Theories of education in society

Question 1

Name functionalists to learn about education

Answer 1

Durkheim
Parsons
Davis and moore

Question 2

Durkheim

Answer 2

Functionalist 
Says it gives social solidarity
- society needs sense of solidarity 
- members must feel part of a community 
- passes on societies culture from one generation ton next 
Specialist skills
- economies need skills 
- schools create this

Question 3

Parsons

Answer 3

Functionalist
Says family acts as bridge between wider society and family
Within family child is judged with PARTICULARLIST STANDARDS
- rules that only apply to that child
Schools have universalistic standards
- status is achieved not ascribed

Question 4

Davis and Moore

Answer 4

Functionalist

Role allocation

Question 5

Evaluation of functionalist perspective

Answer 5

There is evidence that equal opps in education do not exist

Marxists argue only instilles values of the capitalist class

Question 6

Neo liberal and new right sociologists in education

Answer 6

Chubb and moe

Question 7

Similarities between new right and functionalist

Answer 7

Both believe some are more talented than others
Both favour meritocracy
Both think schools should socialise pupils on shared values

Question 8

Chubb and moe: Consumer choice

Answer 8

Argue us edu has failed
- not created equal opps
- fails to produce pupils with skills needed in the economy
- private schools produce higher quality education
They call for INTRODUCTION OF MERITOCRACY

Question 9

Evaluation of Neo Lib and new right

Answer 9

1. Marxists say reason for low results is due to inequality of funding
2. There’s a contradiction between the new rights support for parental choice on the other hand and the state imposing a compulsory national curriculum on all its schools on the other

Question 10

Marxist sociologists on education

Answer 10

Althusser

Bowles and gintis

Question 11

Althusser

Answer 11

Argued education consists of two elements
REPRESSIVE
- maintained rule through the force or threat of it
IDEOLOGICAL
- maintained rules through controlling D people’s ideas values and beliefs

Says education performs two main functions
REPRODUCES
- class inequality by transmitting it from one generation to the next
LEGITIMISES
- class inequality by predicting ideologies they disquise its true intentions

Question 12

Bowles and Gintis

Answer 12

Take these ideas further
Argue capitalism requires a submissive work force
They make them accepting of exploitation and hard work
Bowles an Gintis study of NY student
- students were only rewarded for qualities that were submissive
G and g argue there are close parallels between schooling and wider society
- hierarchy
MYTH OF MERITOCRACY
- schools justify inequality

Question 13

Evaluation of Marxists

Answer 13

wills rejects that it brainwashes people because many people can reject school and still get a job

Question 14

Willis

Answer 14

Learning to labour / lad counter culture