Torres?

Answer 49

Mirza says however class is still the most important factor

Question 50

How is the patriarchy a problem in education?

Answer 50

Boys may still gain the most attention Gordon- found teachers preferred teaching boys Best found that steryotypes existed in primary school readings scheme e.g. female characters were largely found in the domestic sphere

Question 51

Criticism of patriarchy?

Answer 51

Girls are still performing higher than boys in education

Question 52

Who did a study on the male gaze?

Answer 52

Archer study of the underachievement of WC girls in year 10,11 in London schools Found that girls main priority was to look good the girls gained status from dressing in a ‘sexy Nike’ appearance The girls would get into trouble daily radicla feminsts say its a result of the male gaze

Question 53

Criticism of archers study of the male gaze ?

Answer 53

Feminisation of. Education girls feel more in place than boys now

Question 54

How does peer pressure affect education?

Answer 54

Students face negative informal sanctions for behaviour judged to be different from what is seen as normal for boys and girls E.g girls are scared to be seen as lesbians if they play rugby or boy sports Or boys being gay taking drama Archers study found girls judged and monitored each others behaviour and therefore maintained control over their friends action

Question 55

How do post modernists critise peer pressure?

Answer 55

Post modernists argue that pupils have a choice over the levels of femininity and masculinity they can portray

Question 56

How do gendered subject choice affect education ?

Answer 56

Females tend to choose tradiontally female subjects e.g. health and social care avoiding subjects like physics This is largely due to primary socialisation at home where from a young age we are socialised into our gender identities -roger and duffield

Question 57

What programmes criticise this?

Answer 57

GIST girls into science and tech WISE women into science and engineering

Question 58

Why do social democrats want equality of opportunity in education?

Answer 58

They want a level playing field so everyone has an equal chance to succeed

Question 59

Why do the social democrats want positive discrimination ?

Answer 59

They argue that the government should target students from disadvantaged backgrounds and provide extra support in schools e..g revision sessions, free school meals and breakfast clubs However students might not take it due to the stigma around it

Question 60

What does Dewey argue about the role of education? Liberal perspectives

Answer 60

Dewey argues that the role of education is to help students develop their full potential he supports progressive teaching where students learn through experience and become free and critical thinkers

Question 61

What does Schultz argue about capital investment -liberal perspective?

Answer 61

Schultz argues that capital investment in humans could have the same effects as investment in machinery if more is spent on education and individuals are helped to reach their full potential productivity would increase and the extra money would soon be repaid by extra contribution made to the economy

Question 62

Why does illich believe in de schooling liberal perspective?

Answer 62

The idea that we should get rid of mainstream schools instead we should allow students to guide their own learning mainstream schools are no good cause they turn studnets into mindless consumers who are just spoons fed e..g summerhill

Question 63

What does the postmodern society place importance on?

Answer 63

Place an importance on individualism and education has become increasingly individualised- tailored to the needs and demands of individuals e.g. open university

Question 64

What are the criticism of postmodernism individualism?

Answer 64

Gender,class and ethnicity still matter postmodern ideas about education fail to explain why there are inequalities in educational achievement

Question 65

What do postmodernists say about education and technology ? And usher

Answer 65

Usher et al states that schools are increasingly focusing on individuals learning styles,using the new forms of tech e.g. iPads ,interactive whiteboards

Question 66

What does usher postmodernists say about education and choice?

Answer 66

Usher argues that postmodern society is characterised by choice and the education system now offers many different types of schools including faith schools,academies, specialist schools and free schools Parents are able to shop around for the best schools- education has become part of our consumption patterns There’s a growth of active consumption Taylor argues that studnets are changing they’re consumer orientated they want instant gratification they want entertaining

Question 67

How does apple criticise choice and education postmodernist?

Answer 67

Apple criticises the modernists for suggesting that everyone has a choice over the schools they attend or knowledge they learn the more money you have the more choice you have Gov still exercise control over what knowledge is important and there has been an increase in business than arts apple argues that money is only useful if it can contribute to making money

Question 68

How does globalisation affect education according to postmodernists?

Answer 68

Globalisation is the growing interconnectedness of countries all over the world as a result politicans and education specialists are learning more about education styles in other countries and trying these out in the uk e.g introducing Swedish style free schools that are free from state control IT skills are becoming more important

Question 69

Criticism of postmodernists and globalisation?

Answer 69

Governments may still seek to use education to implement a sense of value consensus and social solidarity rather than being part of a globalised society

Question 70

Post fordists about moving out of a fordist economy ?

Answer 70

Ford discovered that a moving assembly line reduced the cost of making motor cars,therefore there was a need for workers that were basically trained and learnt the same information the education reform act brought by the conservatives in 1988 appeared to have a number of fordists elements

Question 71

What is the post fordists economy ?

Answer 71

Is a belief that schools should train highly skilled workers to compete in the global economy therefore the education system should focus on quality not quantity The only way to compete against upcoming economies such as India and japan is to manufacture specialist skills Therefore the education system needs to produce highly skilled and specialist students this also meant that students needed to stay in education for longer and gaining higher level qualifications

Question 72

Brown and Lauder what do they say about post fordists economy ?

Answer 72

Brown and Lauder are sympathetic to the ideas put forward by post fordism i.e that companies see profits through high quality goods/services consumers have rapidly changing tastes economic success requires a highly skilled highly educated and flexible labour force lifelong training is necessary as rapid technological change makes existing skills out of date

Question 73

What are some a03 of the post fordists economy?

Answer 73

There is evidence to suggest that there are still significant differences in terms of class,gender and ethnicity which students become specialised It is debatable that although academic degrees are popular,high level apprenticeship - which would best suit a post fordists economy New labour are no longer in gov and there is evidence to suggest that the present conservative governemt want to place more younger people in training and apprenticeships that are lower levels to compete globally