The role of education Flashcards
Explain what functionalists mean by ‘value consensus’.
An agreement among society’s members about what values are important.
Explain how education helps to create social solidarity.
By transmitting society’s shared beliefs and values - from one generation to the next. For example, Durkheim argues that the teaching of a country’s history instils in children a sense of shared heritage.
According to Durkheim, why does education need to teach specialist skills?
It promotes social solidarity and other specialist knowledge and skills that are needed for individuals to play their part in the social division of labour.
According to Parsons, how does education act as a bridge between the family and wider society?
Both school and wider society judge us all by the same universalistic and impersonal standards. For example, in society, the same laws apply to everyone. Similarly, in school, each pupil is judged against the same standards.
According to Davis and Moore, why is it important for role allocation to be meritocratic?
They argue that inequality is necessary to ensure that the most important roles in society are filled by the most talented people. For example, it would be inefficient and dangerous to have less able people performing roles such as a surgeon.
State four criticisms of the functionalist perspective
- Interactionist argue it is deterministic describing people as mere puppets of society.
- Neoliberals and the New Right argue state education system fails to prepare young people adequately for work.
- Achievement is greatly influenced by class background rather than ability.
- Marxists argue that education only transmits the ideology of a minority - the ruling class.
For neoliberals, what is the value of education?
For schools to become more like businesses, empowering parents and pupils as consumers and using competition between schools to drive up standards.
According to the New Right, what is the solution to the problems of state education?
- They argue the ‘one size fits all’ approach imposes uniformity. Solution: marketisation of education.
What do Marxists see as the main function of education?
As a way for the bourgeoisie to maintain their dominant position. Education allows for inequality to be reproduced and legitimatised.
Define the ideological state apparatus.
Maintaining the rule of the bourgeoise through people’s ideas and values
Define the repressive state apparatus.
Maintaining the rule of the bourgeoise by force
According to Althusser, which two functions does education perform?
- Ideological state apparatus
* Repressive state apparatus
According to Bowles and Gintis, what is the role of the education system?
To prepare the working class for their roles as a exploited worker
Give two examples of the correspondence principle.
Both the workplace and schools have hierarchy and both have uniforms
Explain what Bowles and Gintis mean by the ‘myth of meritocracy’.
The argument meritocracy is a myth and educational success is based on income and class background.
