Topic 5 - Theories On Education

Question 1

What do functionalists believe?

Answer 1

Consensus view that sees society as being essentially harmonious. It argues that

• society has basic needs, including social order, to survive everyone needs social solidarity (everyone sharing same norms and values - otherwise society fails)
• social institutions like education perform positive functions for both society ad a whole and for individuals, by socialising new members of society, helping and maintaining social solidarity

Question 2

Who are the three main functionalists?

Answer 2

Durkheim
Parsons
Davis & Moore

Question 3

What does Durkheim believe about educations uses?

Answer 3

Social solidarity and Skills

Social solidarity -
society needs a sense of solidarity or it will fail. Education transmits society norms and values, binding people together and enabling them to cooperate. Individuals must feel they are part of a single community. School is a ‘mini society’ preparing us for wider society

Skills - prepares young people for work, equipping them with the specialist skills needed to play their part in the social division of labour

Question 4

What is social solidarity?

Answer 4

society needs a sense of solidarity or it will fail. Education transmits society norms and values, binding people together and enabling them to cooperate. Individuals must feel they are part of a single community. School is a ‘mini society’ preparing us for wider society

Question 5

What is Parsons functionalist theory on education?

Answer 5

Meritocracy and Socialisation

Meritocracy
- individuals achieve status through their own efforts, not backgrounds and there is equal opportunities for every individual to achieve their full potential
School is a miniature society that shows you succeed or fail depending on own efforts

Socialisation -
High school teaches everyone is treated equally and treated the same unlike primary kids who feel ‘special’. Teaches univerlistic standards and acts as a bridge between family and society

Question 6

What is meritocracy?

Answer 6

• individuals achieve status through their own efforts, not backgrounds and there is equal opportunities for every individual to achieve their full potential
  School is a miniature society that shows you succeed or fail depending on own efforts

Question 7

What do David & Moore believe about education?

Answer 7

Role allocation

• functionalists argue that schools perform the function of selecting and allocating pupils to their future work roles. By assessing individuals aptitudes and abilities, schools help match them to a suited career

They argue INEQUALITY is important and necessary to ensure the most important jobs are filled by the most talented people.
It would be inefficient and dangerous putting lower skilled people in roles such as doctors. Not everyones as talented so society has to offer higher rewards for these jobs

Question 8

What are the critics of the functionalists perspective on education?

Answer 8

Education does not teach specialist skills adequately- eg, 1/3 16 yr olds are in courses that do not lead to high education or good jobs

Equal opportunity does not exist - influenced achievements by class backgrounds rather than ability

Education instils the shared values of society as a whole - While Marxists say it only transmits ideology of the ruling class

May have an ‘oversocialised view’ of people as mere puppets of society

Question 9

What do Neoliberals believe?

Answer 9

That the state should NOT provide education. Schools should be more like businesses and operate in an education market ‘PAY FOR WHAT YOU WANT’

Question 10

What do The New Right believe ?

Answer 10

There more of a political than sociological perspectives, however is of interests to sociologists as:
• its a more recent conservative view than functionalism
• it had influenced educational policy

Question 11

What New Right ideas are similar to those of functionalists?

Answer 11

• They believe some people are more talented than others
• They agree with functionalists that education should be ran on meritocratic principles on open competition
• They believe Education should socialise pupils into shared values and provide a sense of national identity

Question 12

What problems do The New Right see in education?

Answer 12

They dont believe the state can provide an efficient education society.

• the state cannot meet peoples needs and education ends up as a ‘one size fits all’ which doesn’t meet individual and community deeds or the needs of employers for skilled and motivated workers
• low standards | state run schools are not accountable to those who use them - pupils, parents and employers

Question 13

What do the New Right see as the solution to education?

Answer 13

MARKETISATION-

the introduction into areas run by the state of market forces of consumer choice and competition between suppliers

They argue creating an education market makes schools respond to the needs of pupil, parents and employers (eg, competition with their schools make teachers have to be more efficient

Question 14

Name one new right theorist

Answer 14

Chubb and Moe

Question 15

What do Chubb and Moe say about education

Answer 15

-Giving the consumer choice

They show that state education is not meritocratic as pupils from low income families do 5% better in private schools
State education has failed to create equal opportunity as it does not have to respond to pupils needs
Parents and communities cannot do anything about failing schools as their controlled bu the states
Private schools deliver higher quality education as they are answerable to paying consumers

Question 16

What is Chubb and Moe’s solution to the inefficiency of state schools?

Answer 16

Introduce a market system in state education - giving control to consumers. This should be done via a voucher system where each family would be given a voucher to spend on buying education from a school of their choice

Question 17

What are the critics of The New Right perspective ?

Answer 17

There are other reasons why school standards have risen, not just because of introduction of the market

Critics argue that low standards in some schools is due to the inadequate funding rather than state control

Gerwirtz argues that competition between schools benefits the MC who can get their children into more desirable schools

Marxists argue that education imposed the culture of the ruling class, not a shared culture or ‘national identity ‘

Question 18

What do Marxists believe?

Answer 18

Society is based on class divisions and exploitation. 
In capitalist society there is - The ruling class and the subject class
Capitalist class own the means of production and make profits by exploiting the labour of the WC.  This creates a class conflict and threatens its stability

Question 19

What do marxists believe about education?

Answer 19

Social institutions (education system, media, religion, etc) reproduce class inequalities and play an ideological role by persuading exploited workers that inequality is justified and acceptable

Question 20

Who are the 3 Marxists theorists?

Answer 20

Althusser
Bowles & Gintis
Willis