Sociology paper 1 Flashcards
How to answer a 2 mark question?
Point, explain
Define the hidden curriculum and give 3 examples of things taught.
All things learnt without being formally taught and often acquired through the everyday workings of the school, e.g. obedience, conformity and competitiveness.
Give 2 examples of educational policy legislation.
2010 Academies Act
1944 Education Reform Act
Give 2 examples of educational policy that leads to inequality.
Publication of league tables
Funding formula
Open enrolment
Schools competing to attract pupils
Explain how the publication of league tables benefits the middle class, white pupils and female pupils.
Publication of league tables means that the ‘best’ schools will be in higher demand and therefore can be more selective. They are more likely to recruit their ‘ideal pupil’ type, which is white, m/c and female because they are typically higher achievers.
What is educational policy?
The plans and strategies put in place for education introduced by the government giving direction to local authorities and schools.
What is the funding formula?
Where schools are given a certain amount of money per pupil.
Why does the funding formula reproduce inequality to pupils seen as less desirable?
Because ‘better’ schools that can be selective and therefore only take on the ‘best’ candidates will have more pupils and therefore better funding, whereas schools in deprived areas would have fewer pupils because they are lower in demand and therefore would be poorer. Because lower class, ethnic minority and male pupils are more likely to get into ‘worse’ schools with less funding for equipment the need and resources, they have a lower chance of succeeding in education.
What 2 sociologists stated that marketisation policies reproduce class inequalities?
Ball and Whitty
What did Ball and Whitty say about marketisation policies?
That they reproduce class inequalities
Who came up with the term ‘parentocracy’?
Miriam David
What is meant by ‘parentocracy’?
A ‘rule by parents’ - where parents are more involved in their children’s education due to marketisation policies.
How do you answer a 6 mark question?
1 paragraph:
point, explain x3
‘Outline 3 ways in which school may mirror work in a capitalist society’ (6 marks)
Give 3 examples and sociologists for each point.
- Meritocracy (Functionalist - Parsons)
- Social solidarity (Functionalist - Durkheim)
- Status is achieved not ascribed (Functionalist - Parsons)
- Exploitation of the working-class (Marxist - Bowles and Gintis)
- The correspondence principle and hidden curriculum (Marxist - Bowles and Gintis)
What is the correspondence principle?
The relationships and structures found in schools that mirror work in capitalist societies.
Who talks about the correspondence principle?
Bowles and Gintis
What are the 3 main functionalist perspectives on education (with sociologists)?
Social solidarity and skills - Durkheim
Meritocracy - Parsons
Role allocation - Davis and Moore
Who thinks that social solidarity and teaching specialist skills is the role of education? What sociological view do they hold?
Durkheim
Functionalist
Who believes that education is meritocratic? What sociological perspective is this?
Parsons
Functionalist
What sociological perspective believe education to be a ‘focal socialising agency’?
Functionalists
What two sociologists believe that role allocation and selection is the main role of education? What sociological perspective do they hold?
Davis and Moore
Functionalist
What is the role of education according to Durkheim?
Social solidarity and teaching specialist skills
What is the role of education according to Parsons?
Socialising and preparing students for wider society through meritocratic principles.
What is the role of education according to Davis and Moore?
Selection and role allocation
How do you answer a 10 mark question?
2 PEEL paragraphs (no evaluation)
How does policy link with ethnic minority underachievement? (term)
Institutional racism
Who says that marketisation policies allow institutional racism?
Gillborn
How do marketisation policies reproduce ethnic inequality in education? Link to a sociologist.
Marketisation policies such as publication of league tables allow ‘better’ schools to be more selective because of their high demand. This leads them to picking students they see as ideal based on stereotypes. (Gillborn)
Selection procedures lead to ethnic segregation (Moore and Davenport)
Who said that selection procedures in schools leads to ethnic segregation?
Moore and Davenport
Give evidence of ethnic segregation in school admissions process.
The Commission for Racial Equality found that racism in school admission procedures led to ethnic minority students having a lower chance of getting into the good schools.
Policy and ethnic minority 10 marker - Give 2 examples of essay points
- Marketisation policies and segregation
- The ethnocentric curriculum
- Assessment
- Access to opportunities
- The ‘new IQism’
Give examples of the ethnocentric curriculum.
[4 subjects]
- Language
- Music
- Literature
- History