Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Sociology Paper 1 - Education > Theories of education > Flashcards

Theories of education Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 4 roles of education according to functionalists?

A

Social solidarity
Specialist skills
Secondary socialisation
Sifting and sorting

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is social solidarity according to functionalists?

A

Members of society feeling a sense of community and uniting individuals which prepares children for interactions within wider society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is an example of functionalist social solidarity?

A

History learning about shared culture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is a criticism of functionalist social solidarity?

A

Functionalists too rose tinted as schools fails pass on shared culture as there remains a dominant culture within society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are specialist skills according to functionalists?

A

Education teaches specialist skills so that they can take part in a complex division of labour (modern society requires this to perform job roles)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Who is the main functionalist sociologist for social solidarity and specialist skills

A

Durkheim

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are some examples of functionalist specialist skills?

A

IT skills
Social/ communication
Problem solving

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is a criticism of functionalist specialist skills?

A

The Wolf review found that many children were doing courses that didn’t lead to higher education or good jobs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is secondary socialisation according to functionalists?

A

Children are socialised into the idea that they can achieve anything based on ability and effort and that school mirrors wider society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Who is the functionalist sociologist for secondary socialisation?

A

Parsons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is meritocracy?

A

We are taught that we can achieve status based on our own effort and ability

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the 4 ways education is seen as fair to everyone according to functionalists?

A

School is free
All students take the same exams and receive the same qualifications
National curriculum
Same criteria for grades

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is a criticism of functionalist secondary socialisation?

A

Bowles and Gintis- myth of meritocracy that wealthy children have more opportunities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is ‘the bridge’ according to functionalists?

A

Education acts as a bridge between home standards and universal standards showing that we are all the same (Parsons)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is a criticism of the functionalist explanation of the bridge?

A

New Right- System is failing to help this transition as too many young people are on benefits

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is sifting and sorting according to functionalists?

A

Education sorts people into different abilities to put them onto the career paths that they are suited to (role allocation)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Who is the functionalist theorist for sifting and sorting?

A

Davis and Moore

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is a criticism of the functionalist explanation of sifting and sorting?

A

Policies such as expensive university fees may deter talented WC children meaning that they can’t get the jobs that they are suited to

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What does neoliberalism say?

A

The state should not intervene and should allow more freedom- encourage competition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What are the 2 main New Right beliefs of the role of education?

A

Socialisation
Skills

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is socialisation according to the New Right?

A

Education should pass on the shared national culture so traditions are maintained

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is skills according to the New Right?

A

Give us skills so families are self reliant
Eg. Men should be primary earners equipped by education

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are the 3 functions that the New Right think education is not performing?

A

The effects of state control
One size fits all
Lower standards

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What do the New Right believe about the effects of state control?

A

State control of education has resulted in a lack of business initiative and schools aren’t trying hard enough and standards are slipping resulting in a dependency culture as the pupils don’t have the right skills

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What is a functionalist criticism of the effects of state control?
Functionalists believe that the state can run an efficient education system
26
What do the New Right believe about one size fits all?
The state cannot meet peoples individual and community needs or the need for motivated employees Eg. National curriculum doesn’t teach individual skills
27
What is an evaluation of one size fits all?
Postmodernists support as one curriculum doesn’t meet individual and company needs as the economy has changed
28
What do the New Right say about lower standards?
State-run schools cannot choose who attends as they have to answer to local authorities which results in a less qualified workforce- benefits
29
What is a criticism of lower standards?
Low standards are sometimes the result of inadequate funding rather than state control
30
What 3 New Right solutions are there?
Competition eg.OFSTED Shared culture Parentocracy
31
What did Chubb and Moes study find?
Those who go to private school generally perform 5% better as they answer to their consumers
32
What kind of sociologists are Chubb and Moe?
New Right
33
What is marketisation?
Giving the consumer choice and competition between schools and the state
34
What is the voucher system?
Putting the control in the hands of parents which would attract consumers to by letting them buy education of what they want to meet demands of parents in order to survive
35
What is a Marxist criticism of Chubb and Moes study?
Gerwitz- competition between schools benefits the middle class as they can get into more desirable schools
36
What is capitalism?
Economic system based on private ownership of business?
37
What are the bourgeoisie?
The owners of the means of production, the small elite at the top of the capitalist economy
38
What is the proletariat?
The working class sell their labour as they are poor
39
What is ideology?
A set of values and ideas
40
How does the bourgeoisie use ideology?
To brainwash and control society to exploit and control the WC (ideological state apparatus)
41
What is a repressive state apparatus?
Anything that controls society through force Eg. Police, judges
42
What is false class consciousness and how is this caused?
Caused by ideological state apparatus The proletariat are unaware of their exploitation
43
What is exploitation?
To benefit unfairly from the work of someone, typically overworking and underpaying them
44
What is communism?
Where the state owns everything and wealth is divided equally among citizens- no hierarchy
45
What are the 4 Marxist theories of education?
Social control Specialist skills Secondary socialisation Sifting and sorting
46
Who is the Marxist theorist for social control?
Althusser
47
What do Marxists say about social control?
Ideological state apparatus causes false class consciousness and they do not rebel against capitalism as they are controlled Done through hidden curriculum
48
What is the hidden curriculum?
Underlying things taught through the education system that is useful within wider society
49
What is an example of the hidden curriculum?
School hierarchy- must respect those above them like teachers
50
What is the functionalist criticism for Marxist social control?
Learning things like respecting the hierarchy is good for society because it encourages people to work harder and achieve status
51
What is the Marxist view of specialist skills?
The correspondence principle
52
Who are the theorists for the correspondence principle?
Bowles and Gintis
53
What is the correspondence principle?
School mirrors the workplace which supports the ruling class and keeps the working class passive and docile
54
What are some examples of the correspondence principle?
Hierarchy External rewards Competition Dress code
55
What is a criticism of the Marxist correspondence principle?
Postmodernists- now irrelevant as the economy is now more technology based so school teachers to be active creative and flexible
56
What is secondary socialisation according to Marxists?
Education passes on capitalist norms and values which justifies class inequality
57
Who is the Marxist theorist for secondary socialisation?
Bowles and Gintis
58
What is an example of capitalist values taught in education?
Pupils are taught everyone achieves based on ability and effort
59
What is a criticism of Marxist secondary socialisation?
WC students don’t always accept the capitalist society (Willis’ study)
60
What is the myth of meritocracy?
Success is not based on hard work but based on class background which persuades workers to accept their place
61
What is a criticism for the myth of meritocracy?
Functionalists- pupils have equal chances to succeed as they can all go to university and education is free
62
Who is the Marxist theorist for sifting and sorting?
Bowles and Gintis
63
What do Marxists believe about sifting and sorting?
People are allocated into roles based on their class and that obedient pupils who conform to expectations got the best grades
64
What is a criticism for Marxist sifting and sorting?
WC students are able to get loans and grant to help them access university and the bestselling jobs
65
Who is the Marxist theorist for anti-school subcultures?
Willis
66
What did Willis’ study find about anti-school subcultures?
Some WC boys didn’t accept the hidden curriculum and rebelled against it by disrupting classes and smoking
67
What is a criticism of Willis’ study?
He romanticises the lads seeing them as heroes despite their anti-social behaviour
68
What kind of jobs did the boys in Willis’ study end up doing?
Manual roles that were low paid- class inequality
69
What do feminists believe are the 4 roles of education?
Social control Secondary socialisation Specialist skills Sifting and sorting
70
What do feminists think about social control?
Education reinforces patriarchy and controls women through subject choices, male gaze and sexual double standards
71
What is the male gaze?
Women are seen as sexual objects for the pleasure of male views
72
What are sexual double standards?
Where boys and girls are treated differently based on their standards
73
What is the glass ceiling?
An invisible barrier which women face preventing them from getting good jobs
74
What is a criticism of the feminist view of social control?
Functionalists- boys and girls do different subjects as they are naturally suited to it Eg. girls in childcare roles
75
What do feminists say about secondary socialisation?
Education socialised boys and girls into different gender identities
76
How are women socialised within the education system according to feminists?
Passive and communicative
77
How are boys socialised within the education system according to feminists?
Encouraged to take prestigious subjects to get the best jobs which reinforces patriarchy
78
What do feminists say about specialist skills?
Boys- instrumental role (main earners) Girls- expressive role with childcare and domestic work from doing subjects like health and social care
79
What is a criticism for the feminist view of secondary socialisation?
Marxists- ignores conflict class which socialises pupils into values of capitalism
80
What is a criticism of the feminist view of specialist skills?
Postmodernists- outdated as boys and girls are now equal and can learn whatever they want as an individual
81
What is the feminist view on sifting and sorting?
Prepared boys and girls for different roles where they accept the patriarchy through subjects and the hidden curriculum
82
What kind of subject are boys and girls encouraged to choose?
Girls- English drama Boys- maths and science
83
What is a criticism of the feminist view of sifting and sorting?
Girls now outperform boys and are more likely to go into higher education and things such as GIST and WISE
84
What do postmodernists believe about the role of education?
Education is diverse and customised to the individual and they continuously update their skills

Sociology Paper 1 - Education (6 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions