Sociology- Education revision

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  • Created by: Nlane26
  • Created on: 20-05-22 10:53

Role and Functions of Education- Functionalism

  • Durkheims two main functions: 
    • creating social solidarity:
      • the transmisstion of society's norms and values, from one generation to the next through the overt curriculum and hidden curriculum 
      • schools are society in miniture  
    • teaching specialist skills:
      • people must be taught specialist skills to take part in the highly complex division of labour and they are, through school
    • criticisms of the theories: 
      • marxists- education transmits a dominant culture which benefits the ruling class rather then society as a whole
      • Willis and Hargreaves- transmittion of norms and values arent always successful (e.g.anti-school subcultures would reject these values)
      • most occupational skills are learned 'on the job' rather than through educational qualifications
  • Parsons two ideas: 
    • education acts as a bridge between family and wider society:
      • family status is ascribed, and within the fmaily the children are judged to particularistic standards
      • in society, people are compared to univeralistic standards(based on things like hard work) 
    • education socialises people into the basic values of society: 
      • the value of achievement(status through effort)
    • school represents society in miniture
    • criticisms:
      • it implies that people passively accept everything taught in schools- not the case
      • the existance of private schools where skill doesnt matter, theire rich so will do good, opposes the theory
  • Davis and Moore:
    • the education system sorts people in abilities 
      • talent=high grades and better job
      • this leads to inequalities but these are natural, there is only limited amount of talent 
    • criticisms: 
      • education isnt only influenced by education, e.g.middle-class students have more cultural capital so will do better in schools
      • range of class differences in educational achievement suggests not everyone has the same change in education 
  • functionalism & new right:
    • they believe some are more naturally talented than others
    • education should run on competition 
    • education socialises students into shared values and national identity
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Role and Functions of Education- Marxism

  • Althusser:
    • education reproduces class inequality by transmitting it 
    • education legitimises class inequality- edeucation forces people to understand that inequality is enevitable 
  • Evaluation of Althusser:
    • positive:
      • schools do produce class inequality: middle-class students have more cultural capital so do better in education 
      • working class students are less likely to go to hiugher education (uni) becuase of feer of debt
    • negative:
      • the theory is too deterministic, w/c students aren't entirely molded by schools, they dont accept everything they are taught
      • education can harm the bourgeoisie- sociology is threatening them 
  • Bowles and Gintis 
    • correspondance principle: 
      • school produces a subserviant workforce
      • the hidden curriculun encourages acceptance of hierarchy
      • pupils motivated by external rewards (grades) rather than love of education 
      • school subjects are fragmented the way work routine is 
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