Theories of Education Flashcards
Education
What are the three functions of education according to functionalism?
1= Secondary socialisation
2= Silt shifting into appropriate jobs
3= Teaches skills needed in work
What did Durkheim say about education?
Durkheim said that education passes on norms and values in order to integrate individuals into society. It helps to create social order based on cohesion and value consensus, strengthening social solidarity.
What did Parsons say about education?
Parsons describes school as a bridge between the family and adult roles of society. It selects children into appropriate roles because it is meritocratic.
What is the ‘principles of stratification’?
Davis and Moore say that the ‘principles of stratification’ are rules for how education sorts its members into different positions.
What do functionalists believe about the education system?
The functionalist perspective says that education is meritocratic. This is the idea that social rewards are allocated by talent and effort rather than a predestined position.
What are three features of education according to marxists?
1= Legitimises inequality through ideology.
2= Passes on ruling class ideology that supports capitalism.
3= Prepares children for the world of work by giving them skills and values.
What is correspondence principle?
Bowles & Gintis say that there is a correspondence between pupil experiences of school and adult work, and that school is used to prepare students for the world of work.
What are 4 ways that pupils are prepared for the world of work in the school system?
1= Taught to accept hierarchy.
2= Motivated by grades to do boring work.
3= Structure of the school day.
4= Subservience and rule abidence is rewarded.
What did Althusser say about education?
He suggests that school is part of the ‘ideological state apparatus’ and is a tool of capitalism used to pass on the belief that society is fair even though it isn’t, legitimising inequality.
Althusser thinks that education produces a ______ and _______ workforce who will not __________ __________.
docile
obedient
challenge
authority
What do marxists believe about meritocracy?
Marxists say that education uses meritocracy to legitimise inequality. They claim that mertiocracy is a myth, so working-class pupils are blamed for their poor results for their poor results, whenit is actually a result of their social class.
What are some criticisms of the functionalist viewpoint on education?
1= There is evidence of differential achievement between class, gender and ethnicity suggesting education is not meritocratic.
2= It can be argued that it does not prepare students with what employers want.
3= It doesn’t explain conflict (rose tinted glasses).
What are some criticisms on the marxist viewpoint of education?
1= Assumes that people are passive victims and exaggerates the extent of socialisation into obedience - many w-c kids are NOT obedient.
2= Most people are aware of the inequality in education, and don’t think that the inequality is legitimate.
What do feminists believe about the education system?
Feminists argue that the education system is patriarchal. They say the hidden curriculum reinforces gender differences.
What do liberal feminists want from the education system?
Liberal feminists want equal access to education for both sexes.
What do radical feminists want from the education system?
Radical feminists believe men are a bad influence, and want female-centred education.
What do marxist feminists want from the education system?
Marxist feminists want to consider gender inequalities combined with inequalities of class ad ethnicity.
The New Right believes that education should provide ___________ ___________. They claim that the role of the school should be more like that of a ___________, which ___________ with one and another to attract ___________ and meet their ________ and wants. They claim that this will universally improve the ___________ of education.
individual choice
business
compete
customers
needs
standard
__________ schools are run by the state, so they don’t have to __________ for their _________ (_______). New Right theorists suggest that this has led to ______ __________. They want to accelerate the creation of an ‘___________ _________’.
State
compete
customers (pupils)
poor standards
education market
