The role of education in society

Question 1

What are the two main functions of education according to Durkheim? define these:

Answer 1

1. Creating social solidarity- part of a single ‘body’ or community- transmitting society’s culture by teaching country’s history
2. Teaches specialist skills- education teaches individuals the specialist knowledge and skills that they need to play their part in the social division of labour

Question 2

Give a criticism for each of Durkheim’s ‘two functions of education’

Answer 2

Social solidarity (through shared values)- Wrong: people have free will, reject values

Specialised skills- the education system does not teach specialised skills adequately- high qual apprenticeships are hard to find, many students in courses that will not lead to well paid jobs)

Question 3

According to Parsons, list 3 ways the education system is meritocratic:

Answer 3

1. School judges us by the same universalistic standards e.g. rules for everyone
2. School offers everyone equal opportunities for success (exams)
3. by teaching Britain’s culture through shared values and ideas (critcised by Wrong- people have free will)

Question 4

What is Davis and Moore’s functionalist theory of ‘Role allocation’?

Answer 4

The most important roles in society are filled by the most talented people-> schools= proving ground for ability, tells us what we can/cannot do through exams which ‘shifts’ and ‘sorts’ ability

Question 5

Name 3 ways New right theorists and functionalists have a similar perspective on education:

Answer 5

• some people are more naturally talented than others (role allocation)
• meritocratic principles (parsons)
• should be socialising pupils into shared values (Durkheim)

Question 6

What is a difference between functionalist and New Right perspectives?

Answer 6

Unlike functionalists, NR- argue education system is not achieving meritocratic functions as it is ran by the state, therefore we should be creating an ‘education market’- e.g. competition between schools

Question 7

How do Chubb and Moe (NR) argue the US education system has failed?

Answer 7

hasn’t created equal opportunities- meritocracy (failed to meet the needs of disadvantaged groups + fails to produce pupils with skills needed for economy (priv schools deliver higher qual education unlike s schools)

Question 8

What is Chubb and Moe’s solution to make the education system meritocratic/ran like a business?

Answer 8

Solution: propose a system where each family is given a voucher to spend on buying education from a school they choose-> forces schools to become responsive to parents wishes, schools will compete to attract ‘customers’ (parents), and improving product (school)= a business

Question 9

Who criticises Bowles and Gintis’ solution and what do they say?

Answer 9

Gerwitz, Ball- competition between schools benefits mc who can use their cultural and economic capital to access desirable schools

Question 10

What are the 2 functions NR argues the education DOES do for the state? How is this criticised and by who?

Answer 10

1. Imposes a framework on schools where they must compete- Ofsted, league tables
2. Transmits shared culture- national curriculum (CRIT: Marxists- imposes the culture of ruling class, devalues wc culture)

Question 11

According to Marxists, what two things is the education system based on?

Answer 11

1. Class division
2. Class exploitation

Question 12

Who came up with the repressive and ideological state apparatus theory?

Answer 12

Althusser- Marxist

Question 13

Define ideological state apparatus

Answer 13

the control of people’s ideas, values and beliefs through the media, religion, education etc

Question 14

Define repressive state apparatus

Answer 14

maintaining the rule of the bourgeoise through force or threat- police, courts, army-> to oppress the wc

Question 15

How does the ideological and repressive state apparatuses reproduce class inequality?

Answer 15

-Reproduces class inequality- transmits it from generation to generation, failing each successive gen of wc pupils

Question 16

How does the ideological and repressive state apparatuses legitimise class inequality?

Answer 16

Legitimizes class inequality- producing ideologies and disguising its true cause (making wc think their position is virtuous- less likely to challenge cap)

Question 17

How do postmodernists criticise Althusser’s state apparatus theory?

Answer 17

Postmodernists- education reproduces diversity not inequality+ criticses marxists- ignoring non-class inequalities e.g. ethnicity, gender and how different forms of inequality are interrelated

Question 18

Who came up with the ‘Correspondence principle’? - define this

Answer 18

Bowles and Gintis- the relationships and structures found in education correspond to those in a workplace- this operates through a ‘hidden curriculum’

Question 19

What is the ‘hidden curriculum’?- who theorised this?

Answer 19

Bowles and Gintis- ‘hidden curriculum’ =‘lessons’ that are taught in school indirectly e.g. teaching pupils to be accepting of hierarchy and competition by teaching attitudes and values needed in a subordinate labour force

Question 20

Give 2 criticisms for Bowles and Gintis’ correspondence principle+ hidden curriculum:

Answer 20

1. deterministic- assumes pupils have no free will and passively accept indoctrination
2. Macdonald- B+G ignore how school promotes patriarchy not just capitalism

Question 21

How do Bowles and Gintis argue that Meritocracy is a myth?

Answer 21

Unlike Parsons, Bowles and Gintis- Meritocracy= a myth-> the main factor that determines income is family and class not ability

Question 22

According to Bowles and Gintis what does Meritocracy justify?

Answer 22

‘Meritocracy’ justifies privilege of higher classes making it seem they earned their position through hard work in school-> persuading working class into believing their position is also deserved, less likely to overthrow capitalism

Question 23

How does Willis criticise Bowles and Gintis through his study of ‘learning to labour’?

Answer 23

B+G- education completely indoctrinates students into the myth of meritocracy BUT Willis- some working class pupils resist indoctrinations- shown through his study of 12 wc lads

Question 24

What was Paul Willis’ ‘learning to labour study’?

Answer 24

STUDY: 12 wc lads- participant observation and unstructured interviews researching transition from school to work
- Formed a counterculture opposed to the school- smoking, drinking, truancing-> acts of defiance were ways of resisting the school (they rejected school’s meritocratic ideology that wc pupils can achieve mc jobs through hard work)
- Irony- by resisting the school’s ideology, they were destined for unskilled work that capitalism needs to perform

Question 25

Give two criticisms for Willis’ ‘learning to labour’ study

Answer 25

1. overly romanticises 12 wc lads- ignores anti-social behaviour and sexist attitudes, makes them seem like wc heroes
2. McRobbie- ignores wc females and their behaviour