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role of education in society - Coggle Diagram
role of education in society
functionalist perspective on education
DURKHEIM social solidarity
educations helps to create social solidarity by transmitting society's culture- its shared beliefs and values.
school acts as a society in miniature. preparing us for life in wider society. both in school and work we have to cooperate with people who are neither family nor friends.
PARSONS- meritocracy
acts as a bridge between family and wider society. family and society operate on different principles, children need to learn a way of living if they are to cope with the wider world.
in school and wider society were judged by the same universalistic standards in society the same laws apply to everyone- similarly, in school each pupil is judged by the same pass mark
status is achieved not ascribed, gain promotion on the strength of how good we are at our job.
preparing us to move from family to wider society because school and society are both based on meritocratic principles.
Davis and Moore: role allocation
schools perform the function of selecting and allocating pupils to their future work roles
inequality is necessary to ensure that the most important roles in society are filled by the most talented people. inefficient to have less able people to be doing high skilled jobs.
education sifts and sorts us according to our ability. most able gain highest qualifications , then gives them access to highly rewarded positions
EVALUATION
Tumin criticises Davis and Moore for putting forward a circular argument, how do we know a job is important, because its highly rewarded, why are some jobs highly rewarded because they re more important
neoliberalism and the new right
the new right
state takes a one size fits all approach, imposing uniformity and disregarding local needs. local consumers who use the schools, have no say. unresponsive and inefficient. lower standards of achievement for pupils, less qualified workforce.
solution to these problems is marketisation of education- creating an education market. believe that competition between schools and empowering consumers will bring greater diversity.
Chubb and moe: consumer choice
state run edcuation in America has failed because not created equal opportunity and failed needs of disadvantaged. private schools deliver higher quality because unlike state schools they are answerable to paying customers.
to improve state education, Chubb and moe propose a system in which each family would be given a voucher to spend on buying education from a school of their choice. the schools would become more responsive as the vouchers would be their main source of income. schools would Neva to compete to attract customers.
two roles for the state
imposes a framework on schools within which they have to compete. for example, by publishing Ofsted inspection reports the state gives parents infroation to make a more informed choice about schools.
state ensures that schools transmit a shared culture. imposing a single national curriculum, guarantee that schools socialise pupils into single culture.
marxist perspective
Althusser; ideological state apparatus
the repressive state apparatuses
maintain the rule of the bourgeoisie by force or the threat of it. when necessary use physical coercion to repress working class.
ideological state apparatuses
maintains the rule of the bourgeoisie by controlling peoples idea's, values and beliefs.
education REPRODUCES class inequality by transmitting it from generation to generation, by failing each successive generation of working class pupils
education legitimates class inequality by reproducing ideologies that disguise its true cause.
correspondence principle and the hidden curriculum
parallels between schooling and work; both hierarchies. known as correspondence principle. mirror the workplace.
operates through hidden curriculum- all lessons taught in school without directly being taught, fro example, though everyday workings children become accustomed to accepting hierarchy and competition.
the myth of meritocracy
gintis says that the main factor determining whether someone has a high income is their family and class background, not their ability or educational achievement.
justifies the privilege of the higher class, making it seem they gained them through succeeding in open and fair competition at school.
helps persuade the working class to accept inequality as legitimate. less likely they will seek to overthrow capitalism.
lads counter culture
willis studies 12 working class boys through their transition from school to work.
formed a distinct counter culture opposed to the school. scornful of conformist boys. find school boring and meaningless, flout its rules and values, smoking and drinking.
similarity between counter culture and shop floor culture of male manual workers. both cultures see manual work as superior and intellectual work as inferior.
stringly identify with manual work, explains why they see themselves as superior to girls.
counter culture ensures that they are destined for the unskilled work that capitalism needs someone to perform.
educational policy and inequality
before 1833, state spent no money on education. only select few had access to education. state made schooling compulsory from 1880. education was based on their class background. did little to change their ascribed status. middle class- academic curriculum. working class- basic numeracy and literacy skills for routine factory work.
selection: tripartite system
education began to be influenced by the idea of meritocracy. 1944 Education Act, children were to be selected and allocated to one of three types of school. identified by the 11+.
Grammar schools- academic curriculum and access to non-manual jobs and higher education. mainly middle class
secondary modern schools- non acdemic, practical curriculum. mainly working class.
technically achools
PROBLEMS
reproduced class inequality by channelling the two social classes into two different types of school that offered unequal opportunities. also gender inequality as girls needed high mark than boys.
legitimated inequality through ideology that ability is inborn. ability measured early on in line, through 11+. however children environment greatly affects chances of success.