Sociology: Education

what do functionalists believe education is for

• educates children and benefits all of society

• learn the norms and values of society

• creates social cohesion

• gives people specialist skills

what do marxists believe education is for

• preparing you for capitalism, oppression and exploitation

• it mirrors the values of the bourgeoisie

• imposes the views of the upper class on to children

Durkheim

• functionalist

• focuses on secondary socilaisation

• particularistic and universalistic values

• social cohesion and social solidarity

what is social cohesion

where everyone in society is getting along

what is social solidarity

where everyone agrees on societal values

how do marxists disagree with durkheim

• question where the values come from

• question who the values serve

• they argue that the powerful in society use education to show their own views

how is durkheims study outdated

• post-modernists would believe school is preparing us for am outdated society as the curriculum hasn’t changed since 1950

how does the education system encourage individualism no social solidarity (durkheim)

• educational norms discourage collaborative thinking as you are always competing

how did durkheim argue that school is a mini version of society

• restaurant teaches how to queue

• assemblies teach how to respect people above you

• PSHE prepares you will life skills

Parsons

• functionalist

• is influenced by Durkheim

• focuses on role allocation

• meritocracy

• achieved and ascribed status

whats is role allocation

school helps you decide what role you want in the future by seeing what your good at

how do marxists disagree with parsons

• meritocracy is a myth

• they think the proletariat is persuaded to think the rich got their jobs through achieved status

how do bowels and gintis disgree with parsons

• they studied how IQ played a small part in peoples success

• and showed economic success was based on social class, ethnicity, and gender

parsons said education is a bring between home and work

• school teaches things the household cant

• educations shows role allocation

• without school no one is prepared

what did bowels and gintis study

the correspondence principle

what is the correspondence principle

• school mirrors the workplace

• assemblies in school and staff meetings at work - teach respect

• uniform in school and dress code at work - teaches follow the rules

bowels and gintis

• marxists

• correspondence principle

how to critisize bowels and gintis

• in the past students are taught to agree with everything now you are taught to have your own opinion

• workplaces want an inclusive workforce

paul willis

• marxist

• working class students doing working class jobs

• subcultures e.g. the lads

paul willis critcisms

• hawthorne effect - people act differently under observation

• some students choose to fail, which benefits capitalism as the bourgeoisie stay rich

what is the formal curriculum

• science

• history

• english

• things that are specifically taught

what is the hidden curriculum

• respect

• rules

• gender role application

• things that arent specifically taught but you learn anyway

what is a comprehensive school

• aims to educate all students rgardless of race, gender or background

• everyone has access to the same level of education

what are the advantage of comprehensive schools

• everyone is accepted

• cheaper

• no entrance exam

• social solidarity (Durkheim)

what are the disadvantages of comprehensive schools

• disruptive behaviour

• people may fall behind

• limited choice for parents if the school is bad

what is a specialist school

• recieve additional funding for a certain subject

• replaced by academies

• ended in 2010

what are the advantages of a specialist school

• you could pass on specialist knowledge to others

• more money in the system

what are the disadvantages of a specialist school

• only specialised in one area

• loss of education on everything else

what is an academy

• independent schools set up by sponsors

• more control over finances

• st james is an example

what are the advantages of an academy

• more control over finances

• more control over curriculum

what are the disadvantages of an academy

• gave schools over to private owners

• may be poor standard

what is a special school

• school for people with special needs

• gives parents choice for their children

• some are funded by the local gov. and some are independant

what are the advantages of a special school

• provides support with children for special needs

• qualified teachers

• extra equipment if its needed

• students are more included

wat are the disadvantages of a special school

• hard to get into

• expensive

• doesnt prepare you for real life

what is a free school

• funded by the government

• can be set up by teachers, parents

• doesnt need qualified teachers

• dont need to follow the national curriculum

• no run for financial profit

what are the advantages of a free school

• control over curriculum

• control over teachers pay

• high academic standards

what are the disadvantages of a free school

• no qualified teachers

• doesnt follow the national curriculum

• they can be unorthodox

what is a faith school

• run the same as state schools

• learn about a specific faith

• dont have to follow the national curriculum

what are the advantages of a faith school

• learn about different faiths

• learn specifically about your faith

what are the disadvatages of a faith school

• may focus on one faith and not teach others

• may only pick people who believe in a specific religion

what is a grammar school

• tests are taken to get into the school

• state funded

• there is one in Altringham

what are the advantages of grammar schools

• people with a similar intelligence

• no disruptive behaviour

what are the disadvantages of grammar schools

• the test is logic and common sense, you may not have been exposed to it

• only test one type of knowledge

what is a private school

• where parents have to pay

• higher standards

• smaller classrooms

what are the advantages of private school

• smaller classrooms

• similar people

• higher standards

what are the disadvantages of a private school

• miss out of social cohesion

• have to pay to get in

what is home schooling

the education of a child is completed for their home and possibly by parents

what is de-schooling

a philosophy that promotes children choosing what they want to learn created by Illich

what is a democratic school

a school where students are trusted to take responsibility for their own learning e.g. summer hill

what are the advantages on democratic schooling

• learn more because you choose what your interested in

• diverse

• stops people growing up to fast

• not ready for oppression (bowels and gintis)

what are the disadvantages of a democratic school

• dont get a well rounded education

• dont get qualifications

• not learning life skills

what are the advantages of de-schooling

• better for mental health

• people arent passive because they choose thier interests

what are the disadvantages of de-schooling

• wont learn social norms and values

• not ready for the working world

• they are only learning hobbies not real subjects

what are the advantages of home schooling

• less pressure

• more socialising

• better mental health

what are the disadvantages of home schooling

• relies on the interest of parents

• no social cohesions

• only learn particularistic values

things that affects success at school - internal

• reward systems

• good teachers

things that affects success at school - external

• good attitude

• motivation

• positive environment

• parent motivation

things that affects unsuccessfulness - internal

• peer pressure

• tests

• labelling

things that affects unsuccessfulness - external

• home life

• bad attitude

• parental low expectations

interactionism

things happen because of the way people interact

what are internal factors that affects educational achievement

• setting - being put in classes based on how smart you are

• streaming - being put in the same class overall

• labelling - being seen as a certain way by teachers

• subcultures - the friend group your in

what are external factors that affects educational achievement

• material deprivation - being without necessary things e.g. shelter

• cultural deprivation - being without experiences

• language barriers - elaborative and restricted code

what is the halo effect (labelling)

when a teachers things your amazing, so the student tries to live up to standards, teachers pays more attention to the child, SELF FULLFILLING PROPHECY

Becker

• interactionist

• labelling

• halo effect

how does socialisation affect the education for child

for example if an adult commits a crime the child wont know the difference between right and wrong

how might parental attitudes affect achievement - positive

• if a parent encourages a child to read at night then they will probably do it so the child will excel at english

how might parental attitudes affect achievement - negative

• if a parents doesnt encourage the child to do anything the child will feel uncared for and begin to under achieve

what is elaborative code

more explicit language, so it would be better for tings like your English GCSE - so if you are posh and speak I elaborative code you will do better than others

what is restrictive code

you have a very limited vocabulary, tends to be the working class

bernstein

completed the study of language barriers