The Role of Education

Question 1

Functionalist view

Answer 1

consensus view that sees society as being essentially harmonious
structural approach - looking at the structure of society (macro) positivists
collective conscience - all agree (shared values on what is right and wrong)
social solidarity - standing together, belonging to a community

Question 2

Funct - functions of education

Answer 2

socialisation, cooperation, qualifications, develops independences, teaches norms and values and develops routines

Question 3

Funct - positive function of education

Answer 3

schools promotes consensus (agreement) in society by socialising people in norms and values

Question 4

Durkheim: solidarity and skills

Answer 4

social solidarity
provides specialist skills

Question 5

social solidarity

Answer 5

(support of those around you) and secondary socialisation and division of labour
two main function for us all:
instil a sense of social solidarity - w/o it social life and cooperation would not be possible as everyone would pursue their own selfish desires.
education does this through transmitting our society’s culture
most important thing is history
schools as society in miniature preparing us for wider society, school is a microcosm of wider society, trains you for wider society

Question 6

provide specialist skills

Answer 6

society is made up of diff complex divisions of labour, everyone needs to know their role, specialist skills are needed
education equips individuals with the specialist skills needed to participate in work in a modern economy

Question 7

Parsons: meritocracy

Answer 7

argues that the school is the ‘focal socialising agency’ of modern society
secondary socialisation and meritocracy

Question 8

Secondary socialisation

Answer 8

primary socialisation done within the family - each child is treated as someone who is ‘special’, everyone has to be treated in the same way within society
Education teaches these universalistic standards and acts as a bridge between family and wider society, it socialises individuals into the shared values of a meritocratic society

Question 9

meritocracy

Answer 9

if you try hard you do well you are awarded for your efforts, everyone is given the same opportunities and have the same schools acts on meritocratic principles
value consensus
-> equality of opportunity
-> value of achievement

Question 10

A meritocratic is based upon two key values

Answer 10

Individual achievement, Equal opportunity

Question 11

Individual achievement

Answer 11

everyone achieves their status through their own efforts and abilities, it isn’t where you come from but what you can do that gives you your position in society

Question 12

Equal opportunity

Answer 12

for every individual to achieve their full potential

Question 13

Society in miniature

Answer 13

School is a miniature version of wider society - both are meritocratic
In school individuals succeed or fail depending on their own ability and effort. This prepares them for life in modern society and its economy, which is competitive and individualistic

Question 14

Davis and Moore: role allocation

Answer 14

role of education plays an allocation function of selecting and allocating pupils to their future work roles
schools help match them to the job that they are best suited to
they focus on the relationship between education and social inequality
more talented people gain higher qualifications which lead to important jobs with higher rewards (money)
everything provides a function
society is more productive because the most able people do the most important jobs

Question 15

Human capital theory

Answer 15

similar to Davis and Moore’s view
Modern industrial society is technologically advanced so the skills of its workforce are its main economic asset or ‘capital’
A meritocratic education system is the best way to develop a sufficiently skilled workforce and thus create greater economic efficiency and high living standards

Question 16

Evaluation of functionalism

Answer 16

• Melvin Tumin criticises Davis and Moore for putting forward a circular argument: How do we know that a job is important? because it is highly rewarded
• Education isn’t meritocratic because schools discriminate against some groups (wc and black pupils) and don’t give them an equal opportunity to achieve
• A person’s ascribed characteristics (class, gender, ethnicity) are more imp in determining their income
• Hargreaves argues that schools place more value on competition and developing individuals that on developing a sense of social solidarity as Durkheim claims
• Neoliberals and the New Right argue that the state education system fails to prepare young people to adequately work

Question 17

Marxists perspective

Answer 17

conflict view that sees society as being based on class divisions and exploitation
the ruling class (capitalists/bourgeoisie)
the subject class (wc/proletariat)
capitalist class own the means of production and make their profits by exploiting the labour of the wc, this creates class conflict that could threaten the stability of capitalism or even result in a revolution
Marxists see education as functioning to prevent revolution and maintain capitalism (makes compliant workers in the workforce)

Question 18

Althusser: the ideological state apparatus (ISA)

Answer 18

trained from a young age to be obedient
the state consists of two elements which help to keep them in power
Repressive states apparatus (RSA) - maintaining the rule of the bourgeoisie by force or threat of it this includes army, police, courts, prison
Ideological states apparatus (ISA) - minds are controlled (values and beliefs) this includes religion, the media and educational system

Question 19

education system is an important ISA as it performs two functions

Answer 19

REPRODUCTION - education reproduces class inequality by failing each group of wc coming through
LEGITIMATION - education legitimates class inequality by producing ideologies (sets of ideas/beliefs) that disguises its true cause, justifies failure. if they accept these ideas, they are less likely to challenge or threaten capitalism

Question 20

Ivan Illich

Answer 20

wants to deschool society (makes everyone a brick in the wall)
replace schools with learning webs (getting together in a group and learning together) and skill exchanges (teach one another skills that they are good at)

Question 21

Bourdieu

Answer 21

cultural capital - powerful define what culture is (going to museums/theatres)
mc culture allows them to succeed in the educational system
the curriculum allows for outside school experiences to be at an advantage inside of school
means wc will always be at a disadvantage

Question 22

Paul Willis

Answer 22

Willis uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods although he is a marxist, he studied some boys for the first 6 months of school and the first 6 months of their job and he found that wc children resist indoctrination. He studied the counter school culture of ‘the lads’ (group of 12 wc boys). He found that they are scornful of the conformist boys and ‘piss off’ the girls. This counter culture of resistance to schools helps them slot into inferior jobs in terms of skill, this works out because they are the jobs that capitalism needs someone to perform.

Question 23

Indoctrination

Answer 23

brainwashed

Question 24

Postmodernist view (criticism of Willis)

Answer 24

Postmodernists believe that we are now in a post-fordist economy and manual jobs such as working in a factory don’t really exist anymore as many jobs have become obsolete. The post-Fordist system requires a skilled, adaptable workforce able to use advanced technology. They also argue that education has modernised and now reproduces diversity and not inequality.

Question 25

Feminist view (criticisms of Willis)

Answer 25

argue that schools reproduce not only capitalism, but patriarchy too
McRobbie points out that females are largely absent from Willis’ study. However, Willis’ study has been the model for research into other educational inequalities, including gender, ethnicity and sexuality

Question 26

Marxists disagree among themselves (Willis vs Bowles and Gintis)

Answer 26

B&G take a deterministic view and assume that pupils passively accept indoctrination. Willis rejects this simple ‘brainwashing’ view and shows how pupils may resist school and yet still end up in wc jobs

Question 27

Romanticisation - Willis

Answer 27

Willis has been criticised for romanticising the ‘lads’ presenting them as wc heroes despite their anti social behaviour and sexist attitudes. His study of only 12 boys in one school is unlikely to be representative

Question 28

Bowles and Gintis:

Answer 28

like Althusser, they see the role of the education system in capitalist society as reproducing an obedient, exploitable workforce that will accept social inequality as inevitable and fair. To achieve this, successive generations of workers need these ideas firmly planted in their minds - and this is the function of the education system

Question 29

The correspondence principle

Answer 29

According to Bowles and Gintis, schooling takes place in ‘the long shadow of work’. The relationships and structures found in education mirror or correspond to those of work
In capitalist society, school is like work in many ways

Question 30

How school mirrors work

Answer 30

School:
Alienation - pupils’ lack of control over education
Hierarchy of authority: head > teachers > pupils
Extrinsic satisfaction (rewards) rather than from interest in the subjects studied
Competition and divisions among pupils

Work:
Alienation through workers’ lack of control over production
Hierarchy of authority: boss > supervisor > workers
Extrinsic rewards - pay, not satisfaction from the job itself
Competition and divisions - differences in status and pay

Question 31

The Hidden Curriculum

Answer 31

the correspondence principle operate through the hidden curriculum - all the ‘lessons’ that are learnt in school without being directly taught. Through everyday workings of the school, pupils accept hierarchy, competition, alienation etc. It becomes simply the normal way to think

Question 32

The myth of meritocracy: legitimation of class inequality

Answer 32

Bowles and Gintis think the education system helps prevent this from happening by legitimating class inequalities. It does this by producing ideologies that serve to explain and justify why inequality is fair, natural and inevitable.
They describe the education system as ‘a giant myth making machine’. They argue that meritocracy does not exist, feel the education system works against the interests of the wc

Question 33

Hegemony

Answer 33

dominance especially culturally and intellectually of one social group and their ideas over another

Question 34

Neoliberalism and the New Right perspective

Answer 34

Neoliberalism believes the state shouldn’t provide education. A free market economy encourages competition and drives up standards. School should be more like businesses and operate in an education market

Question 35

New Right

Answer 35

is more of a political than a sociological perspective
- it is a more recent conservative view than functionalism
- it has influenced educational policy in Britain and elsewhere