theory Flashcards
Altrusser - Marxist views
Education does not transmit common values. It is an ideological state apparatus (ISA). To maintain, legitimate and reproduce, generation by generation, class inequalities in wealth and power by transmitting capitalist ruling class values disguised as common values. The ideology is transmitted subconsciously through the hidden curriculum – ideological control. Therefore creating ‘false class consciousness’ and the working class accept failure and inequality.
Criticisms
Underestimate some pupil’s resistance to teachers and schools.
Willis - Marxist views
Learning to Labour - ‘Lads’ and ‘Ear oles’. Anti school subcultures are formed by working class lads - This lead to shop floor culture adopted in the workplace - Relieves from boredom of working class, repetitive work.
Criticisms
Based on 12 boys, small and unrepresentative sample.
Bourdieu - Marxist views
Cultural Capital benefits the middle class. Economic capital – Middle class parents are financially more able to support their children – Tutors, cultural capital, resources. Travel to the best schools etc. More needs to be done to create equality.
Durkheim - Functionalist views
Social solidarity and Value consensus
Social rules. Education teaches skills for specialised division of labour in society.
Education is meritocratic – Ability + Effort = merit. Schools instil value of achievement and value of equality of opportunity.
Criticisms
The values and skills passed on through the education system favour the rich and powerful rather than the whole of society.
Parsons - Functionalist views
Education provides a bridge from family to wider society. Helps us move from Particularistic values of the family to universalistic, shared values of society
Criticisms
Long way from the meritocracy, social class, gender and ethnicity remain a massive influence on educational achievement.
Davis and Moore - Functionalist views
Role Allocation-linked to social stratification. High rewards and incentives given to the most skilled jobs ensures that those with the skills work hard to take these roles - meritocracy and scarcity of personel. Education sorts, sifts and grades people in terms of ability. Functionally important roles are those which have others dependent on them, those that are unique (few people can do them) and those where there is a scarcity of personal.
Criticisms
The most functionally important aren’t the highest rewarded e.g. nurses on low pay.
Skelton - Feminist views
Argues that the hidden curriculum passes on patriarchal ideologies e.g. teacher expectations of girls / boys. Teachers label girls as passive.
Criticisms It is meaningless to make explanations purely about gender and achievement when this is also affected by class and ethnicity e.g. middle class boys outperform working class girls.
Kelly - Feminist views
Science is packaged as a ‘boys subject’ which means girls may underachieve and not go into science / engineering based job roles in the future.
Criticisms It is meaningless to make explanations purely about gender and achievement when this is also affected by class and ethnicity e.g. middle class boys outperform working class girls.
Colley - Feminist views
Subject choices of students are different based on:
- Perception of gender roles - Socialisation influences subject choice
- Subject Preferences - Students pick subjects based on perception of class activities etc.
- Learning environment - Single / mixed sex classes etc influences choices.
Criticisms It is meaningless to make explanations purely about gender and achievement when this is also affected by class and ethnicity e.g. middle class boys outperform working class girls.
Becker - Interactionist views
Middle class students are labelled as the “Ideal pupil” meaning that they are more likely to achieve. Working class students do not have the appearance of the middle class and do not have the equipment etc meaning that they are labelled as less likely to achieve - Self-fulfilling prophecy
Hargreaves - Interactionist views
Speculation: Initial guesses by teachers about students abilities based on appearance and discipline.
Working Hypothesis: Based on interaction with students – Teachers develop theories about the ‘type of student’ they are talking to.
Elaboration: Teachers initial ‘hypothesis’ is tested in the classroom – They either confirm or reject their ‘guesses’ based on observing the student.
Stabilisation: The teacher feels they know the student and interpret everything about them based on their judgements and interactions e.g. if they were labelled as ‘deviant’ is it difficult for
the teacher to see that students’ behaviour in a positive way.
Keddie - Interactionist views
Researched A and C streamers - A streamers were labelled more positively that C streamers and were trusted more to do a range of activities and to work alone - These labels lead to self-fulfilling prophecies of achievement for the A streamers and lack of achievement for C streamers.
Usher, Bryant and Edwards - Postmodernist views
Point to increasing diversity, choice and change that characterises today’s society and the need to meet the demands of contemporary society. Education can be used to influence identity and argue that adult education can play a big part in this.
Lilich - Liberal views
Education should be for its own sake and develop students as human being. Rather than specialising in one or two subjects, students are encouraged to pick courses from a wide range of disciplines. They also argue that it should give students more choice over what they learn - We should promote learning webs where students work with each other or teachers based on what they are interested in learning about.
A.S.Neil’s Summerhill School - Liberal views
This is an example of a school in which allows the students more choice about their education. Students develop a timetable of learning together and help to run meetings about how the school should be run. Students develop a range of skills rather than just following the formal curriculum.
