the role of education in society

Question 1

what does the functionalism believe about society

Answer 1

functionalism is based on view that society is a system of interdependent parts held by shared culture
each part of society e.g family economy or education system

Question 2

what is social solidarity and who made this term

Answer 2

durkheim - individual members must feel themselves be part of a single body/ community
without social solidarity , social life + cooperation would be impossible as individuals would seek to persue their own selfish desires

Question 3

how does the education system create social solidarity

Answer 3

education system transmitted societies culture from one generation to next
durkheim - argues teaching history gives sense of shared heritage

Question 4

how does school act as a society in miniature

Answer 4

by preparing us for life in wider society e.g both in school + work we cooperate with people who are not friends

Question 5

what is a useful part of education that prepared students for working life

Answer 5

modern industrial economies have complex division of labour requires different specialists

durkheim argues education teaches the skills needed for their part in the social division of labour

Question 6

what are particularistic and impersonal standards (parsons)

Answer 6

when child is judged by family by particularistic standards - rules apply to specific child’s characteristics

impersonal standards - wider society judges by impersonal standards e. g all laws apply to everyone

Question 7

what is ascribed and achiever status (parsons)

Answer 7

ascribed - fixed born with

achieved status - status that is achieved through own efforts + social mobility + meritocracy

Question 8

what is role allocation and what sociologists talk about this

Answer 8

Davis + Moore
schools perform function of selecting + allocating to future work roles

most important roles are filled by most talented e.g pilot surgeon. society offers rewards for jobs meaning competition so only best will do role

Question 9

what is human capital and who made this term up

Answer 9

Blau + Duncan - modern economy depends for its prosperity on using human capital

a meritocratic education system does the best since it enables each person to be allocated to a job best suited to their talents + abilities

Question 10

why does the education not teach specialised skills adequately ( criticism of Durkheim)

Answer 10

Wolf review of vocational education claims high quality apprenticeships are rare
1/3 of 16- 17 year olds are on courses that do not lead to higher education / good jobs

Question 11

what is a criticism of meritocracy (criticism of Davis and Moore)

Answer 11

equal opportunity in education does not exist. achievement greatly influenced by class background rather than ability

Question 12

why does Tumin criticise Davis and Moore

Answer 12

how do we know if a job is important (answer) - it’s highly important
but why are some jobs more highly rewarded

Question 13

what is the marxist criticism of Functionalist view of the education system

Answer 13

functionalists see education as a whole but marxists argue that education is a capitalistic society that only transmits the ideology of a minority ( the ruling class)

Question 14

which interactionalist criticises functionalists

Answer 14

functionalists have an over- socialised view of people being puppets
pupils never reject the things they are told but that is not true e.g anti- school subcultures

Question 15

what is neoliberalism

Answer 15

is an economic doctrine that argue the state should not provide services such as education, welfare + health

the state must not dicta yes to individuals how to dispose of their own property. government should encourage competition, privatisation

Question 16

why do neo liberals view competition as a good thing within the education system

Answer 16

competition would drive up standards as only the best can fit in the education system

Question 17

what is the New Rights view of the state and welfare

Answer 17

state cannot meet people’s needs people must take care of their own needs

Question 18

similarities of the new right and functionalist views

Answer 18

• both believe that some people are more naturally talented than others
• both favour the education system runs on meritocratic principles of open competition preparing you for work
• both believe the education should socialise pupils into charter values like competition

Question 19

what is a jew difference between functionalism and the new right

Answer 19

the New Right do not believe in the current education system achieving goals because it is run by the state

Question 20

what do the New Right not like state

Answer 20

education imposed uniformity + disregards local needs
local consumers who use schools have no say

state schools are inefficient + responsive so lower standards of achievement for pupils

does not meet the needs of individuals

Question 21

why do Chubb and Moe think that the state run education in the US has failed

Answer 21

• ti has not created equal opportunity + has failed the needs of disadvantaged groups
• inefficient - it fails to produce pupils with skills needed by economy
• private schools deliver higher quality because they are answerable to paying consumers

Question 22

where do Chubb and Moe base their arguments from

Answer 22

comparison of achievement of 60,000 pupils from low income in 1,015 state + private schools
low income do 5% better in private schools

Question 23

in the New Right view what are the important roles for the state

Answer 23

state imposes framework on schools that they have to compete e.g publishing Ofsted + league tables which allow a choice

• state ensures that schools transmit a shared culture by imposing a national curriculum

Question 24

why do the New Right oppose multicultural education that reflects cultures of minorities

Answer 24

curriculum should emphasise Britain’s positive role in world history and teach British literature + christianity as christianity is main religion

integrate pupils into single set of traditions + cultural values

Question 25

what do Gewirtz and Ball argue against the New Right perspective

Answer 25

the competition between schools benefit the MC who use their cultural + economic capital to gain access to more desirable schools

Question 26

what do critics argue why there is low educational achievement

Answer 26

the real cause of low educational standards is not state control but social inequality and inadequate funding of state schools

Question 27

what is a contradiction between the New Rights support for parental choice

Answer 27

they emphasise parental choice but wish to impose a set compulsory national curriculum where all pupils are but into british MC culture

Question 28

what is a Marxist criticism of the New right

Answer 28

marxists argue that education does not impose a shared culture as the new right claim but imposes the culture of the ruling class

Question 29

what is the two apparatuses both of which serve to keep the bourgeoisie in power - the ideological state apparatus

Answer 29

althusser - state consists of two elements which keep the bourgeoisie in power

the repressive state apparatus - maintain the rule of bourgeoisie by force/threat e.g police., courts , army by ohisical coercion

ideological state apparatuses - maintain the rule of bourgeoisie by controlling values, beliefs religion, media

Question 30

how does education reproduces class inequality according to Marxists

Answer 30

education transmits class inequality from generation to generation by failing each successive generation of wc pupils

Question 31

how does education legitimise class inequality according to marxists

Answer 31

education produces ideologies that disguise its true cause. ideologies persuades workers to accept that inequality is inevitable and they deserve the subordinate position in society - less likely to challenge capitalism

Question 32

what do sociologists Bowles and Gintis think is the ideal capitalistic workforce

Answer 32

alienated and exploited workers willing to accept hard work low pay + orders from above
a obedient workforce that will accept inequality as inevitable

Question 33

what did Bowles and Gintis find from their own studies

Answer 33

237 New York high school students
they conclude that schools reward the personality that makes for a submissive, compliant worker
students who showed creativity + independence tended to gain low, while those with obedience gained high grades

Question 34

what is the correspondence principle

Answer 34

the workplace + education are parallel environments both have hierarchies e.g headteachers and bosses

relationships + structures found in education mirror ones in work

Question 35

how does the correspondence principle operate through the hidden curriculum (Bowles + Gintis)

Answer 35

simply through everyday workings of school pupils become accustomed to accepting hierarchy + competition

pupils are prepared for being a exploited worker of the future, reproducing inequality generation to generation

Question 36

how do youth training schemes serve the needs of capitalism, according to this sociologist

Answer 36

Cohen - youth training schemes serve capitalism by teaching young workers attitudes + values needed in a subordinate labour force - lowers their aspirations

Question 37

what does the myth of meritocracy justify

Answer 37

it justifies the privilege of the higher classes, making it seem like they gained it through achievement in open + fairness
persuades the WC to accept inequality as legitimate, less likely to overthrow capitalism

it justifies poverty as Bowles + Gintis describes the poor are dumb - poverty is blamed on individual rather than capitalism

Question 38

what does Willis study show

Answer 38

working class pupils can resist attempts to indoctrinate them
willis combines an interactionist approach + focuses on the meanings pupils give to their situation

Question 39

how did Willis study the counter- school culture of the lads

Answer 39

Willis used qualitative research methods, e.g participant observation + unstructured interviews of 12 WC boys who transition from school to work

Question 40

what did Willis find out using his qualitative research methods

Answer 40

lads from distinct counter culture oppose to the school, they are scornful of the conformist boys + school is meaningless

they reject that WC boys can work in MC professions by own merit

Willis notes similarity of anti - school lads and manual workers. they see themselves as superior to girls + effeminate boys who are conformists

Question 41

how do the lads anti school resistance help them go into the jobs capitalism wants to go into

Answer 41

• they are accustomed to boredom + to finding ways of amusing themselves at school. they dont expect satisfaction from work + good at finding distractions to cope with unskilled labour

their acts of rebellion guarantee they will end up in low paying jobs as they fail to gain good qualifications

Question 42

why do postmodernists oppose Bowles and Gintis correspondence principle

Answer 42

todays post- Fordist economy requires schools to produce very different kind of labour force from the one described by marxists

postmodernists argue education reproduces diversity not inequality

Question 43

Criticism of Bowles and Gintis view of students having to accept

Answer 43

this is very deterministic, students can choose whether they want to accept indoctrination

Question 44

why do critical modernists Torres and Marlow criticise Marxism

Answer 44

Marxism is a class first approach whereas they may be other types of identity that causes inequality

society is more diverse, they see inequalities such as ethnicity, gender + sexuality as equally important

so sociologists must explain how education reproduces + legitmises all forms of inequality

Question 45

what is the feminist criticism of Marxism

Answer 45

McDonald argues that Bowles and Gintis ignore that school reproduce not only capitalism but also patriarchy

McRobbie - females point out that females are left out of Willis study