Sociological perspectives on education Flashcards
What is the functionalist view on education?
Takes a consensus view
Education has 3 roles
1) socialisation into work force
2) specialist work skills
3) selection for workrooms
What was Durkheim’s view on education? - Functionalist
Argues two functions of education
1) social solidarity
2) teach special skills
What is social solidarity and how is it achieved in schools?
It is the idea that education transmits beliefs/ norms / values through generations.
Achieved by
shared heritage - history / literature
communal gatherings - assemblies
social cohesion - house systems
What are specialist skills ?
Each person has to have specialist skills in order to perform their roles in society successfully –> children gain the skills they need for the workforce
Criticisms of Durkheim
MARXISTS - believe only ruling class culture is being taught
- Ethnocentric curriculum
- Feminists –> girls are discouraged from certain subjects
What was parsons view on education? - Functionalist
Views education as the ‘second socialisation’ bridging the gap between family and society -
How does education achieve this second socialisation?
All students expected to follow the same rules like laws are applicable to all in society
Promote collectivism rather than individualism inn the home
Status in school is achieved while in families is ascribed
EDUCATION PREPARES US FOR SOCIETY AS BOTH ARE MERITOCRATIC
What was Davis and Moore’s view on education - Functionalist
Argues school performs the function of role allocation by allocating children to specific roles based on their skill set.
How does education reach this role allocation?
- students have ability to prove themselves
- Promote meritocracy
- the access to qualifications applicable to certain jobs
Criticisms of the FUNCTIONALIST view
1) Education is not teaching specialist skills effectively as many 16-19 apprenticeships don’t lead to good jobs
2) Marxists - education only passes on ruling class ideology
3) WONG argues functionalists over socialised view that students are passive and just accept ( they don’t)
4) Neo liberals argue that the state education system fails to prepare people for work
What is the neoliberalism view on education?
That the state should not interfere with education
- favours marketisation
- ## believes schools that waste money = less qualified workforce
similarities between functionalist and new right views
1) both believe some are more naturally talented
2) both favour the education run on meritocratic principles
3) both believe education should socialise children into shared values
What did Chubb and Moe argue ? - Neo liberalists
Argue that state run education has failed
1) does not create equal opportunities
2) insufficient - fails to give students skills
3) Private schools = higher education - due to pay from consumers
What study did Chubb and Moe carry out ?
60,000 disadvantaged kids in public schools found that low income families did 5% better in private schools
What was Chubb and Moe’s market system proposal?
Puts parents in control
proposed voucher to be given to parents to spend their choice –> makes schools more competitive
What are the two new right roles for the state?
1) state gives out framework in which schools have to compete e.g ofstead
2) schools transmit shared culture e.g national curriculum
Criticisms of NEO/ NEW RIGHT view
1) GERWITS AND BALL –> competition favours middle class
2) critics argue that the problem is social inequality and inadequate funding not the state
3) Marxists argue education only imposes the culture of the nominating bourgeoisie not a shared culture
what is the marxist view of education?
Take a class conflict approach
Education is based on class division / exploitation and its function is to prevent revolution and to maintain capitalism
How does education prevent a rebellion?
As the ruling class controls the state which controls the education
what Did Althusser argue? - Marxist
Ideological / repressive state apparatus
Education is important due to
1) reproducing class inequality
2) legitimates class inequality
What is Ideological / repressive state apparatus ?
ideological - maintain control through control of peoples ideas beliefs and values ( media/education)
Repressive - maintains control through threat ( police/army/courts)
What did Althusser mean by reproducing class inequality?
Transmitting through generations by failing successive generations of working class people
What did Althusser mean by legitimates class inequality?
Through producing ideologies in disguise its true cause - e.g people accept inequality as inevitable
What did Bowles and Gintis argue ? - Marxist
Argued that capitalism requires a workforce with behaviour suited to their role as exploited workers willing to accept orders from above.
