formal socialisation

explanation

The Education Reform Act 1988 introduced a National Curriculum, apart from stressing the importance of upholding standards of what is taught within schools, it also aimed to transmit a single shared culture.

Similar to functionalism, the New Right argue that the role of the education system is to socialise all children into one cultural tradition.

For example, the curriculum in history should advocate the positive role that Britain has played in shaping modern European political norms (e.g. WW2).

Within literature there should be a focus upon influential British figures such as Shakespeare and there should be a Christian act of worship in schools each day.

evidence

examples for how shared culture is taught at school

• culture day

• British values taught in school

the DFE 2014 made it compulsory for all schools to teach about British Values such as democracy, tolerance, liberty and the rule of law and this would be regulated via Ofsted

evaluation

• Postmodernists would disagree and argue that in today’s society there is no single heritage or sense of collective culture. Instead, our social world is characterised by choice, individualism and diversity. There are multiple different identities and customs and the idea that there should be one experience for all is outdated.

• The New Right view is a contradiction. On the one hand the state should be heavily involved in the education system, influencing norms and culture through formal socialisation. Yet, the New Right also advocates minimal state involvement and heavily supports decentralisation as a social policy.