Role & functions of the education system

Question 1

Outline the perspectives focused on in role of education

Answer 1

• Functionalism-a consensus approach-education benefits society as a whole
• Neoliberalism & new right-conservative free market approach
• Marxist-class conflict approach see education as a tool used to exploit WC
• Feminists-education reinforces patriarchy

Question 2

General Functionalist View on Education

Answer 2

> functions of society promotes value consensus & social solidarity, teaches key norms & values of education

Question 3

Functionalism & Education (Key Studies)

Answer 3

> Durkheim (Specialist skills & Social Solidarity)
Parsons (Universal values & Particularistic Values & Meritocracy)
Davis & Moore (Role Allocation)
Blau & Duncan (Human Capital)

Question 4

Durkheim (Specialist skills & Social Solidarity)
identified 2 main functions of education

Functionalists

Answer 4

> Functions of society-create social solidarity & teaching specialist skills

education system helps create social solidarity by transmitting societies culture
>e.g teaching nations shared history instills shared heritage & commitment

school is ‘society in miniature’ preparing us for wider society

> education teaches specialist skills for workplace preparation

Question 5

Parsons (Universalistic Values & Particularistic Values & Meritocracy)

Functionalists

Meritocracy-everyone given equal opportunities & individuals achieve rewards through own efforts-fair

Answer 5

> sees school as ‘focal socialising agent’ act as-bridge between family & wider society
needed because family & society operate on diff principles

> e.g in family child judged by particularistic standards-rules only apply to children
the childs status is ascribed in fam(fixed at birth)

> schools judge pupils on universalitistic standards e.g in society same laws apply to everyone
in schools -pupils judged by same standards-e.g all sit in same exam room

In school & wider society-persons status is achieved-pass or fail through own efforts

> Meritocratic allows for social mobility, anything possible with hard work all have an equal chance
Parsons-school prepares us to move from family to wider society -school & society based on meritcractic princuipesl

ignores inequality & racism?

Question 6

Davis & Moore (Role Allocation)

Functionalists

Answer 6

Schools perform function of selecting & allocating pupils based on academic merit

by assessing pupils abilities through aptitude testst schools help match pupils to jobs best suited to

> most able gain highest qualifications-highly rewarded positons

> Inequality necessary to motivate hard work encouraging to compete for them

Question 7

Blau & Duncan (Human Capital)

Functionalists

Answer 7

> Human capital is skills, talents, creativity, making us an economic asset to society

> Gives trained/flexible workforce. puts person in job, best suited to their ability, maximises talents & productivity.

Question 8

A03 Functionalism (Key Studies)

Answer 8

> Wrong (Interactionist)
Hargreaves
Marxists
Interactionists
New right-state education fails to prepare young ppl adequately for work

Question 9

A03 of Functionalists-marxists

Answer 9

Functionalsits see education instills shared values of society
marxists argue education in capitalist society only transmits ideology of rulling class

Question 10

A03 of functionalsits

Class divisions

Answer 10

Durkheim-education promotes social solidarity
however education can be divised -due to heirarchy of schools & universities-seperating social classes

Question 11

Wrong - A03 Functionalism (KS)

Answer 11

> functionalists have an Oversocialized view of people as passive puppets, accept everything taught e.g. some rebel

Question 12

Hargreaves - A03 Functionalism (KS)

Answer 12

> Education promotes competition & individualism rather than shared values

Question 13

What is the General Outlook of the Marxist Approach on Education?

Answer 13

> Marx see education based on class divisions & capitalist exploitation
Educatiobn Reproduces class inequality.
Legitimates class inequality.
Works in the interests of capitalist employers

Question 14

Outline 4 Key Marxist Thikers & what they advocate?

Answer 14

> Althusser: (Ideological State Apparatus, Reproduction and Legitimation of Inequality)
Bowles and Ginits (Correspondence Principle)
Hidden Curriculum
Willis (Anti-School Subcultures)

Question 15

Outline Althussers Ideological state apparatus & Repressive state apparatus

Marxist

two states that serve power of bourgeoisie

Answer 15

• Repressive state apparatuses(RSAs)- maintains rule of bourgeoisie by force RSA’s include police,courts -use physical force to repress WC
• The ideological state apparatus-maintains rule of bourgeoise by controlling ppls ideas, values & beliefs e.g through religion,media
• Schools part of Ideological State Apparatus, brainwash WC into accepting exploitation
• Spreading dominant ideology of capitalism.
• Thus instilling belief it’s normal to prevent revolution

Question 16

Explain Althusser’s Ideas of the Legitimation of Social Inequality through Education?

Marxist

Answer 16

> Money decides how good an education you get, but people don’t realize as schools spread the ‘myth of meritocracy.’
If we fail, we believe it is our own fault, as we feel system is fair when in reality it’s not
Thus have effect of controlling working class, as kids grow up believing they had fair chance they’re less likely to rebel and create a revolution.

Question 17

Explain Bowles and Ginits: Correspondence Principle

Marxist

Answer 17

correspondance principle- education mirrors workplace
prepare WC for manual jobs.
role of education system-reproduce obedient workforce that accepts inequality is inevitable
from own study on high school students found-schools reward personality triats of
submissive compliant worker
students-showed indepedence-gained low marks
students-showed obedience-high marks
conclude schooling helps produce obedient workforce for capitalist needs

Question 18

Bowles & Gintis-hidden curriculum

Marxist

Answer 18

• schools & workplace-hierarchies , headteachers make decisons & orders
• workers/pupils obey
• Bowles & Gintis argue correspondance principle operates through hidden curriculum
• hidden curriculum-‘lessons’ in school not directly taught e.g
• Respecting Authority
  >Punctuality
  >Competition
  >Having a ‘work ethic’
• e.g pupils accustomed to accept hierarchy & competition

Question 19

Explain the idea of Fragmentation in relation to the Correspondence Principle

Answer 19

> Only teach you a little bit of everything at school - same as the workplace

> Where employees only taught a little bit about company as employers fearful if they tell them too much, they’ll take advantage and set up competition against them.

Question 20

The myth of meritocracy:The legitimisation of class inequality

Bowles & Gintis-Marxist

Answer 20

Bowles & Gintis -education produces ideologies to justify inequality is fair & inevitable
Bowles & Gintis describe education promotoes ‘myth of meritocracy’
argue meritocracy does not exist(challeneg functionalists)
the myth of meritocracy-serves to justify priveledges of higher classes -make it seem that gained success through competiton at school
helps persuade WC to accept inequality -less likely to overtthrow capitalism

Question 21

What is meritocracy

Answer 21

everyone has equal opportunity to achieve rewards based on ability & effort (merit)

Question 22

Define the Marxist idea of the Hidden Curriculum

Marxist

Answer 22

Things pupils learn informally from going school to instil correct attitudes needed for work in capitalist system

Question 23

Explain Willis’s Study of the Lads Anti-School Subcultures

Marxist

Willis looks into how school serves capitalism examing how WC reists ways

Answer 23

> examine group of 12 WC boys

> the boys rebelled against school

> Develop delinquent attitudes against academic aims, of a school. e.g. disrupting classes

> rejected schools meritocratic ideology that WC can achieve MC jobs

> Desired manual work, believed it was proper work.

Question 24

What values did the Lads in Willis Study have?

Marxist

Answer 24

Lads felt superior to teachers and other pupils
Didn’t care about work, more to ‘having a laff’
Tried to bunk as many lessons as possible to get status in the group

Question 25

How is Willis Study of the Lads’ attitudes Ironic- to Willis

Marxist

Answer 25

Irony is by resisting school’s ideology, being part of an anti-school subculture guarantees they’ll fail, ending up in manual work, working in favour of capitalism.

Question 26

A03 Marxism Sociologists

Answer 26

> Postmodernist
Radical Feminism
Giroux (Neo Marxist

Extra:
marx Exaggerate effect education system has on WC achievement
Say Government policies e.g. comprehensives improved opportunities for WC

Question 27

How does the Postmodernist undermine Marxist Theories of Education (AO3)

Answer 27

Marxism is outdated, correspondence principles no longer operates
the school now produces different labour force with more diversity & choice
Education’s responsive to the needs of individuals, workplace no longer needs passive workers.
It needs creative workforce able to use technology.

Question 28

How does Radical Feminism undermine Marxist Theories of Education (AO3)

Answer 28

RD-education system reproduces patriarchy
RD see society patriarchal who view women as subject to their laws & social norms.
education as a tool perpetuates differences through enforcing strict, inflexible gender roles.

some RD believe in the superiority of women, espousing an overthrow of the current system.

Question 29

How does Giroux (Neo Marxist) undermine Marxist Theories of Education (AO3)

Answer 29

Don’t believe WC are passive robots to employers, and accept everything they’re taught
So not entirely moulded by capitalist system
Believes theories e.g. correspondence principle are too deterministic.
Existence of anti-school subcultures, Truancy and Exclusion show hidden curriculum and correspondence principle has failed.

Question 30

Outline a Key New Right Thinker and what they advocate?

Answer 30

> Chubb and Moe (Voucher System)

Question 31

Outline Neoliberalism & New Right Perspective on education

Answer 31

The New Right ( neo-liberals) believe that governments should play a lesser role in areas such as education and allow market forces to play a greater role.

The New Right believes private enterprise based on competition between businesses is the most efficient way to run any service.
believe that services run by the state tend to be inefficient because, without competition, the service producers have less incentive to work hard.

Competition

believe that, because there are no customers paying for the service, state education is unresponsive to its customers.
believe that competition is essential to raise standards and higher standards will create a more educated workforce that can better contribute to the economy.

Changes

They believe that the main purpose of education is to train a workforce, so there should be a greater emphasis on vocational training.

Influences UK

The New Right influence on education policy in the UK:
Allowing schools to be run more independently (e.g. academies and free schools).
Wider parental choice & competition between schools (e.g. league tables and marketing).

Question 32

What two things does New Right believe in?

Answer 32

Marketisation and Parentocracy

Question 33

What is the problem with state running of Education according to New Right?

Answer 33

> State can’t meet people’s needs.

> Education inevitably ends up as ‘1 size fits all’ not meeting individual and community needs, or need for employers to have skilled workers.

> State Run - Schools with bad results aren’t answerable to consumers, result is lower standards and unqualified workforce.

Question 34

Define Marketisation of Education

Answer 34

Process of introducing market forces of consumer choice and competition into education system.

Question 35

What happens in Marketisation of Education?

Answer 35

> Schools run like business, competing for pupils.

> Rather than pupils going school in local catchment area.

> Schools that get most pupils will get extra funding.

Question 36

What are the Benefits of Marketisation of Education?

Answer 36

> Schools are answerable to parents, as they have to be more efficient as they’re competing with other schools.

> Introduction of League Table and Ofsted Report give parents more info to choose right school and provides incentive, for schools to work harder.

Question 37

What were Chubb and Moe’s findings in relation to Education?

New right perspective

Answer 37

> Stats show children from working class families do better in private schools, so state education, not meritocratic.

> Parents can’t do anything about failing schools, controlled by state.

> Private Schools have better quality education as they’re answerable to paying customers.

Question 38

What did Chubb and Moe propose the intro of?

New Right persective

Answer 38

> So they proposed intro of a voucher system, giving control to parents, where each family will be given voucher to buy education from school of their choice.

Question 39

What is the benefits of the Voucher System?

New right perspective

Answer 39

Vouchers are the school’s only source of income, incentivising them to provide quality education.

Question 40

Explain the Limited of Role of the State in Education, what should do they still be responsible for, according to New Right?

New right perspective

Answer 40

> Commissions Educational Services putting them up for contract and deciding which private bidder gets the contract.

> Set targets and monitor performance to ensure private providers meet certain standards e.g. Ofsted inspections

> Set National Curriculum all schools must teach

Question 41

How do Functionalist and New Right views on Education compare?

Answer 41

> Believe some people are naturally more talented than others

> Agree education should be run on meritocratic principles of open competition.

> And education should socialise pupils into shared values and provide a sense of national identity.

Question 42

Outline the Criticisms of the New Right view of Education?

Answer 42

> Gewirtz: competition between schools benefit MC who can use cultural & economic capital to gain access to desirable schools

> argue cause of Low Educational Standards, due to inadequate funding of state school, not state running

> Marxist argue education, imposes values of ruling class, not shared national identity

> National Curriculum too ethnocentric and restrictive on teachers and schools