Theories Of Education Flashcards
1
Q
How does functionalists like Durkheim see the role of education?
A
- Durkheim sees the role of education to create social solidarity and a microcosm of society.
- Emily Durkheim argued that individuals need to feel they are a part of society (social solidarity), without this society will not work.
- The major function of education is to pass on society’s values through socialisation. This is done through the formal curriculum, and the hidden curriculum.
- School also acts as a microcosm of society, preparing us for life in wider society, such as working with people we are unrelated to.
- They also see schools role to create a specialist division of labour, this is where the production of even a single item requires the division of many different specialists, education passes on this specialist knowledge and skills.
2
Q
What does functionalists like Parsons believe the role of education is?
A
- Parsons believes the role of education is to create a bridge between the family and society.
- The family treats individuals according to particularistic standards, and their ascribed status. (Standards that only apply to that particular child.)
- However, society treats individuals according to universalistic standards and achieved status. (Standards that apply to all individuals.)
- Therefore, education acts as a bridge between the family and society, preparing us for this transition.
- Parson also argues that education and society are both based on a meritocracy, in which jobs and pay are allocated on an individuals abilities and qualifications. Therefore, everyone has the same opportunity to achieve and is treated in the same way.
3
Q
What does functionalists like Davis and Moore believe the role of education is?
A
- Davis and Moore believes that the role of education is role allocation, in which the education system is a means of selecting people for different levels of the job market and ensuring the most talented and qualified individuals are allocated to the most important jobs.
- They say there is equality of educational opportunity with all students having the same opportunity to succeed.
- This means that inequality in society is legitimate and fair, as those who get the best jobs deserve their success.
4
Q
What are criticisms against the functionalists theory of education?
A
- Marxists would argue that a value consensus isn’t being passed on but the values of the ruling class are.
- Feminists would argue that the school passes on patriarchal values.
- It could be argued that in a multicultural society such as Britain, there is no value. consensus.
- There is some doubt about how far contemporary society is really based on universalistic standards and achieved status.
- Many in the upper class inherit wealth and there are many elite jobs where social capital and the old boy’s network affects whether an individual gets a job or not.
- Social class, gender and ethnicity seem to be major factors influencing educational achievement. Not everyone has the same chance of success in education.
5
Q
What does the New Right argue about education preparing individuals for the workplace?
A
- Education should not be concerned with promoting equality of opportunity.
- Instead, it should be concerned with training the workforce and making sure the most able students are trained and recruited to the most important jobs.
- The New Right therefore, likes vocational educational policies.
6
Q
What is the New Rights theory on education and meritocracy?
A
- The New Right argues that some people are naturally more able than others and they also believe that education should create a meritocracy where the best can flourish.
7
Q
What is the New Rights theory on education teaching shared culture?
A
- They argue that education should help to create a united society which is clearly intregated by shared national culture and identity.
- This is similar to the idea of value consensus and social solidarity by functionalists.
8
Q
What is the New Rights theory on marketisation in education?
A
- New Right theorists, like Chubb and Moe, found that pupils from low income families do about 5% better in private than state schools.
- They argued that this was because private schools had an incentive to provide a better education as parents will not pay to send their children to a school if it provides a poorer quality of education.
- Therefore they argued that competition and choice were necessary in education, this is known as marketisation where education is run according to business principles.
- By introducing competition between schools and choice of schools for parents, schools would need to provide the best quality of education in order to attract students.
- Leading to schools improving their standards.
9
Q
What is Bowles and Gintis’ theory on the correspondence principle?
A
- The correspondence principle refers to the relationship between education and work.
- There is a close relationship between the workplace and the education system.
- Work casts a ‘long shadow’ over the education system, which is passive to the needs of capitalism and those who own the means of production.
10
Q
What is the role of the hidden curriculum according to Bowles and Gintis? And how does it do this?
A
- Transmits ruling class values and ensures that workers are obedient and subservient.
The hidden curriculum shapes the workforce by:
1.) Producing a subservient workforce of uncritical, passive and docile workers.
2.) Encouraging an acceptance of hierarchy.
3.) Motivating pupils by external rewards.
4.) Fragmentation of school subjects.
11
Q
What do Bowles and Gintis mean by the idea that the hidden curriculum shapes the workforce by production a subservient workforce of uncritical, passive and docile workers?
A
- In a study based upon 237 members of a New York high school, Bowles and Gintis found that the grades awarded related to personality traits, not academic abilities.
- Low grades were related to creativity, aggressiveness, and independence, whilst higher grades were related to effort, consistency, dependability and punctuality.
- In this way, the education system was creating an unimaginative and unquestioning workforce.
12
Q
How does Bowles and Gintis say the hidden curriculum shapes the workforce through encouraging an acceptance of hierarchy?
A
- Schools are organised on hierarchy principles, e.g. teachers and headteachers having authority, and pupils don’t.
- This prepares them for the workplace where they will defer to supervisors and managers.
13
Q
How does Bowles and Gintis say the hidden curriculum shapes the workforce through motivating pupils by external rewards?
A
- Students will gain little satisfaction from studying.
- They are only satisfied by gaining external rewards (qualifications).
- This prepared them for the workplace because work is unfulfilling and the workers need to be motivated by the external reward (wages).
14
Q
How does Bowles and Gintis say the hidden curriculum shapes the workforce through the fragmentation of school subjects?
A
- Workers are alienated from the product of their labour, as they are only a small part of the process and rarely see the end product.
- Education is the same: pupils go from lesson to lesson but they are never able to join these lessons together and see the bigger picture.
- Bowles and Gintis argue that this is done on purpose so that workers cannot compete with the capitalists.
15
Q
What is Bowles and Gintis theory on meritocracy?
A
- Bowles and Gintis examined a sample of individuals and concluded there was no link between IQ and qualifications however, they found a direct relationship between education and social class.
- They argued it is not IQ which determines achievement, rather it is class.
- The education system reproduces social class inequality and does not function as a meritocracy.
- The upper class achieve high qualifications regardless of ability.
- The education system hides this fact by providing a myth of meritocracy —> those who fail blame themselves rather than the system which has set them up for failure.
- This means that class consciousness does not develop because people agree that society is fair and so the working class will not feel exploited.
