Sociological Perspectives on Education and Inequality

Education Act

Legislation establishing educational frameworks and standards.

Davis and Moore

Higher rewards for those with greater intellectual talent.

Tumin's Critique

Questioned measuring functional importance in society.

Bowels and Gintis

Workplace structure mirrored in school organization.

Correspondence Principle

Education system reflects workplace organization through streaming.

Bourdieu's Meritocracy

Meritocracy is a myth due to education costs.

Bates and Riseborough

Middle-class students follow academic routes; others vocational.

New Vocationalism

Social control through low-paying job schemes.

Young's Left Functionalism

Education serves ruling class interests.

Willis's Study

Working-class students resist conformity to school norms.

Heath's Marxism Critique

Vocational education can empower women in male fields.

Chitty's Workforce Transformation

Education transforms economies from low-skill to high-skill.

Economic Inequality

Drives educational inequality, per Bowles and Gintis.

Harris on Social Mobility

Develops from performing various important roles.

Davis and Moore's Inequalities

Social mobility ensures qualified individuals in key roles.

Paterson and Iannelli

Education passes social advantages to middle-class children.

Sponsored Mobility

Upper classes enjoy cultural advantages in education.

Breen on Qualifications

Competition for employment occurs at lower societal levels.

Aldridge on Social Closure

Limits upward mobility from manual to professional jobs.

Occupational Mobility

Lack of mobility for lower class in society.

Cultural Reproduction

Maintained through correspondence between education and work.

Willis's Awareness

Students recognize limitations of education and work.

Sanders on Life Choices

Social mobility reflects individual and group decisions.

Shepherd and Rogers

Faith schools enroll fewer working-class students than expected.

Sanders's Performance Argument

Middle-class children outperform due to inherent intelligence.

Weber on Knowledge

Societies develop beliefs about valuable knowledge.

Althusser's Cultural Reproduction

Ruling class maintains dominance across generations.

Young on Educational Knowledge

Knowledge selection reflects ruling class interests.

Steiner Schools

Alternative education approach with different curricular messages.

Self and Zealey

Gender differences in subject choices in education.

Warrington and Younger

Career aspirations reflect traditional gender stereotypes.

Mackenzie Study

45% of girls assigned to caring placements.

Kampmeier's Segregation

Vocational training has limited occupational diversity.

Best's Prep School Texts

Reading materials often contain sexist stereotypes.

Norman et al. on Teacher Expectations

Early schooling emphasizes traditional female caregiver roles.

Jackson's Hidden Curriculum

Lessons learned through school experiences beyond academics.

Skelton on Informal Education

Implicit messages about knowledge and values in education.

Bourdieu's Cultural Capital

Mechanism for cultural reproduction in education systems.

Otsula's Cultural Reproduction

Differences in values affect educational achievement.