Sociology education topic 1 paper 3

Functionist -Durkhiem

the positive, functionalist view of education is represented by

1. transmission of societal norms and values - the curriculum encourages students to have a common value and language system reinforcing the value of meritocracy.

2. creation of social solidarity - schools helps create social solidarity through subjects like history, reinforcing national identity and feeling bigger than yourself

3. schools is a microcosm - school helps teach kids that there are rules and values to society with punishments which are made clear and misbehaviour damages society 

4. prepares for the division of labour - education teaches specific workforce skills such as specialisation into subjects, allowing their skills and become interdependent upon one another in order to produce goods ands services 

functionist - Parsons

reinforces Durkheim’s view on education:

1. education acts as a bridge between the family and wider society - a mother may ascribe their child as being special, however in wider society universalistic standards apply, with the school helping to ease transition, creating a meritocratic society 

2. education socialises young people into the basic values of society - two major values in schools, the value of equality and opportunity, with all children coming out winners or losers and thinking this is fair as they have both had equal chances for success

3. education selects people for their future roles - schools by testing and evaluating students, allow them to match their talents and skills by what they are best suited towards

Functionist / new right - Davis and more

education is necessary for society and the economy:

1. education is essential for effective role allocation: inks to the education system directly with the system of social stratification. it is a mechanism for the most talented and able members of society (e.g. the position with specialist knowledge, skills, experience few people can gain) earn high rewards, acting as incentives

2. education sifts sorts and grades individuals - . Education rewards the most talented with high qualifications, which provides entry to those most important to society 

3. education runs on meritocratic principles - Stratification and inequality are normal, natural and even desirable in capitalist society because there is a limited amount of talent. These talented few need to be persuaded to make a sacrifice (by staying on in education)

Functionist / new right - Saunders

new right / functionalist study on education:

1. societies reward positions unequally for benefit effect - without economic rewards and penalties, the only sanctions available would be those involving threat / use of physical force.

2. Education is run on meritocracy principles: education provides an equal chance to succeed.  those with greater achievement receive more merit.  they are rewarded because of their ability to work hard and for valued attributes and characteristics.

3. in society there is an unequal distribution of ability and effort: children of middle-class parents may deserve to be more successful than those from the working class because they tend to have greater genetically inherited ability and because they work harder.

new right - Buchman and Tullock 

Competitive market – within a market, there will be multiple businesses in that section, these businesses would compete with each other to other the lowest prices

local councils act as a monopoly because consumers cannot freely choose alternative providers of education. Furthermore, because they are public funded’ the providers cannot go out of the business.

The solution to education is to bring market principles into education, making schools wanting to compete with each other for customers (pupils and parents). It is called public choice theory because we need to increase the choice which parents and students have when it comes to selecting schools 

new right - Chubb and Moe

a government run education was unresponsive to the needs of pupils and parents and state schools tended to have lower standards. 

The two ways to get out of a state school are:  

1. Paying for private school  

2. Moving to an area with a school parents prefer  

State schools have little freedom autonomy:

this is because state schools were accountable to local government councils, which forced their interest into schools rather than the ones of parents and pupils, and government bureaucrats expanded the autonomy of schools / headteachers, restricting their ability to respond to the needs of parents.

he difference between Buchman and Tullock’s study is that the teachers want to help children and parents but they are not able to due to government control  

Marx

the role of education is to benefit the ruling class by:  

• education being part of the super structure of society -

The bourgeoise are at the means and control of the superstructure, For example the bourgeoise created the education system to serve their own interests.

• education transmits ruling class ideology -

This is seen within the hidden curriculum, with the way it spreads ruling class ideology, creating a false class consciousness of reality where the system tells people to be natural, just, and responsible, hiding the nature of exploitation and inequality 

• the education system helps to maintain and reproduce inequalities in society -

Within the education system there are different types of schools- those for the elite and those for everyone else. State schools really prepare working class pupils for the tedium of work by offering boring curriculum that crushes creativity and produces complaint workers. Whereas pupils (middle and upper class) who attend elite schools are taught higher level skills and leadership skills

Marx - Althusser

For the ruling class to survive and prosper, the reproduction of labour power is essential. workers need to be reproduced who can be exploited so that the bourgeoise can continue to make profits on capitalism.

Ways education aids this:  

the reproduction of ruling class ideology and the socialisation of workers: the ruling class use education to transmit ruling class ideology (i.e. knowledge beneficial to the bourgeoise). as this is a far more effective way of maintaining control of workers. e.g. working class accepting their position as ‘natural’, ‘just’ and ‘reasonable’ and failed to realise the true nature of their exploitation,

the reproduction of skills necessary for an efficient workforce -

Education not only transmits ruling class ideology which legitimises the capitalist system, it also teaches the necessary attitudes and behaviours that are required for capitalism to survive.

marx - Bowles and Gintis 

Correspondence principle: the idea that the hidden curriculum shapes the future workforce in the following ways 

1. Produces a subservient workforce of uncritical, passive and docile workers - conformity is rewarded as pupils who are more conformist receive higher grades

2. Encourages the acceptance of hierarchy - Pupils have to listen to their teachers, having no control over what they study, preparing them for the world of work as they will have to accept authority in capitalism

3. Pupils learned to be motivated by external factors. there is little satisfaction from schoolwork and learning is based mostly on the ‘jug and mug principle’. many pupils do not enjoy the process of schooling and only do it for rewards

4. School subjects are fragmented e.g. knowledge is packed into different subjects with little connection made between them 

marx - Bourdieu

education helps to maintain the wealth and power of the ruling class by ensuring the educational success of the wealthy.

the major role of the education system is cultural reproduction 

e.g. an appreciation of classical music and other aspects of high culture, whereas working class culture is presented as inferior.  

Therefore, education is biased in towards the culture of dominant classes, devaluating knowledge and skills of the working class:  

The curriculum and exams in school are based on cultural capital favouring the ruling class. making working class pupils unable to grasp meaning embedded in the ‘grammar accent, tone and delivery’ of teachers and learnings.

Middle class students will also succeed due to the cultural capital, making middle class children have an inbuilt king advantage in education

Education eliminates members of the working class from higher levels of education 

in 2 ways: examination failure or self-elimination. the lack of cultural capital means working class pupils are more likely to fail exams, preventing higher education.

The working class pupils who may be successful will practice self elimination because the pupils often make ‘realistic decisions’ of leaving school at 16 in order to work, recognising the system is against them.  

Bourdieu concludes that social inequality and hierarchy is reproduced in the education system and as a result it is legitimised

Social democratic - Hasley

The role of education should be to create equality of opportunity and meritocracy

The class system stands in the way of equality of educational opportunities as demonstrated by the effects of the tripartite system.  

The tripartite system tested pupils at the age of 11 and allocated children into either, grammar, secondary or a technical school. middle class pupils were more likely to get places in grammar schools. This discriminated working class pupils, reinforcing class divisions.

The solution: Halsey advocated the comprehensive system

In the 1960’s the tripartle system was scrapped and replaced with the comprehensive system which was designed to be meritocratic. Comprehensive schools ensured all students of classes received the same education and curriculum that provided a broad range of general knowledge with the skill of adaptability for changing workforce needs.  

The inequalities made from free market principles being embedded in the education system was disastrous. Furthermore, free market principles have prevented equality in education opportunity.  

Social democratic -Crosland

the labour governments education secretary in the 50’s / 60’s who argued the role of education should be to create equality of opportunity in wider society. He made himself well known in public by saying “If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to destroy every fucking grammar school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland”. 

calls for the comprehensive revolution in the 1960’s (comprehensivisation)  

the tripartite system and eleven-plus exam went to the scrapheap opening the way for bright children in ordinary backgrounds to get a rounded schooling. Until then, ¾ of children who failed the 11 plus were put into a secondary modern on the basis of a single exam, so they would spend the next 50 years ‘working with their hands’ 

A fairer education system would also equalise the distribution of rewards and privileges so as to diminish the degree of class stratification 

In the book ‘the future of socialism’, Crosland argued that a fairer education would equalise the distribution of rewards and privileges which diminished the degree of class stratification. If educational success or failure no longer depend on background, then the amount of social mobility would also increase to the extent that class distinctions would become progressively blurred  

Social democratic - Shultz

By giving everyone an opportunity to learn we can all benefit  

By making societies more meritocratic ensuring that everyone could level their maximum contribution to society, encourage economic growth, bringing prosperity to all. Therefore, educations key role should be to equip individuals regardless of social class background to make this happen.  

Skills and knowledge are forms of capital 

this could have the same effect as capital investments in machinery. Therefore, if more was spent on education by the government, the productivity and efficiency of the workforce would increase, and the extra money spent would soon be repaid by the extra contribution made to the economy.

This theory is seen in American agriculture, were farms with less educated workforces were not as productive as those with educated workforce 

Unlike physical and economic capital human capital investments are tied to the individuals. 

going to college and university or on-the-job training are all examples of investments in human capital because. they add to a person's productivity over peoples lifetime. Therefore, people with more education and work experience tend to have significantly higher incomes, which is what the theory of human capital predicts.

Social democratic - Czerniawski

Schools are hierarchical structures which reflect social inequality  

This means power is at the top of the organisation, in the hands of the board of governors, head teachers and senior managers. They are also hierarchical in the sense older students have a greater voice and status in schools. However, ‘student voice' is a way of challenging hierarchy by giving students their own institution to run, giving pupils control over their environment, making them more motivated in school offerings 

The ‘every child matters’ policy encouraged exam boards, schools and colleges to incorporate ‘student voice’ in their practices 

Since the intro of the every child matters labour policy, schools incorporate student voice in their practices e.g. employing and training of staff. Therefore student voice is a useful way to improve democratic participation in schools and in the long term encourage greater democratic participation in society as pupils get older and lead to greater equality in society  

Student voice can be a catalyst for change in schools  

student voice also improves pupils’ self-esteem, self-confidence and status which translates to better performance in schools and the economy. Czerniawski argues with student voice teachers, heads and administrators gain access to specialist and largely untapped knowledge that students have about schools.