Theories of Education

Question 1

What are the main theorists in functionalism?

Answer 1

Durkheim
Parsons
Davis and Moore

Question 2

What does Durkheim believe concerning education?

Answer 2

Education functions to develop social solidarity
Education is vital when transmitting norms and values
Plays a key role in maintaining labour force

Question 3

What does parsons believe concerning education?

Answer 3

Claims education is a key agent for secondary socialisation
Believed it acted like a bridge for students: particularistic status of family to the universalistic status of workplace
All students are dealt in the same manner
Key function of it is role allocation - includes sorting,sifting, assessing and evaluating to see who is able

Question 4

Parsons pt. 2

Answer 4

Believes schools to be meritocratic and performance and IQ based
This ensures education system is fair and that students have an equal chance of success
This maintains social order and consensus as all individuals have equality of opportunity
Durkheim and parsons believed schools was a mini society/ microcosm of society and believed school rules should be strictly enforced as it teaches hierarchy, objectives to meet and mixed w/other people

Question 5

Davis and Moore

Answer 5

Developed the function of the selection and allocation function
Claim that 3 high rewards were attached to jobs which are most functional for society
1. Pay
2. Status/Prestige
3. Reduce loans/mortgages

Question 6

Strengths of functionalism theory

Answer 6

Points out links between and within social institutions in society
Emphasises the importance of socialisation in schools
Influences the New Right thinking and research

Question 7

Weaknesses of functionalism theory

Answer 7

Tumin argues its a bit subjective deciding which job is more important
Evidence that the equal opportunity in education doesn’t exists
New Right argues that the state of the education system doesn’t prepare young people for adequately for work

Question 8

Main theorists for the marxism theory

Answer 8

Althusser
Bowles and Gintis
Bourdieu
Willis

Question 9

Marxist theory of education

Answer 9

Believe education system serves to reproduce capitalism + transmit ideas of r/c
Marx believed r/c controls s/c to persuade them to accept w/out question that social inequality can be justified and everybody has a chance of success. This is part of the ruling class ideology

Question 10

Althusser and education

Answer 10

Believes no class can hold power for long if they simply use force
Education system has replaced the role that religion once played in persuading people to accept their position in life.
Believed schools are part of the ideological state apparatus - institutions used by r/c to pass on their beliefs
Claimed role of education was that education is a control device and it prepared students for the role in the workplace and to be obedient workers

Question 11

Bowles and Gintis: correspondence principle

Answer 11

Believed there was a close correspondence between education and work, way in which people interact w/ each other are similar - called correspondence principle
This prepares people for future roles as workers within capitalist system. Social reproduction occurs at different groups of people are allocated certain types of qualifications.
This reproduces social inequality and enables r/c to maintain their position of power

Question 12

Bowles and Gintis and education

Answer 12

Don’t believe education is meritocratic, exam results aren’t based on IQ
Believe that a person’s social background is more influential in determining their results
They identified high grade pupils were conformist and dependent while low grade pupils were non-conformist and independent
Believed able students weren’t rewarded grades as their behaviour isn’t what was expected by r/c
R/c need education to create obedient,passive + conformist workers so schools are determining personality traits that’re easily exploited and don’t question it

Question 13

Bourdieu pt 1: 3 reasons why m/c succeed

Answer 13

Argues schools are m/c institutions, run by m/c people in which m/c students succeed because..
1. Language
2. Teachers are m/c professionals
3. Government - pass policy
Believes education reproduces social class inequality to enable the dominant class to remain in a position of power, education plays a key role in passing on a r/c culture making it appear superior
Believes no culture is superior to another

Question 14

Bourdieu pt 2: ways how w/c made to fail, social function of elimination

Answer 14

Believed education performs ‘the social function of elimination’,schools eliminate the w/c preventing them from progressing to gain qualifications in two ways:
1. Educational failure: failing, no option
2. Self - elimination
High culture: set of culture products, mainly in the arts, held in highest esteem by a culture
Mass culture: set of ideas + values that develop from common exposure to same media, new sources, music and art

Question 15

Bourdieu pt 3: cultural capital, cultural deficit, language is a weapon

Answer 15

Cultural capital: advantages m/c, their lifestyle already fits into education at school
Cultural deficit: disadvantages w/c, their lifestyle doesn’t fit into education at school
Believes m/c students earn their success while w/c deserve to fail, illusion achieved through symbolic violence
Believes language is a weapon in class war, using confusing language to maintain authority and creates confusion
Education legitimises inequality and capitalism and cheap workforce for capitalism by persuading w/c to leave school @ 16 w/few qualifications for work

Question 16

Paul willis: anti-school subculture

Answer 16

Its a small group of people who would have some different values to those of a school
Would have bad attitudes to school/qualifications/ teachers
Would rebel
Formed as they all hate school and believe that having jobs are better than having an education as they believed qualifications weren’t necessary

Question 17

Strengths of marxism and education

Answer 17

Points out how ideology is transmitted within schools via the hidden curriculum
Points out the inequalities of both opportunity and outcome in the system
It recognises conflict of interest in schools, not everyone shares values
Shows how schools prepare you for the workplace

Question 18

Weaknesses of marxism and education

Answer 18

Assumes teachers are unaware of class dynamics and are all m/c agents
Many w/c children do succeed in education system 
Overemphasises class and ignores other structural inequalities: ethnicity and gender
Deterministic - willis isn't a deterministic theory while the rest are and assume conformity, same students rebel
Ignores external and internal factors

Question 19

New Right theorists

Answer 19

Chubb and Moe

Question 20

New Right and education

Answer 20

They believe that some people are naturally more talented than others
Broadly favour an education system that run on meritocratic principles of open competition, that serves the needs of the economy by preparing young people for work
Believe that education should socialise pupils into shared values, like competition and instil a sense of national identity

Question 21

Chubb and Moe: marketisation of education and roles of the state

Answer 21

Disadvantaged groups: lower classes, ethnic and religious minorities and rural communities - been badly served by education
State education is inefficient as it fails to produce pupils w/skills needed by the economy
Private schools deliver highly quality education as they’re answerable to paying consumers (parents)
The state imposes framework such as league tables which gives parents info in which schools to choose, and schools transmits shared culture by imposing a national curriculum

Question 22

Evaluation of New Right

Answer 22

Critics argue that the real cause of low educational standards isn’t state control but social inequality and inadequate funding of state schools
Marxists argue education doesn’t impose a shared national curriculum as New Right argue, but imposes culture of a dominant minority r/c