Topic 1 🏫(The role of education)

What do functionalist believe the role of education is? (According to Durkheim, Parsons, Davis and Moore)

DURKHEIM: Social solidarity - Pupils are taught to identify with British culture (British values). Schools help reinforce the social bonds that unite different people in society. Specialised division of labour - school teaches the knowledge and skills that future workers will need in a competitive global economy.

PARSONS: School acts a secondary socialisation - pupils learn the culture, norms and values of their society. Value consensus around meritocracy - we live in a equally society in which through effort and talent we can succeed and be allocated to the right role in society. (Role allocation)

DAVIS & MOORE: Social stratification - The education system works as a sieve, grading people and allocating them to jobs based on their individual merit, abilities and exam results. Social stratification is functionally necessary and inevitable because it motivates the most capable people to fill the most important roles in society.

What are evaluation points to functionalists perspective on the role of education?

• Marxists: The values taught in school do not benefit everyone - they reflect ruling class interests. The skills taught in school prepare students for exploitation, not skilled work. Myth of meritocracy.

• Feminists: The values reinforce patriarchal norms. The skills taught reinforce gender inequality, preparing men and women for different roles.

What do Marxists believe the role of education is? (According to Althusser and Bowles and Gintis)

ALTHUSSER: Ideological State Apparatus - education transmits capitalist ideology and maintains class inequality.

BOWLES AND GINTIS: Correspondence principle - the school mirrors the workplace producing obedient workers. This is done through the hidden curriculum.

What do neo-Marxists believe the role of education is? (According to Bourdieu and Willis)

BOURDIEU - Cultural capital and habitus: middle-class pupils succeed because schools value their culture.

WILLIS- He rejects traditional Marxists approach; he believes he ‘lads’ consciously turn away from school and seek semi-skilled or unskilled work rather than being ‘forced’ into it.

How can the Marxists view on the role of education being evaluated?

Functionalist: Education benefits everyone and promotes necessary shared values.

Feminists: Ignores gender inequality.

Postmodernists: Outdated. Education prepares for diverse, flexible careers rather than repetitive work.

What is the feminist view on education?

Heaton and Lawson: Hidden curriculum reinforces traditional gender roles.

Liberal feminists: Education has improved opportunities for girls (through polices like GIST and WISE)

Radical feminists: Education still reflects patriarchal control (e.g male dominance in leadership, sexual harassment in schools)

How can the feminist view of education be evaluated?

Functionalists - Education promotes shared values, not patriarchal ones.

Marxists - Ignores how class shapes educational experience.

Postmodernists - Gender inequality is less relevant today as gender identities are more fluid.

What is the New Rights view of education?

New right believers think schools should be run like a market. This is because schools compete in order to attract parents. Policies (NOFLIV, ERA’88) allow schools to compete, this competition and choice raises standards as every school strives to be the best. Therefore schools have to adopt continuous improvement, innovation and adaptation to succeed.

CHUBB AND MOE: Parentocracy - parents and students should be able to choose which school they go to. Private schools are more efficient because they are answerable to consumers (parents).

Global economy: Education should develop skills that make the uk workforce more productive in an globally competitive environment.

How can the new rights view of education be evaluated?

Marxist: Competition reproduces inequality since middle-class parents can use their advantages ‘skilled choosers’ (Sharon Gewirtz) Middle class students will always be ahead regardless of polices being put in place. (E.g national curriculum m/c=tutors)

Social democrats: Agree with raising standards, but inequality must be addressed first.

What is the social democrat view on education?

Social democrats support education reforms to reduce inequality of opportunity. They want every member of society to have an equal chance of being successful. Education should facilitate equality of opportunities to support social mobility along with economic growth.

Policies: comprehensive schools, compensatory education (e.g sure start, EMA, EAZ)

How can you evaluate social democrats view on education?

Marxist: Argue reforms do not challenge the capitalist system, inequality inevitably remains.

New right: Criticise the polices for wasting government money and lowering standards.

Functionalist: Supports meritocracy but see equality of opportunity as unrealistic.