Theories of Education

• Social Solidarity- the feeling of belonging to a community, eg, students learning about their shared culture
• Specialist Skills- individuals being taught specialist skills to take part in the division of labour
• Secondary Socialisation- meritocracy showing how we can achieve based on ability and effort
• Sifting and Sorting- Davis and Moore argue that the role of education is role allocation
• The New Right- belives education sorts people into their career paths, also believes in meritocracy
• The New Right are worried about education because:

  The effects of state control- standards are slipping

  One size fits all- education does not need to fit company needs

  Lowet standards- they answer to the local authorities, not consumers
• Chubb and Mor found that children from low income families in private schools perform 5% better, as private schools have to answer to their consumers. To improve standards, they argue we need to introduce marketisation.
• Marxism- sees society based on class divison and exploitation
• Social Control (Marxism)- Althusser sees the education system as creating false class consciousness
• Correspondance Principle- Boweles and Ginitis argue the education system mirrors the workplace
• Secondary Socialisation (Marxism)- argue that education passes on the capitalist norms and values of society, benefiting the borgeouise
• Sifting and Sorting (marxism)- Boweles and Gintis found obedient students get the best grades, not creative thinkers
• Femenism- the belief in equal rights between the sexes, argues society is patriarchal
• Social control (femenism)- education reinforces patriarchy, due to the male gaze and double standards
• Secondary Socialisation (femenism)- educstion socialises boys and girls into their gender identities
• Specialist Skills (femenism)- the education system genders skills, boys are taught the instrumental role while girls are taught the expressive role
• Sifting and Sorting (femenism)- prepares boys and girls for digferent roles in society