sociology paper 1 key people

durkheim

saw education as transmitting norms and values and promoting social solidarity

durkeheim strengths

functionalist view of social cohesion through education

durkhiem weaknesses

marxists like althusser see it as legitimising social inequality

parsons

education is a bridge between family and society

meritocratic

parsons strengths

explains role allocation

parsons weaknesses

marxists say it assumes meritocracy exists

davis & moore

role allocation (education sorts people into appropriate rules)

davis & moore strengths

functionalist justification for equality

davis & moore weaknesses

rewards privilege not talent

althusser

education is an ideological state apparatus which maintains capitalism

althussers strengths

reveals ideological control

althussers weaknesses

lacks empirical evidence

deterministic

bowles & gintis

correspondence principle (school mirrors work, promotes obedience)

bowles & gintis strengths

marxist critique of schooling

bowles & gintis weaknesses

willis says students aren’t passive (anti-school subcultures)

willis

working class white boys anti-school subculture

willis strengths

shows working class agency

willis weaknesses

small sample (12) not generalisable

chubb and moe

marketisation of education

parentocracy

choice

educational vouchers

chubb and moe strengths

supports competition and standards

private education supports competiton

chubb and moe weaknesses

gerwitz (middle class benefit the most)

howard

poor diet affects concentration and performance

howard strengths

links material deprivation to underachievement

tanner

hidden cost of items like uniforms and books are barriers to poorer students

tanner strengths

highlights financial barriers

bernstein

speech codes (elaborated and restricted)

bernstein strengths

explains cultural disadvantages

bernstein weaknesses

ignores exceptions and school influence

bourdieu

cultural capital

bourdieu strengths

explains reproduced inequalities

gerwitz

parental choice benefits middle class who can use cultural/economic capital

gerwitz strengths

supports critiques of marketisation

becker

labelling

ideal pupil stereotype impacts outcomes

becker strengths

insight into teacher bias

cicourel

counsellors judges students on class

institutional racism

cicourel strengths

shows systematic bias

rist

labelling in primary school based on home background

rist strengths

early streaming influences outcomes

rosenthal and jacobson

teacher expectations create self-fulfilling prophecy

rosenthal and jacobson strengths

supports labelling through experiment

lacey

streaming

polarisation

subcultures

lacey strengths

explains development of anti-school subcultures

archer

symbolic violence and nike identities (working class rejection of social norms)

archer strengths

cultural conflict perspective

ingram

working class boys struggle fitting into gramar schools

ingram strengths

habitus conflict and identity issues

sue sharpe

changing priorities of girls from love to careers

sharpe strengths

longitudinal insights

mcrobbie

magazines 70’s-90’s

messages to girls on careers and independence

mcrobbie strengths

shows cultural change

evans

local feminine identities

wc girls want sucess but stay close to home

evans strengths

intersectiona view of class and gender

archer 2

wc girls form identities in opposition to school values

archer 2 strengths

explains symbolic violence and identity

sewell

black boys achievement

lack father figure

sewell strengths

focus on internal factors

sewell weaknesses

mirza (overemphasis on culture)

rex

racism leads to social exclusion and worse housing

rex strengths

links ethnicity and material deprivation

noon

job application racism

identical cv’s evans vs patel

noon strengths

shows systematic bias

fuller

black girls rejected negative labels and succeeded

fuller strength

counters labelling (not deterministic)

mirza

black girls face teacher racism but reject stereotypes

mirza strength

focus on agency and resistance

driver and ballard

asian families place high emphasis on education

driver and ballard strengths

positive cultural influence

troyna and williams

teacher language and curriculum bias

ethnocentric

troyna and williams strength

institutional racism focus

ball

curriculum ignores black history

ball strength

cultural bias critique