role + function of education

• Chubb and Moe suggested the voucher system because research on achievements of 60,000 students from low-income families in 1,015 state and private schools show they do 5% better in private schools.
• functionalism: performs 4 functions essential for smooth society

  • durkheim - curriculums teach specialist skills to perform effective roles in society and create social solidarity.
  • parsons - bridge between family and society, focal secondary socialising agency, provides meritocracy, exposes children to universalistic values.
  • davis and moore - role allocation, 'sifts and sorts' into appropriate roles (social stratification into unequal groups) where most talented recieve higher salaries.
  • schultz - developing human capital to create the most qualified people for jobs.
• evaluation of functionalism's theory:

  • postmodernists - functions promoting competition + individualism.
  • equal opportunities don't exist in education - middle class more likely to succeed.
  • marxists argue education socialises the young into accepting capitalism.
  • most deprived pupils are less likely to achieve higher earning so role allocation is not solely based on ability.
  • wong - functionalists see children as passive recipients of socialisation when they are complex beings.
• neoliberalism:

  • value of education lies in how well it enables competition in the global marketplace.
  • yet suggests the state shouldn't provide services like education.
  • enables parents as consumers if schools become businesses.
• new right:

  • current system is inefficient due to it being state run and a one-size fits all approach.
  • favour the marketisation of education as we are currently producing a less qualified workforce and a less prosperous economy.
  • Chubb and Moe (1990): Consumer Choice by Voucher system
  • each family has voucher of equal amount to buy an education from any school.
  • forces schools to be businesses/be responsive to consumers as this is their income allowing parentocracy.
• evaluation of neoliberal + new right:

  • marketisation only benefits the middle classes as they have the ability to make an informed choice of desireable schools
  • critics suggest the real cause of low educational standards is not state control but inadequate funding of state schools.
• marxism:

  • education's function is to maintain capitalism/class inequalities.
  • Althusser (1971) done via Repressive State Apparatus (force) and Ideological state apparatus (beliefs).
  • Education as an ISA - reproduces class inequalities and legitimises them through ideology to create false class consciousness.
  • bowles and gintis - correnspondence principle that school reflects the workplace to prepare children and myth of meritocracy - by promoting equal opportunities it seems like the ruling class deserve their success and the WC are poor because they didn't work hard.
• evaluation of marxism

  • morrow + torres (1998) - criticisms for 'class first approach' like its the only inequality yet disregards race, gender.
  • Willis only used 12 boys, so it isnt representative and critics suggest this study romantics their antisocial behaviours.
  • chubb + moe argue marxism fails to see how education fails all social classes