Theories/Perspectives Flashcards
Functionalism - according to functionalism, what should education emphasise?
Moral responsibilities members of society have towards each other.
Functionalism - according to Emile Durkheim, why is history important to teach?
Develops loyalty & pride to your nation, creating a shared sense of identity.
Functionalism - what does Parsons believe the main role of education is?
Form bridge between family & wider society by socialising children to adopt meritocratic view of education.
Functionalism - according to functionalists, what are the 3 main functions of education?
Socialisation
Skills provision
Role allocation
Functionalism - name 3 criticisms of the functionalist approach.
Education isn’t powerful enough to socialise people in a multicultural society.
Society doesn’t produce skills needed for the economy.
The claim education is fair & meritocratic doesn’t consider inequalities within education, eg class.
Marxism - who does the education institution serve?
The needs of the ruling class.
Marxism - what are the two main purposes education performs in a capitalist society?
Reproduce class inequalities.
Legitimise inequalities through meritocracy.
Marxism - what does education reproduce?
The conditions needed to capitalism to flourish without force.
Marxism - who believes working-class culture is separated through music/art etc and ruling class culture is more advanced? What is this called?
Pierre Bourdieu (1977)
‘Symbolic violence’ against the working class.
Marxism - how does Pierre Bourdieu (1977) believe the working-class culture is separated?
What is this a form of?
Ruling-class culture is viewed as more advanced & accepted, whilst working-class culture is rejected.
Symbolic violence.
Marxism - what are criticisms of the marxist approach to education?
(3)
Doesn’t consider other factors.
Now considered work requires teamwork.
Education requires critical thinking.
New Right - why is education important?
Providing a successful economy.
New Right - what are criticisms of the New Right approach?
2
Favours the rich, allowing them advantages.
Working-class talent is wasted, harming the economy.
New Right - what does private education prioritise?
Profit not wellbeing, maintaining high standards.
New Right - what should education be ran as?
A business.
New Right - what can state education do?
Drain an economy.
Postmodernism - what does Postmodernism deny?
A single way of being able to tackle the problems within education.
Postmodernism - what is education no longer separate from?
Other aspects of life - it’s become integrated with leisure & work.
Postmodernism - what develops too fast for institutions to keep up with?
Society
Postmodernism - what are criticisms of the Postmodern approach?
(2)
Exaggerates changes in society.
Ignores how education can be shaped by big businesses rather than individual wishes.
Marxism - how do schools mirror work in a capitalist society, according to correspondence theory?
(3)
Hierarchy = boss (headteacher) at top, different management levels (staff) in middle & workers at bottom (pupils).
Rewards & sanctions = people are rewarded for hard work & given sanctions for misbehaving.
Passive & docile = looks for a passive, unimaginative & uncomplaining workforce (schools).
Functionalism - a united/orderly society can be created if people ________ with ______, regardless of _______ abilities.
Education has done this by making ______ more _________.
a) cooperate
b) others
c) academic
d) society
e) heterogenous
Functionalism - according to Davis and Moore, one of the 3 main roles of education is role allocation.
Explain this.
(3)
People sorted into roles on class & background.
Society is meritocratic.
Provides nationally recognised qualifications so employers can see who’s best.
Functionalism - criticisms of Davis & Moore’s ideas about role allocation:
_______ _______ is neglected as schools encourage _________ too much, creating a focus on ________ activities so students can’t access ____ ____ for them, resulting in _______ role allocation
a) social solidarity
b) competition
c) cooperative
d) skills best
e) inaccurate
Marxism - Bowles and Gintes’ correspondence theory states _________ students are encouraged to enter their ______ career - _____ ________ mirror the ______ work _________.
a) working-class
b) ‘destined’
c) school expectations
d) capitalist work environment
Neo-marxism - what Paul Willis find?
Who does this contradict?
Working-class boys chose to form an anti-school subculture as they willingly accepted their fate as factory workers and saw no relevance in educated.
Bowles and Gintes
Marxism - according to Bowles and Gintes, working-class pupils ended up in ______ work or low ____/low ______ work because ______ & ______ shape them into believing that their ______ is ______.
a) factory
b) paid/skilled
c) schools
d) society
e) future
f) fixed
Marxism - name 3 MATERIAL factors that led to the educational disadvantage of working-class pupils.
Lower attendance rates due to inadequate nutrition & health.
Private tuition is too expensive.
More likely to live near poor-performing schools.
Marxism - name 3 CULTURAL factors that led to the educational disadvantage of working-class pupils.
Attitudes
Codes
Sets
Why girls underachieved in the PAST:
___________.
_______ are ____ likely to ____ sons ________ & _______ daughters from long ______ courses.
___________ has _______ messages to enforce a ______ divide, eg _________ feature boys handling ________.
a) socialisation
b) families
c) more
d) fund
e) educations
f) discourage
g) training
h) hidden curriculum
i) subliminal
j) gender
k) science
l) equipment
Marxism - name 3 changes in SOCIETY which may have contributed to the IMPROVED educational performance of girls.
Equal Pay Act (1970) & Sex Discrimination Act (1975)
The pill (1961) & abortion (1967) - women had families later.
Teacher training involves avoiding gender labelling.
Marxism - Pierre Bourdieu: \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is \_\_\_\_\_ into accepting \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ & limited social \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Education \_\_\_\_\_\_ middle-class \_\_\_\_\_\_/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Working-class \_\_\_\_\_\_ is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ (\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_).
a) working-class
b) duped
c) failure
d) mobility
e) values
f) values/cultures
g) culture
h) rejected
i) symbolic violence
Marxism - Louis Althusser stated \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is an ideological state apparatus - it's \_\_\_\_\_ function is to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ & \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ class \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. It \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ruling-class \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ beliefs \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ as \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ values to encourage \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ & not \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ it. Takes place through \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
a) education
b) main
c) maintain & reproduce
d) inequalities.
e) transmits
f) capitalist
g) disguised
h) common
i) competition
j) question
Takes place through hidden curriculum.
Marxism - Bowles and Gintes (1976) state the ____________ is used to _______ students for the ________. ________ students are given higher _____ than those who are _______ and rewarded with _______ rewards of _____ success.
a) hidden curriculum
b) prepare
c) workforce
d) conformist
e) grades
f) creative
g) external
h) exam
Neo-Marxist - Paul Willis’ (1977) studied a group of boys in a comprehensive school & found they took an anti-school stance/subculture.
Explain this study. (4)
Opposed schools norms & values.
Felt superior.
Traditional working-class masculinity.
1st job = unskilled manual & lacked respect.
Neo-Marxist - what did Henry Giroux (1994) suggest schools are sites of? What do working-class students actively do? What does Giroux disagree with?
Ideological struggle by different classes & ethnicities as they strive to ensure education provides what they want.
Shape their own education & resist discipline.
Conventional marxist approach.
New Right - what did Chubb and Moe (1988) suggest state education is unresponsive to?
How does this differ to private education?
Needs of pupils/parents, creating low standards.
Private education must please pupils/parents to survive so has higher standards.
Social Democrats - what should schools provide?
What do they believe should come from the education system?
Help to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Greater equality.
Social Democrats - how should the rich be stopped from using their wealth to their advantage?
Pay higher taxes & more govt spending on state education to provide equal opportunities.
Social Democrats - who was seen as influential to the role of education in the eyes of Social Democrats?
British Labour govts in 1960s & 70s.
Social Democrats - what are criticisms of the Social Democratic view?
(2)
Doesn’t consider other factors like race.
High spending on education might not lead to improvement or economic growth.
Functionalism - what are the 3 norms and values transmitted by education, according to Durkheim?
Social solidarity
Teaching social roles & how to abide by them
Teaching specialist skills
Functionalism - explain the concept of ‘instilling social solidarity’, according to Durkheim.
History in schools lets children see themselves as part of a bigger picture & connect with people from different backgrounds & experiences.
Functionalism - explain the concept of ‘teaching social rules and how to abide by them’, according to Durkheim.
(2)
Schools ensure everyone follows a particular set of rules & behaves the same. Learning to interact within the rules is learning how to function in society.
Functionalism - explain the concept of ‘teaching of specialist skills’, according to Durkheim.
Children learn different things in school depending on future roles/jobs.
Functionalism - why do marxists criticise Durkheim’s ideas? (2)
Question where the shared values come from & whose interests they serve.
Not everyone suits norms & values presented by society & the elite use education to spread their ideologies.
Functionalism - why do Postmodernists criticise Durkheim’s ideas? (2)
Outdated - imagines a society where value consensus is possible.
Society is multicultural & schools don’t/shouldn’t produce a set of norms & values for the whole of society.
Marxist - what is mechanical solidarity?
People have their own roles & can move between levels/roles in society.
Functionalist - what is organic analogy?
People are interdependent & allocated roles/levels in society.
New Right - why does the new right believe competition is essential?
To create innovation & motivate people so they don’t later become state-dependent.
Functionalist - name 3 ways role allocation can take place.
Setting & streaming
Careers advisers
Tiered exams
Marxist - who outlined cultural capital?
Bourdieu
Marxist Feminist - what does the hidden curriculum transmit?
Patriarchal values, gender inequality & uneven role allocation.
Marxist - what is false class consciousness as outlined by Louis Althusser?
Indoctrination - people grow up so ingrained in their environment, they don’t see the rigid class system & are blind to their oppression.
Marxist - what are language/cultural codes?
Give an example.
Spoken/written language of cultural capital.
Regional accents - some may seem less educated than others.
Functionalism - what do Davis and Moore assert about education’s purpose for society?
There must be unequal rewards for society to function - social stratification is evidence of meritocracy working.
New Right - What do the new right caution against standardisation and fairness in schools?
Schools must create competition to motivate students & create a meritocracy. Without it, students are lazy & unambitious, leading to less people filling roles in society.
Functionalism - how did the introduction of a National Curriculum help the meritocracy of the education system?
Students learn the same thing which creates fairness & equity as each student is given the same starting point.
Feminism - how are gender roles reinforced in schools?
3
Male headteachers & subordinate female teachers.
Different uniforms.
Sport choices.
Feminism - how do schools use gendered language?
3
Pet names for students.
Pupil’s sexist language.
Miss/Mrs/Ms.
Feminism - how do schools reinforce gendered physical behaviour?
(1)
Teacher’s body language when addressing pupils.
Feminism - how is the curriculum considered sexist?
Mostly male historical figures.
Gender of teachers can be subject specific.
Feminism - what are gendered expectations within school? (3)
Boys being disruptive is ‘boys being boys’, but girls are disobedient.
Teachers have lower expectations of boys.
Dress codes.
Radical feminism - what did Barnyard (2011) find?
Sexual harassment is considered a lesser form of bullying.
Marxist feminism - how do women benefit capitalism?
4
Cheap labour for employers through consumerism.
Paid less & treated differently in the workplace.
Absorb male proletariat workers anger at work.
Reproduce labour force.
Marxist feminism - how can the situation of women be improved?
Overthrowing capitalism & revolution.
Marxist feminism - how does familial ideology present the domestic division of labour?
(3)
Natural & normal - media portrays family as only way women can be fulfilled. Ideas of femininity are rooted in women’s mind - once these ideas are challenged, familial ideology can be challenged.
Dual systems feminism - what is dual systems feminism?
3
Radical & marxist feminism - capitalist & patriarchal systems can’t be separated.
Study how domestic division of labour & paid work reinforce each other.
Capitalism wants cheap labour & patriarchy wants women in the domestic sphere - systems don’t always agree.
Dual systems feminism - how can the situation of women be improved?
Overthrow the capitalist, patriarchal society through revolution.
Difference feminism - what is difference feminism?
2
Women experience the patriarchy differently based on background.
Contemporary feminism is exclusive.
Difference feminism - what is universalism?
Considering all women, regardless of backgrounds. Contemporary feminism claims a ‘false universalism’ & only focuses on experiences of privileged women.
Difference feminism - regarding universalism, what do difference feminists claim exists?
‘False universalism’ that just focuses on the experience of white, middle-class, heterosexual etc women.
Radical feminism - how is radical feminism criticised?
Ideas of a ‘male-free’ society is too extreme & fanciful - most women don’t want be separate from men, so instead alter attitudes/behaviour.
Feminism - how are the way each feminist group interacts criticised?
Divisions between them creates internal criticism where they’re distracted from their aim.
Feminism - how do Postmodernists criticise feminism?
It’s not needed in contemporary society.
Feminism - what are Walby’s 6 structures of the patriarchy?
Paid work Household production Culture Sexuality Violence State
Feminism - one of Walby’s 6 structures of the patriarchy is paid work.
Explain this.
(2)
Men dominate best paid jobs while women are paid less & do more part-time work.
Some women don’t work or work part-time due to lack of good job opportunities.
Feminism - one of Walby’s 6 structures of the patriarchy is household production.
Explain this.
(2)
Men benefit from women’s unpaid work as they do majority of housework & childcare.
But, easier divorce means women aren’t trapped by marriage & difference feminists see family life as less exploitative than racist labour market so prefer it.
Feminism - one of Walby’s 6 structures of the patriarchy is culture.
Explain this.
(2)
Western societies socialises men & women differently.
Key sign of femininity today is sexual attractiveness to men, increasingly for older women.
Feminism - one of Walby’s 6 structures of the patriarchy is sexuality.
Explain this.
(2)
‘Sexual double standard’ means women are criticised for being ‘too’ sexually active, whereas men are praised.
Heterosexuality creates pressure for women to be heterosexually active & service males through marriage.
Feminism - one of Walby’s 6 structures of the patriarchy is violence.
Explain this.
(1)
Violence against women is a form of male control over women.
Feminism - one of Walby’s 6 structures of the patriarchy is violence.
Explain this.
(2)
The state is still patriarchal, racist & capitalist = there’s been little attempt to improve women’s position in public sphere & equal opportunities legislation is rarely enforced.
Marxist - what did Halsey & Floud (1968) outline?
Social class differentiation - all children are born equally but experience life differently through social class & education.
