Education & Sociological Perspectives

What is the Marxist view of education?

Education reproduces class inequality and serves capitalism, not students.

Who were Bowles and Gintis?

A: Marxists who argued schools prepare working-class pupils for exploitation.

What is the correspondence principle?

School mirrors the workplace (hierarchy, obedience, authority).

Give examples of the correspondence principle.

• Teachers = bosses

• Students = workers

• Rules & punctuality prepare pupils for work

What is the hidden curriculum?

Unwritten lessons like obedience, passivity, and acceptance of inequality.

Marxist evaluation of education?

• Too deterministic

• Ignores student resistance

• Doesn’t explain working-class success

: What is the functionalist view of education?

Education promotes social solidarity and social order.

What did Émile Durkheim believe about education?

It teaches shared values and creates social cohesion.

What did Talcott Parsons say education does?

Acts as a bridge between family and society using universalistic standards.

What is meritocracy?

People are rewarded based on ability and effort.

What is meant by equal opportunity?

Everyone has the same chances to succeed in education.

Functionalist evaluation?

• Ignores class inequality

• Meritocracy criticised as a myth

• Overly optimistic

What is interactionism?

A micro-level theory focusing on everyday interactions.

What is labelling?

Teachers attach labels to students based on behaviour, class, or appearance.

What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?

A label leads a student to act in ways that make the label come true

How do teacher interactions affect achievement?

Through expectations, streaming, and differential treatment

Interactionist evaluation?

• Explains daily inequality

• Ignores wider class structures

• Too small-scale

How can interactionism link to Marxism?

Teacher labelling helps reproduce class inequality in schools.