Topic 5 - The Role of Education (Theories)

Question 1

Functionalist - Durkheim 2 main functions of education [2]

+ Criticism

Answer 1

Social solidarity - transmitting society’s culture from one generation to the next
Specialist skills - schools act as ‘society in miniature’ preparing us for life in wider society

Criticism:
- MX’s argue that educational institutions transmit a dominant culture serving the interest of the r/c rather than those of society as a whole.

Question 2

Functionalist - Parsons [2]

+ Criticism

Answer 2

• Argues that schools are meritocratic - All pupils have an equal chance to succeed through talent and abilities
• School as an agent of socialisation, acting as a bridge between the family and wider society.

Criticism:
- Dennis Wrong argues Parsons has an ‘over-socialised view’ of people as mere puppets of society. FN’s wrongly imply pupils passively accept all that they are taught and never reject the schools values.

Question 3

Functionalist - Davis & Moore [2]

+ Criticism

Answer 3

• Schools perform role allocation for future work roles by assessing individuals’ aptitudes and abilities
• Schools help to match them to the job they are best suited to.

Criticism:
- Intelligence and ability have only a limited influence on educational achievement. Bourdieu argues that m/c students possess more cultural + social capital and therefore are able to gain more qualifications than w/c

Question 4

Marxism - Althusser, education performs 2 functions for ideological state apparatus [3]
+ Criticism

Answer 4

• Reproduction - the education system reproduces class inequality by failing each generation of working-class pupils
• Legitimation - the education system tries to convince people that inequality is inevitable and failure is the fault of the individual, not capitalism - Contemporary ‘growth mindset’ legitimises inequality
• Reproduction affects students’ life chances, while legitimation affects what they believe and how they respond to capitalism.

Criticism:
Althusser’s points are theoretical rather than evidence based

Question 5

Marxism - Bowles & Gintis [3]

+ Criticism:

Answer 5

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• Schools create the new generations of workers to serve the capitalist system.
• There is a hidden curriculum in schools, which is used to serve the capitalist system (Eg. pupils accept hierarchy, competition, alienation)
• Meritocracy is a myth; success is based on class background, not ability or educational achievement.

Criticism
Giroux: w/c students do not accept the legitimacy of school. Many resist influence of hidden curriculum + history of trade unionism in the UK does not support the idea of worker conformity.

Question 6

Neo-Marxism - Willis [2]

+ Crticisism

Answer 6

• Pupils can see through the ruling class ideology and resist attempts to indoctrinate it in school.
• Male w/c pupils formed a distinct counterculture that flouted school rules -> smoking & girls more important than norms & values of school

Criticism:
Willis’s study was only a small sample of 12 ‘lads’ - no means typical of entire school

Question 7

Liberal Feminists view of education [1]

Answer 7

There has been a steady improvement in girls experience of school and girls achievement.

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Question 8

Radical Feminists view of education [3]

Answer 8

• Radical feminists believe that one of the primary roles of education is to maintain gender inequality:

i) Gendered Language - school teachers and textbooks use gendered language
ii) Gendered roles - textbooks present traditional gendered roles (e.g. women as housewives)
iii) Gendered stereotypes - textbooks and teachers tend to stereotype males and females (e.g. girls presented as more caring)

Question 9

The New Right view of education [2]

Answer 9

• Believe schools should be centred around competition and choice -> marketisation
• By creating an ‘education market’, schools are forced to respond to the needs of teachers, parents and pupils.

Question 10

The New Right - Chubb & Moe [3]

+ Criticism

Answer 10

• State education has failed to create equal opportunity because it does not have to respond to pupil’s needs.
• Parents and communities cannot do anything about failing schools when the schools are controlled by the state.
• Private schools deliver higher quality education because they are answerable to paying consumers (parents).

Criticism:
Gerwitz: competition between schools benefits the m/c, who can get their children into more desirable schools.