Parsons

• What are the two functions proposed by Emil Durkheim?

  Social solidarity and teaching specialist skills
• What further function did Parsons suggest education serves?

  Secondary socialization
• How does Parsons describe the role of education in society?

  As a bridge between home and wider society
• What does Parsons believe about primary socialization?

  It is inadequate for wider society
• What are particularistic values?

  Values specific to a group or individual
• What are universal values?

  Values that apply to everybody in society
• How does education prepare students for punctuality in society?

  By teaching that buses and classes won't wait
• What transformation does education facilitate regarding status?

  From ascribed status to achieved status
• What does meritocracy in schools promote?

  Individuals earn status through ability
• What does Parsons suggest about individualism in education?

  It should be promoted over collectivism
• Why is individualism important for society according to Parsons?

  It prepares a mobile workforce for career progression
• What is the hidden curriculum in education?

  Implicit knowledge, skills, and attributes
• How do schools enforce behavior through the hidden curriculum?

  Through sanctions and rewards
• What do assessments and qualifications enable students to achieve?

  Achieved status in wider society
• How does competition in schools affect students?

  It encourages individualism over collectivism
• What is valedictorian status?

  The top student of a graduating class
• How do schools control student behavior regarding uniforms?

  Through sanctions for non-conformity
• What happens to students who do not conform to uniform regulations?

  They may be sent home or isolated
• What does Ofsted recommend schools teach students?

  Cultural capital and cultural literacy
• What is the role of the hidden curriculum in moral education?

  To teach shared norms and values
• What do Marxists argue about the hidden curriculum?

  It promotes the values of capitalism
• How do Marxists view individualism in education?

  As a means to prevent worker revolts
• What do post-modernists argue about universal values?

  Society is too fragmented for universal values
• What impact does the clash of values have on education?

  It can lead to underachievement
• What are the main ideas of Talcott Parsons on education?

  • Education acts as a bridge between home and society
  • Transforms particularistic values to universal values
  • Promotes individualism over collectivism
  • Facilitates the transition from ascribed to achieved status
  • Encourages a meritocratic system
• What are the criticisms of functionalist views on education?

  • Marxists argue it promotes capitalist values
  • Post-modernists claim society is too fragmented for universal values
  • Hidden curriculum serves ruling class interests
  • Clashes between values lead to underachievement
• Secondary Socialization


  Education helps individuals learn social roles, develop social skills, acquire cultural capital, and adhere to social norms.
• Socialization


  Schools provide a structured environment where students learn social norms through interaction with peers, teachers, and curriculum.
• Grading and Feedback


  Evaluation systems in education often reinforce social norms by rewarding conformity and punishing deviations.
• Curriculum Content


  The curriculum itself can shape social norms by promoting certain values, histories, or perspectives.
• Normalization


  Education helps normalize certain behaviors or attitudes as "normal" or "acceptable," influencing students' perceptions and self-conception.