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Sociology - Education > Theories In Education > Flashcards

Theories In Education Flashcards

1
Q

What were Durkheim’s 2 functions of education?

A

Social solidarity and specialist skills

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2
Q

Outline how education creates social solidarity with an example

A

Education teaches everyone the same values and beliefs which creates a value consensus so people feel properly integrated into society e.g British values

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3
Q

How does specifically history create social solidarity?

A

It teaches a shared heritage

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4
Q

What is a limitation of Durkheim’s social solidarity function?

A

That he assumes that the values being taught in schools are that of society and not just powerful groups

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5
Q

Who said that a function of society is to ‘act as a bridge’?

A

Parsons

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6
Q

Outline how society acts as bridge

A

It is a bridge between the particularistic standards in the family and the universalistic standards of society

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7
Q

Define the difference between particularistic and universalistic standards

A

Particularistic - where expectations depend on the individual
Universalistic - where the expectations of everyone are the same

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8
Q

Give an example of universalistic standards in school

A

Punctuality and the national curriculum

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9
Q

What was Parsons theory about how education mirrors society’s meritocratic principles?

A

Society in miniature

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10
Q

Define meritocratic

A

That if you work hard you will succeed

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11
Q

How does education act as society in miniature?

A

We are taught to follow a routine and how to work together as a team

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12
Q

Give a limitation of Parsons’ bridge function

A

That standards are not universalistic as feminists would argue men and women are held to different standards

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13
Q

Who came up with Role Allocation as a function of education?

A

Davis and Moore

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14
Q

How does education allocate roles?

A

It evaluates students skills and talents and select the role that most suits them

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15
Q

Why is role allocation beneficial?

A

Because it ensures that the most intelligent people fill the most important roles

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16
Q

Give 2 strengths of Davis and Moore’s function of education

A

It is supported by parsons

We use qualifications to decide who can take which courses at university

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17
Q

Give a limitation of role allocation

A

Marxists and feminists would argue that roles are not allocated on talent alone and instead are decided by class or gender

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18
Q

What was Schutz’s function of education?

A

Increasing human capital

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19
Q

Outline Schutz’s function of education

A

That high levels of spending in education is justified as it expands people’s skills and makes the workforce more qualified. Therefore they can then contribute to a more successful economy

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20
Q

What does Althusser believe the education system is?

A

An ideological state apparatus

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21
Q

What two things does education do according to Althusser with an example of how

A

Reproduce class inequality by ensuring that the class of origin remains the class of destination e.g foundation and higher papers

Justifying inequality by promoting meritocracy

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22
Q

Who believed schools were repressive institutions that promote conformity?

A

Illich

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23
Q

How does education promote conformity?

A

By rewarding those who follow the rules and excluding those who challenge it

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24
Q

Who supported Illich’s theory?

A

Frieire who believed schools exist to teach authority

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25
Q

What is Bowles and Gintis’ reproduction theory?

A

The idea that the class of origin is the class of destination

26
Q

What theory does Bowles and Gintis’ reproduction theory contradict?

A

Davis and Moore role allocation

27
Q

Who put forward the correspondence principle?

A

Bowles and Gintis

28
Q

Outline the correspondence principle

A

That “schooling takes place in the long shadow of work” so education mirrors the workplace through encouraging employability skills

29
Q

Give 3 ways in which education mirrors the workplace

A

Fragmentation (day broken into subjects like a production line)
Lack of creativity (how you are taught strict structures)
Hierarchies (Head and deputy teachers to managers)

30
Q

What do Bowles and Gintis’ call meritocracy and who does it contradict?

A

A myth

Parsons

31
Q

How do Marxists believe we learn skills to make us employable?

A

Through the hidden curriculum

32
Q

What do neo-Marxists believe?

A

That although schooling serves capitalism, they believe the working class has free will

33
Q

Who studied working class lads resisting indoctrination?

A

Willis

34
Q

What two theories does Willis’ study involve?

A

Marxism and interactionism

35
Q

Outline where and who Willis was studying

A

12 working class lads from Birmingham

36
Q

What did the lads create and what did it include?

A

A anti school counter culture which includes intimidatory humour and acts of defiance

37
Q

What is the New Right’s basic principle?

A

That the state cannot meet the needs of every individual and therefore needs to intervene less

38
Q

Which New Right theorists came up with the ‘voucher system’?

A

Chubb and Moe

39
Q

Outline the voucher system proposed by the New Right

A

That state schools fail because there is not enough parental involvement. Parents don’t hand over money so don’t feel like they can make demands.
If everyone had a voucher for the school of their choice then schools would forced to compete for students so the standards would rise

40
Q

Who criticises the voucher system and what did they say?

A

Gerwitz said some parents are better equipped to choose than others. She split them into privileged skilled (who have material and cultural capital) semi skilled (who want the best for their children but don’t have money or knowledge) and disconnected (they dont really mind and will send them to the nearest school)

41
Q

What do the New Right believe is the 2 roles of the state?

A

To provide a framework which schools compete within eg League tables

Transmit shared norms and values through national curriculum and British values

42
Q

When were British values introduced?

A

2011

43
Q

Give 2 strengths of the New Right perspective on education

A

Provides pro active solutions unlike Marxism

Functionalists share the same idea that the state should transmit shared norms and values

44
Q

Give 2 weaknesses of the New Right perspective on education

A

It is contradictory as it is against state intervention but then imposes a strict national curriculum

It is not state control that stops children achieving but social inequality and inadequate funding of state schools

45
Q

What do interactionists describe self concept as?

A

How you see yourself which is a result of interactions with others

46
Q

What is a self fulfilling prophecy?

A

When a teacher labels a student a certain way and then the student lives up to those expectations

47
Q

How does Fuller’s research contradict the self fulfilling prophecy?

A

She studied year 11 black girls who channelled their anger at being negatively labelled into academic success - this is the self negating prophecy

48
Q

Who studied the 3 stages of student labelling?

A

Hargreaves

49
Q

Outline 3 stages of student labelling

A

Speculation - initial guess based on appearance, peer relationships,
Elaboration - looks for evidence to support initial assumptions
Stabilisation - teachers view is set in stone and they feel they know the student

50
Q

Give a strength and weakness of Hargreaves

A 
Ad - triangulation of teacher interviews AND class observations = more valid 
Disad - deterministic as view self fulfilling prophecy as inevitable
51
Q

What is Gilborn and Youdell’s theory?

A

Educational triage

52
Q

Outline Gilborn and Youdell’s theory

A

Children are placed into either “those who would pass regardless”, “borderline students” and “hopeless cases” and most time is spent on the the borderline students in order to get more C grades

53
Q

Why do schools want more C grades?

A

Because of the funding formula which means that more passes = more students = more funding

54
Q

Give a strength and a weakness of Gilborn and Youdell

A

Ad - fits with the context of the Education Reform Act 1988 which introduced the funding formula

Disad - views teaching very cynically as if they are only doing it for the money

55
Q

Who came up with the idea of the Ideal Pupil?

A

Becker

56
Q

Outline the ideal pupil theory

A

Interviewed 60 Chicago high school teachers and found that the ideal pupil is white and middle class and teachers judge students who do not fit this mold more closely

57
Q

Give a strength and a weakness of the ‘ideal pupil’ theory

A 
Ad - middle class students do better
Disad - ignores why teachers think this way which Marxists think is hegemony
58
Q

Define hegemony

A

The dominant ideology

59
Q

Give 2 disadvantages of interactionism as a whole

A

Marxists say it ignores macro effects

Feminists say the studies focussed on male students so may not apply to women

60
Q

What do postmodernist say about Marxist theories and why?

A

That they are outdated because we are no longer in a fordist economy where it was focussed on low skilled workers

61
Q

What do postmodernists argue education should teach and why?

A

Self motivation and creativity because our economy is now based on flexible specialisation (an adaptable educated workforce)

Sociology - Education (5 decks)

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