Role of Education in Society Flashcards
What is functionalism?
Society is a system based on independent parts held together by a shared culture or value consensus
Which sociologist argues about social solidarity?
Durkheim
What is Social Solidarity?
The educational system meets a functional pre-request of society by passing on the cultural and values of society school acts as society as a miniture
What is an example of social solidarity ?
Teaching of a country’s history instils in children a sense of shared heritage
Which sociologist describes school as a bridge between family and society?
Parsons
What are particularistic values?
Values and Rules which only apply to that particular person in a given situation eg.Home
What are Universalistic values?
Values and rules which apply to all members of society equally
What is Parson’s idea about the education system creating a bridge between family and society?
Schools provide a link between the family and wider society which allows students to move from (particularistic values) the ascribed status (what child they are in the family/sex) to the meritocratic and universalistic values and wider society as their status is achieved
What sociologists talk about human capital?
Blau and Duncan
What is Human Capital as a role of education?
An economy depends on using its ‘human capital’ its workers skills, a meritocratic education system does this best as it allows each person to allocated to best allocated to their job based on their ability
Which sociologists explained the Role Allocation function of education?
Davis and Moore
What is the function of Role Allocation?
The education system is meritocratic meaning that the most able people get the most important roles in society(would be dangerous for a less able person to take up this role) not everyone is equality talented so these jobs are highly rewarded compared to lower skilled jobs this creating inequalities
Functionalist evaluation
Equal opportunity
There is ample evidence that equal opportunity does exist achievement is greatly influenced by class background rather than achievement
Functionalist evaluation-
Tumin
criticises Davis and Moore’s argument for putting forward a circular argument. How do we know a job is important? because it is highly rewarded. Why are jobs highly rewarded? because they are important
Functionalist evaluation
Marxist criticism
Functionalist believe that education instils the views of society as a whole but Marxists would say that education in a capitalist society only transmits the ideology of the minority- the ruling class
Functionalist evaluation-
Intrractionalist Wrong
Wrong arhues that functionalists have an oversocialised view of people as mere puppets of society. Functionalists imply that students passively accept all they are taught and nver reject the school’s valued
Neoliberals and the New Right
The educatipn systems fails to adequately prepare young people for wolrk
What are similarities between the New Right and the functionalist view point?
- Both believe that some people are naturally more talneted than others
- Both favour an education system ran on meritocratic principle of open competion and it serves the needs of the economy by preparing people for work
- The education system should socialise pupils into shared values such as competion and instill a sense of national identity
What does the New Right Perspectuve argue about education?
The marketisation of education- Creating an ‘educational market’ so there will be increased competion between schools and parents act as the consumers so the schools will raise standards in order to meets the needs of pupils,parents and employers
Why do Chubb and Moe argue that rhe state-run education in the US has failed?
It has not created equal opportunity and failed the needs of disadvantaged groups and private schools deliver much more higher qulaity education as they are unanswerable to fee paying parents
What were Chubb and Moe’s study and findings?
Comparison of acheivement of 60000 students from 1015 state schools and private school finding that pupils from low income families do 5% better in private schools than state schools
What is Chubb and Moe’s consumer choice arguement?
Adding a market to state education
A family would be given a voucher to buy education from a schools of their choice which would force school to become more responsive to parent’s wishes sicne the vouchers would the school’s primary source of income thus increasing educational standards
What does the New Right Perspective say are the 2 roles of education for the state?
- Imposes a framework on schools within which they have to compete for example by providing ofted and league tables of schools’ exam results this gives parents information to make more informed descisions
2.The state ensures that schools transmit a shared culture by imposing a single national curriculem meaning that children are socialised into a single cultural heritage
What introduced league tables?
The 1988 education reform act
Evaluation of New Right perspective
Gewirtz and Ball
Gewirtz and Ball argue that competion between schools benefit the middle class as they can use their economic can cultural capital to access more desirable schools
New Right Evaluation
Cause of low educational standards
The cause of low educational standards are due to social inequality and inadequate funding of state schools
New Right Evaluation
Marxist critiscm
Education does not impose a shared national culture but imposes the culture of a dominant ruling class and devalues the culture of the working class and ethnic minorities
