Role of education

• what is functionalism?

  a theory of society that focuses on the structures that create the society and on how the society can remain stable.
• what is value consensus?

  the need for societies to have a common set of beliefs and principles to work with and towards, a consensus meaning a general agreement or sharing of ideas.
• what is social cohesion?

  the strength of relationships and the sense of solidarity among members of a community
• what is secondary socialisation?

  when a child learns the values, beliefs and attitudes of their culture through those outside of the family.
• what is social solidarity?

  emphasises the interdependence between individuals in a society, which allows individuals to feel that they can enhance the lives of others.
• what are Particularistic Values

  values and Rules which only apply to that particular Person in a given situation
• what are universalistic values?

  values and Rules which apply to all members of Society equally.
• what are specialistic skills?

  skills needed to get an important job.
• what is social stratification?

  society's categorisation of its people into rankings based on factors like wealth, income, education, family background, and power
• what is a meritocracy?

  where everyone is given an equal opportunity.
• what is human capital?

  the stock of Knowledge, skills, values, habits and creativity that makes someone an economic asset to society.
• what is hidden curriculum?

  the informal learning processes that happen in school It is a side effect of education that teaches students the norms and values of society.
• what are the two theories of Durkheim (Functionalist)

  • Social solidarity
  • specialist skills
• what is the theory of Parsons (Functionalist)

  Meritocracy
• what is the theory of Davis and Moore (Functionalist)

  Role allocation
• what is Ideological state apparatus?

  a Social institution whose main role is to pass on the dominant ideology of the Ruling class.
• what is repressive state apparatus?

  a social institution whose role it is to enforce the dominant ideology by force or threat of force
• what is the correspondence principle?

  how the education system Mirrors the world of work.
• what is the hidden curriculum?

  the informal learning processes that happen in school it is a side effect of education that teaches students the norms and values of society.
• what is fragmentation?

  the absence or underdevelopment of connections between a society and the grouping of certain of its members.
• what is Habitus Cultural?

  the norms, values, attitudes, and behaviours of a particular social group.
• what is the myth of meritocracy?

  a phrase arguing that meritocracy, or achieving upward social mobility through one's own merits regardless of one's social position, is not widely attainable in capitalist societies because of inherent contradictions.
• what is alienation?

  when humans feel disconnected or estranged from some part of their nature or from society.
• what are the two classes in the two-class system?

  • the capitalist class
  • the working class
• what is the theory of Althusser (Marxist)

  The ideological state apparatus
• what are the four theories of Bowles and Gintis?

  • Schooling in capitalist America
  • the correspondence principle
  • hidden curriculum
  • the myth of meritocracy
• what are the factors contained in the correspondence principle?

  • hierarchy
  • rewards and sanctions
  • passive and docile
  • motivation
  • fragmentation
• what is the theory of Willis (Marxist)

  Learning to labour, the failures of the education and the factors contributing to how people fail with the education system through their attitudes
• what is neoliberalism?

  an economic theory that believes free-market principles are the best way to organise society
• what is the new right?

  a political movement in the UK which has applied neoliberal thinking to social policies from 1979-1997 and again from 2010 to the present day as followed by the conservative government.
• what is privatisation?

  a process where institutions or other bodies are transferred from being owned by the state (or government) to being owned by private companies.
• what are league tables?

  public records on which schools were performing well
• what are the similarities between functionalism and New Right?

  1. Believe that some are more naturally talented than others.
  2. Favour an education system run on meritocratic principles of open competition, and to serve the needs of the economy by preparing young people for work.
  3. Believe that education should socialise pupils into shared values, such as competition and instil a sense of national identity.
• what are the differences between Functionalism and New Right?

  1. The New Right does not believe that the current education system is achieving these goals.
  2. They believe it is failing because it is run by the state.
• what are the reasons for the failure of education (New Right view)

  1. The state system takes a ‘one size fits all’ approach, disregarding local needs.
  2. The local consumers who use the school (pupils, parents, and employers) have no say.
  3. State education systems are therefore unresponsive and inefficient. Schools that waste money or get poor results are not answerable to their consumers.
  4. This means lower standards of achievement for pupils, a less qualified workforce and a less prosperous economy.
• what is the theory of Chubb and Moe (New Right)

  consumer choice
• what are the roles for the state?

  • Imposing a framework on schools within which they have to compete. For example, by publishing Ofsted inspection reports and league tables of schools’ exam results, the state gives parents information to base their choices of school on.
  • Ensuring that schools transmit a shared culture. Imposing the National Curriculum seeks to guarantee that schools socialise pupils into a single cultural heritage.
• 1988 Education Reform Act

  based on the principles of making schools more competitive (marketisation) and giving parents choice . The act introduced GCSEs and league tables and laid the foundations for our contemporary competitive education system.
• what did the Education Reform Act of 1988 kickstart?

  marketisation of education by applying market forces to education, promoting competition, and increasing parental choice.