role of the education system Flashcards
functionalists, marxists and postmodernists
functionalism
- view positive side of education system
- idea that society is made up of different parts working together for it to function
- two main things vital for society to function (shared culture + shared values)
- education is an important agency of secondary socialisation
- education preps people for adult life in a society that is always changing
- human capital theory (economic theory, investment in humans by education is like investment in new machinery)
durkheim’s ideas
- education passes down core values gen->gen
- education as a society in miniature
- education provides skills needed for the future workplace
- view of education linked to human capital theory
who agrees with durkheim? who does not agree?
agree -
New Right - human capital theory, education system being meritocratic (wants more competition though)
disagree -
Coard - curriculum being ethnocentric (favours one culture more than others e.g History)
Hargreaves - school encourages competition not cooperation, social solidarity
Marxists - education only benefitting r/c, not entire society
parson’s ideas
- school being a focal socialising agency (bridge between family and wider society to prep people for adult life)
- in family, child can be judged by particularistic standards, status ascribed
- in wider society, people can be judged by universalistic principles, status achieved + earned (meritocracy)
- things like exams provide universalistic standards (rules for all) + teaches people working hard will give you better opportunities (meritocracy makes system fair)
who agrees with parson’s? who does not agree?
agree -
Green - shared norms, values are needed more in a culturally diverse society and school plays a part in this
disagree -
Marxists - Bowles and Gintis - think he is ignoring inequalities in system as it benefits some (m/c) more than others (w/c)
davis and moore’s ideas
- role allocation (sorting people out into jobs that are suitable for them according to their talents and abilities - exams)
- school is for competition, a race for success
- inequality needed for people to work even harder, all deserve the position they are given
educational success (exams) determines the job you get, amount of reward - better exam scores = good job, good reward = ‘fair’, meritocratic
who agrees with davis and moore? who does not agree?
disagree -
marxists - education system is not meritocratic, only benefits ruling class not everyone
Reay + Archer - lots of evidence shows inequality ruins the chances of people being judged equally, fair = differences in attainment between social groups
who agrees with functionalists? who does not agree?
disagree -
Conflict sociologists - F only look at benefits of education, ignore inequality
Marxists - education is not universally beneficial, benefits ruling class, w/c accept their position = more inequality
Feminists - F ignore influence of gender, discriminate girls + women by patriarchal education system
Interactionists - F view people as just puppets of society which is not true, some are passive, actively rebel, reject values of school
New Right - not enough competition in the education system for people to work harder enough to prep for adult life
marxism
- ideas based on Karl Marx (german philosopher)
- view negative side of education system, reproduces inequality
- bourgeoisie (r/c), proletariat (w/c)
- capitalism (economic system where businesses are privately owned, run using wage labour + for profit)
- education system trains w/c accept their position, be obedient so they get jobs benefiting economy (false class consciousness)
- school is a method for social control , reproducing social class inequalities
althusser’s ideas
education in capitalist society is meant to make w/c be more obedient, work harder (interests r/c)
- two aspects (reproduction of necessary technical skills, reproduction of ruling class ideology)
- reproduction of r/c ideology can be done by repressive state apparatus but isn’t enough force so ideological state apparatus is better = convinces w/c to stay in their place in a nice way = false class consciousness -> hidden curriculum
- r/c ideology is transmitted in education system
- sees people as cultural dopes and puppets in society
who agrees with althusser? who does not agree?
disagree -
elliot - wonders if althusser’s beliefs are true and ideological struggles
functionalists - believe that passing down a shared culture isn’t bad, value consensus, school is a focal socialising agency - durkheim, parsons
illich, freire and who agrees with them?
Illich -
schools are repressive + show conformity (rules), encourage accepting inequalities, control of r/c, rewards those who listen
Freire -
agrees school is repressive, kids learn to accept domination + subordination
Both believe education system is vital in that it produces hegemony (dominance of r/c) , hegemonic control (convince rest of society superiority of r/c)
Functionalists agree system is repressive but encourages conformity - see that as positive function of system (social solidarity - Durkheim)
bourdieu’s ideas
- each social class has their own culture (habitus, to live) that comes from primary but later secondary socialisation
- r/c has the power to pass on their own habitus on education system not culture of society as a whole - disadvantages w/c as they have less access to this habitus
- found 4 forms of capital which r/c have all, w/c can have one :
- economic - wealth, income (priv ed, getting a house near school, tutors)
- social - connections with those who can give advice, play with the system, provide work experience/partnerships
- symbolic - possess honour, reputation e.g aristocracy (titles inherited) - raises expectations, status of kids boosting their confidence so they think the belong in places like Oxbridge
- cultural - manners, interests, tastes, language - involves ‘high culture’ (ballet, opera, theatre)
bourdieu’s ideas
- having these forms of capitals = educational success, needed for social reproduction for inequality to be passed on
- it appears as though all get what they deserve when actually only r/c benefit from system (false class consciousness)
- lower class don’t have much cultural capital = likely for educational failure
who agrees with bourdieu? who does not agree?
Disagree -
Functionalists - education system doesn’t reproduce inequality, m/c don’t have an advantage (meritocracy = role allocation to get involved in social division of labour)
Other Marxists - B ignores impact of capitalism, focuses too much on cultural oppression and economic oppression
Sullivan - think his theory lacks evidence, B didn’t want this (others use his work + develop it)
bowles and gintis’ ideas
- school as mirror to society (society being a hierarchy oppressing workers, school does this with kids - obedience, accept
- how we obey in school = how we work in future, told what to do (direct correlation)
- reproduction of labour power can be done by hidden curriculum + role of ed system to allow inequality, accept class structure
bowles and gintis’ ideas
- help legitimise inequality by:
- submission to authority - study of 237 members of an NY school done B and G focusing on relationship between grades + personal traits + creativity, aggressiveness, independence linked to low grades but hose obedient, punctual got high grades -> schools are a hierarchy (teachers control, give orders)
- external rewards - e.g exam results, motivates
- legitimating inequality - inequalities produced viewed legitimate = capitalism functioning, school makes it appear system is meritocratic but indirectly teach undemocratic , unequal parts of work is normal (B, G don’t think this, ed and occup success link to class background)
who agrees with bowles and gintis? who does not agree?
disagree -
They are being too deterministic (people can’t change their circumstances)
Paul Willis - think they are unaware of the fact some students resist ed system, form anti-school subcultures
Giroux - schools are places of ideological struggle, often clashes of opinion between schools + students results in schools changing position + giving some power to students
views on althusser, bourdieu, illich, freire, bowles and gintis? who does not agree?
disagree -
all are too deterministic (think people lack ability to make choices, control what occurs to them)
do not show how w/c kids can do well in education system
Illich Freire, B + G - ignores some influences of formal curriculum developing critical thinking
paul willis’s ideas (learning to labour)
- focused on issues e.g why schools don’t produce willing, obedient students + w/c young people end up with low-paid, boring jobs?
- w/c lads formed friendship groups (anti-school subcultures) - went against values of school
- found w/c boys felt they felt superior to teachers + the earoles, careless gaining qualifications, hated school as they took control of them (rules), no work, rebelled ( to entertain) -> leave school, get their first jobs in male, manual work (saw this as real work)
postmodernism
