The Role Of Education In society

Question 1

What is functionalism

Answer 1

Functionalism is based on the view that society is a system of independent parts held together by shared culture or value consensus

Question 2

Dirheim, solidarity and skills

Answer 2

The French sociologist Emily Durkheim, 1903, is the founder of functionalist sociology and identifies the two main function of education, creating social solidarity and teaching specialist skills.

Question 3

What is Social solidarity

Answer 3

Solidarity is when its individual members must feel themselves to be part of a single body or community.

Question 4

What is a society without social solidarity

Answer 4

Without social solidarity, social life and corporation would be impossible, because each individual would pursue their own selfish desires.

Question 5

The education system and social solidarity

Answer 5

The education system helps to create social solidarity by transmitting societies culture, shared beliefs and values from one generation to the next.

Question 6

Social solidarity and teaching the countries history

Answer 6

Argues that the teaching of a countries history in skills in children sense of a shared heritage and a commitment to the wider social group

Question 7

Schools and a “society in miniature”

Answer 7

Schools prepare us for life in the wider society, in the schools and work, we have to cooperate with people people who are neither family no friends, teachers and pupils at school, colleagues and customers at work.

Question 8

Specialist skills and the work force

Answer 8

Modern industrial economies have a complex division of labour, where the production of a single item involves the cooperation of many specialists

Question 9

Specialist skills and social solidarity

Answer 9

The cooperation of many different specialists within an industry promotes social solidarity, but for it to be successful, each person must have the necessary specialist knowledge and skills to perform their role.

Question 10

Specialist skills and education

Answer 10

Dirk argues the education, teaches individuals, the specialist knowledge and skills that they need to play their part in the social division of labour.

Question 11

What is a meritocracy

Answer 11

a society or social system in which people get status or rewards because of what they achieve, rather than because of their wealth or social status.

Question 12

Parsons and meritocracy

Answer 12

Parsons sees the school as the focal socialising agency in modern society acting as a bridge between the family and wider society. The bridges needed because families society operate on different principles.

Question 13

Meritocracy in families vs school and wider society

Answer 13

In a family, the child is judged by particularistic standards, rules that apply only to a particular child. Whereas in schools and the wider society you were judged by the same universalistic and impersonal standards. Eg. The law applies to all.

Question 14

Status within schools and wider society

Answer 14

In both School, and why does society a person status is largely achieved, not as described. Eg at work, we gain promotion or get the sack on the strength of how good we are at our job.

Question 15

Parsons: Schools and wider society

Answer 15

Parsons sees School as preparing us to move from the family to wide society, because School and society are both based on meritocratic principles. Everyone is given equal opportunity.

Question 16

Role allocation within education

Answer 16

Schools perform the function of selecting allocating pupils to their future work roles by assessing individuals, attitudes and abilities. Schools help to match them to the job they are best suited to.

Question 17

Davis and Moore 1945 and role allocation within schools

Answer 17

They focus on the relationship between education and social inequality when selecting an allocating pupils. They argue that inequality is necessary to ensure that the most important roles in society are filled by the most talented people.

Question 18

Role, allocation and talent

Answer 18

Not everyone is equally talented so society has to offer higher rewards for these jobs. This will encourage everyone to compete for them and society can then select the most talented individuals.

Question 19

Education and external role allocation

Answer 19

Education plays a key part in external role allocation since it acts as a proving ground for ability. Education is where individuals show what they can do and it sorts us according to our ability.

Question 20

Human capital, Peter Blau and Otis, Duncan, 1978

Answer 20

Augie, that a modern economy depends for its prosperity on using its human capital (its workers) skills. America, Cratic education system. Does this best since it enables each person to be allocated to the job best suited to their abilities.

Question 21

Criticism to functionalists view
Dennis Wrong 1961

Answer 21

Argues that functionalists have an “over socialised view” of people as mere puppets of society. Functionalists wrongly imply that pupils passively, accept all their taught and never reject the school values.

Question 22

Criticism to functionalists
Marxists

Answer 22

Functionalists see education as a process that instills the shared values of society as a whole, but Marxist argue that education in capitalist society only transmits the ideology of ruling class minority

Question 23

Criticism to functionalist perspective
Neoliberals and the new right

Answer 23

The new right argue that the state education system fails to prepare young people adequately for work

Question 24

What is neoliberalism

Answer 24

They argue that the state should not provide services such as education, health and welfare. They have had an economic doctrine that has had a major influence on education policy.

Question 25

Neoliberals perspective
What do they claims and argue, in the context of education

Answer 25

They argue that the value of education, lies, and how well it enables the country to compete in the global marketplace. They claim that this can only be achieved if schools before more like businesses.

Question 26

What is the new right

Answer 26

The new right is a conservative political view that incorporates neo, liberal economic ideas. The new right that the state cannot meet peoples needs, and that people are best left to meet their own needs through the free market.

Question 27

Similarities of functionalists and the new right

Answer 27

They both believe that some people are naturally more talented than others, and they favour an education system ran on erratic principles. They both also believe that education socialise peoples into shared values.

Question 28

Differences between functionalist and the new right perspective within the education system

Answer 28

The new right don’t believe that the current education system is achieving these goals, and the reason for its failure in their view is that it is run by the state.

Question 29

The new right and the state education system

Answer 29

argue that state education systems takes a “one size fits all” approach, imposing uniformity and disregarding local needs.

Question 30

The new right and disregarding of local needs

Answer 30

The local consumers who use the school like parents and employees have no say in an education system ran by the state, therefore, the system is unresponsive and inefficient.

Question 31

The new right and poor exam results

Answer 31

When the states are inefficient unresponsive schools that waste money or get poor results are not answerable to their consumers, means that lower standards of achievement of pupils, less qualified workforce and a worse off economy.

Question 32

The new right solution to the states education systems problems

Answer 32

Marketisation

Question 33

The new right and marketisation

Answer 33

They believe that competition between schools and empowering customers will bring greater diversity, choice and efficiency to schools. increasing schools ability to meet needs of parents and employers.

Question 34

Chubb and moe: failure of state run schools in the United States

Answer 34

created unequal opportunity and it failed the needs of disadvantaged groups, it’s inefficient because it fails to produce pupils with skills needed by the economy. Private schools deliver high-quality education because they are answerable to consumers.

Question 35

Chubb and moe
Research

Answer 35

comparison of the achievements of 60,000 pupils from low income families in 1015 state and private run schools. Evidence shows that peoples from low income. Low income Families do 5% better in private than state schools.

Question 36

Chubb and Moe
Market system in state education

Answer 36

introduction of a market system would put control in the hands of the consumers. They argue that this would allow consumers to shape schools to meet their own needs and would improve quality and efficiency.

Question 37

Chubb and moe
Parents being given Vouchers

Answer 37

They propose a system where each family is given voucher to spend on buying education from a school of their choice. This would for schools to become more responsive to parents wishes and the vouchers are a source of income.

Question 38

The two roles for the state
1st role

Answer 38

The state imposes a framework on schools within which they have to compete. Ofsted inspections reports and league tables of schools exam results. The state gives parents information with which to make an informed choice between schools.

Question 39

Two roles for the state
2nd role

Answer 39

The state insures that schools transmitters shared culture buying posing a single national curriculum. It seats to guarantee the schools socialise peoples into single, cultural heritage.

Question 40

The new right and the curriculum

Answer 40

The new right believe the education should affirm the national identity. The curriculum should emphasise Britain’s positive role in world history and teach British literature. The aim is to integrate peoples into a single set of traditions.

Question 41

Criticism to the new right perspective
Gerwitz and ball 1994

Answer 41

They both argue that competition between schools benefits, the middle-class, who can use their cultural and economic capital to gain access to more desirable schools.

Question 42

Criticism to the new right perspective
Marxist

Answer 42

Marxists argue that education does not impose a shared national culture as the new right claim, but imposes the culture of a dominant minority role in class and values, the culture of working in class and ethnic minorities.

Question 43

The Marxists perspective on education

Answer 43

Marxist see society and education, as based on class division and capitalist exploitation.

Question 44

What is the capitalist class

Answer 44

Bourgeoisie, they are the employers who own the means of production. They make their profits by exploiting the labour of the majority working class (proletariat)

Question 45

What is the working class?

Answer 45

They are forced to sell their labour power to the capitalists, since they own no means of production of their own. as a result, work under capitalism is poorly paid alienating and unsatisfying and something that workers have no real control over.

Question 46

Class conflict

Answer 46

The captain in this class, exploiting, the working class creates the potential for class conflict, if workers realise they are being exploited, they may demand higher wages and better working conditions.

Question 47

Marx and working class revolution

Answer 47

Marxist believe that ultimately the working class would overthrow the capitalist system to create an equal society. However, Despite the potential for revolution, the system continues because the capitalist class also control the state.

Question 48

Marxists and the state

Answer 48

Marxists see the state as the means by which capitalist ruling class maintained their dominant position.

Question 49

Althusser and the state

Answer 49

According to Louis Althusser 1971, the state consist of two elements which serve to keep the capitalist class in power.

Question 50

Althusser and the repressive state apparatus (RSAs)

Answer 50

RSAs maintain the rule of the capitalist class by force or the threat of it. This may include the police, courts and army. When necessary, they use physical coercion to repress the working class.

Question 51

Althusser and the ideological state apparatus (ISAs)

Answer 51

ISAs maintains the rule of the capitalist class by controlling peoples ideas, values and beliefs. The ISA include religion, the media and the education system.

Question 52

Althussers view of the education system and its two functions.
1st function

Answer 52

Education, reproduces class inequality by transmitting it from generation to generation by failing each successive generation of working-class pupils in turn.

Question 53

Althusser and view on the education system, and it’s two functions
2nd function

Answer 53

Education justifies class inequality, by producing ideologies, that disguise its true cause. The function of the ideology is to persuade workers to accept the inequality is inevitable, and that they deserve their subordinate position in society.

Question 54

Samuel, Bowles and Herbert Gintis 1976

Answer 54

They argue that capitalism requires a workforce with the kind of attitude, behaviour and personality type suited to their role as alienated and the exploited workers, willing to accept hard work, low pay and orders from above.

Question 55

Bowls and Gintis, the role of the education system in a capitalist society

Answer 55

To reproduce an obedient workforce that will accept inequality as inevitable.

Question 56

Bowls and Gintis
Study of, 237, New York, high school students

Answer 56

Conclude that School reward, precisely the kind of personality traits that make for a submissive compliant worker. They found the students who showed independence and creativity tended to gain lower grades.

Question 57

Bowles and Gintis
The parallels between school and work

Answer 57

They argue that they are close parallels between schooling and work in a capitalist society. Both have hierarchies with the headteachers or bosses, making top decisions and giving orders, and the workers or pupils at the bottom obeying.

Question 58

Bowles and Gintis, close parallels and the correspondence principle

Answer 58

The parallels between the school and workplace are examples of the correspondence principle. The relationships and structures found in education, mirror or correspond to those of work.

Question 59

Bowls and Gintis
The correspondence principle

Answer 59

They claimed that the correspondence principle operates through the hidden curriculum. Lessons are learn in school without being directly taught. Pupils become accustomed to accepting hierarchies and competition for rewards.

Question 60

Schooling and working class pupils

Answer 60

Schooling prepares working class students for their role as the exploited workers of the future reproducing the workforce, capitalism needs and perpetrating class inequality from generation to generation.

Question 61

Phil Cohen 1984
Youth training schemes

Answer 61

He argues that youth training schemes, serve capitalism by teaching young workers, not genuine job skills, but rather than attitudes and values needed in a subordinate labour force. It lowers the aspirations so they will accept low paid work.

Question 62

Bowles and Gintis and the legitimisation of class inequality

Answer 62

There’s always a danger that the port will feel that this inequality is undeserved and unfair and rebel against the system, Bowles and Gintis view the education system helps to prevent this from happening by legitimising class inequalities.

Question 63

Bowles and Gintis
Meritocracy as a myth

Answer 63

They argue that meritocracy does not exist as evidence shows that the main factor determining whether or not someone has a high income is their family or class background, not their ability or educational achievement.

Question 64

The myth of meritocracy
Disguising that high income is determined by class background

Answer 64

The myth of meritocracy serves to justify the privileges of the higher classes, making it seem that they gained them through succeeding and open and fair competition. This persuades the working class to accept inequality.

Question 65

Bowles and Gintis and the education system, justifying poverty

Answer 65

What Bowles And Gintis describe as the poor-are dumb theory of failure. it blames poverty on the individual, rather than blaming capitalism. plays an important part in reconciling workers to the exploited position, making the less slightly to rebel against the system.

Question 66

Paul Willis 1977
W/C resisting attempts of indoctrination

Answer 66

Willis is interested in the way, schooling serves capitalism. he combines with with an interactionist approach that focuses on the meanings peoples give to their situation how this enables them to resist indoctrination.

Question 67

The lads counter culture
Willis’ study the counter School, culture of the lads, a group of 12 working class boys.

Answer 67

The last form a distinct counterculture opposed to the school. They are scornful And have their own brand of intimidate to humour. They find School boring and meaningless, and they flout its rules and values.

Question 68

Willis and the similarities between lads, AntiSchool counterculture, and the shopfloor culture of male manual workers

Answer 68

Both coaches manual work as superior and intellectual work as inferior and effeminate. The lead identify strongly with male manual work and this explains why they see themselves as superior.

Question 69

Lad, counter culture of resistance school, helps them slot into jobs, inferior in terms of skill, paying conditions

Answer 69

Since the boys were accustomed to boredom, and finding ways of amusing themselves in school, they don’t expect satisfaction from work, and a good at finding diversions to cope with the tedium of unskilled labour.

Question 70

Criticisms of Marxist perspectives
Post-modernists, morrow, and Torres

Answer 70

They argue that society is now more diverse, and they see non-class inequality, such as ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, as equally important and argue that sociologist must explain how education reproduces and legitimises all forms of equality

Question 71

Criticism to Marxist (Bowels and Gintis)

Answer 71

They assume that pupils have no free wheel and a massively accepting indoctrination. This approach fails to explain why many peoples reject the schools values.

Question 72

Criticism to Marxist perspective
Feminists (Madelyn McDonald, 1980)

Answer 72

She argues that Bowles and Gintis ignore the fact that schools reproduce, not only capitalism, but patriarchy. Females are largely absent from Willis’ study.