Role Of Education Flashcards
What do Functionalists believe about the role of education?
- Schools promote a consensual society by socialising children into the majority’s norms and values
- Integrates young people into their roles as workers
- Promotes a sense of ‘national identity’
- Meets the economic needs of society by creating skilled and hard working future generations
- Allocates roles for people according to their ability
What do Marxists believe about the Role of Education?
- It works against the least advantaged, makes them accept their subordinate position
- Taught the norms and values of the ruling class through the ‘hidden curriculum’
What do Feminists believe about the role of education?
- Reinforces patriarchy through the hidden curriculum
- Traditional gender roles reinforced through subjects, resources and expectations/attitudes
How is social solidarity important to education?
- Its a feeling of unity and belonging based on shared beliefs
- Education through teaching of history and national values is valuable as it encourages young people to take pride in their country and its culture
Why is education considered the main secondary socialisation?
- Acts as a bridge for young people between childhood and work
- Teaches children universalistic values and increasingly assesses them through exams etc
Explain individual achievement and equality in education
- Teaches individual achievement through competing with others and rewarded with praise from teachers
- Education reflects the values of American society based on a belief of ‘equality of opportunity’ that everyone has an equal chance of success
- Teaches role allocation and meritocracy
How does cultural capital help in education?
Schools are purposefully set up to only value middle class and ruling class values This gives the middle class an inbuilt advantage in education
According to Althusser what are the two main functions of the education system?
- reproduction of the skills necessary for an efficient labour force
- reproduction of the ruling class ideology
How does education reinforce capitalist ideology?
By teaching capitalist ideologies through the hidden curriculum it reproduces the attitudes and behaviour required by the majority in the workplace
What is the Correspondence Theory?
There is a close correspondence between the social relationships in the classroom and in the workplace. This is essential for social reproduction, reproduction of new generations of workers appropriately schooled to accept their roles in capitalist society
How can school be linked to the workplace?
Hierarchies, teachers give orders pupils should obey. Pupils have little control over their work/curriculum like the lack of control they’ll have in the workplace. Reward obedience and discourage independence. Motivated by qualifications like they’ll be motivated by pay, reproduces labour power from one generation to the next.
How can social inequality be linked to education?
Bowles and Gintis
- Meritocracy is a myth
- Not based on merit but on social background
- The higher a persons class the more likely they are to receive high qualifications and a top job
Why is compulsory education so long?
Bowles and Gintis
- Takes time to get children used to accepting boredom and doing as they are told
- Helps capitalists have more skilled workers then there are jobs available to create competition
What is the Social Democratic Approach to Education?
- Want to shape government policy to ensure everyone has an equal chance of success
- Education is failing to provide equality of opportunity
- Follow some Marxist ideas but believe equality can be possible within a capitalist society
- Education should be developed and expanded for future generations
- No more wastage of ability, economic growth
What are criticisms to the Social Democratic approach?
- Marxists argue they aren’t radical enough and only tinkering with they system won’t being about genuine equality
- New Right argue you cant link spending in Education to rising of standards
