education

• functionalists


  Durkheim -- education is key aspect of socialisation + social solidarity= ensure people feel they belong to society. Parsons -- school acts as bridge between home and society. Home= children treated as individuals= particularistic standards. Education= children learn through meritocratic system and treated equally regardless who they are= universalistic standards. Davis + Moore -- role allocation= education prepares people for future roles.
• New Right - role of education

  Chubb + Moe -- marketisation= introduction of market forces in education which results in schools running like a business.
• Cultural capital (Bourdieu)


  A set of interests and knowledge that result in material rewards later in life, placing the middle class at an advantage and allowing them to fill top jobs
• The middle class control the education system and impose their knowledge on the working class (Bourdieu)
• Ideological state apparatus (Althusser)


  Education is a tool of capitalism, passing on the belief that society is fair and legitimizing inequalities
• The education system produces a docile workforce who won't challenge the system (Althusser)
• Hidden curriculum (Bowles & Gintis)


  Everything taught in school that is not formally on the curriculum
• Correspondence principle (Bowles & Gintis)


  Similarities between work and education
• NEETS (Not in Education or Employment or Training

  Sodha + Margo= more likely excluded from school, few qualifications, misuse drugs, etc. Cassen + Kingdon = more liekly to be involved in crime.
• social class - material deprivation


  Feinstein= evidence that the effects of social class difference are apparent even before children reach nursery. ONS= by age of 3 poor are already 1 year behind rich kids in terms of communication.
• social class - cultural deprivation


  Douglas- longitudinal study following kids through primary/secondary + he argued that role of parents in early years of life is crucial, during primary socialisation middle class receive greater attention from parents/ parents more likely to encourage their kid to do well -- led to higher achievement compared to working class who places less value/ambitious/encouragement.
• social class - cultural deprivation


  Sugarman= working class have 4 characteristics which prevent them doing well in education : collectivism, present time orientation, fatalism, immediate gratification.
• social class - cultural deprivation

  Archer = working class believe that university is 'not for the likes of us'. Demie + Lewis= low aspirations= significant barrier to educational achievement. Archer, Hollingsworth, Mendick= 'the street' is perceived to be exciting, associated with danger the complete opposite of school.
• social class - language deprivation

  Bernstein= 2 language codes: elaborated speech= middle class- correct grammar, complex, etc, used by teachers/exams/textbooks. restricted language code= working class- simple, limited vocab - places them at disadvantage.
• social class in school, Balls findings;

  • Students put in sets according to their perceived ability not actual ability
  • Students form subcultures reflecting their class position
  • Working class = anti school
  • Middle class = pro-school White= curriculum places great emphasis on middle class knowledge.
• social class - in school= Lacey's findings

  • Teachers immediately differentiate students into 2 groups: high and low achieving
  • Once labelled, students gravitate towards that group
• social class- in school = Becker's findings

  • Interviewed 60 Chicago high school teachers
  • Teachers judged their students on basis of appearance, conduct
  • Middle class students more like 'ideal student'
  • Labelling
• gender

  Gorard = challenges beliefs about achievement etc + states the 'gap' between achievements of boys + girls is not growing + may be shrinking. Weiners= argue there are certain myths about gender differences.
• gender - home factors

  Kelly = gender differences in spatial ability may be attributed to types of toys they play with rather than genetic makeup. McRobbie = bedroom culture of girls - create own subcultures, chat/read contributing to their communications skills valued in education. Sue Sharpe= girls priorities have changed - now want careers/qualifications - more go out to work= positive role models, want financial independence.
• gender - school factors

  Francis= gov. policies + teachers play large role in construction of gender identity in education. Sukhnandan= girls + boys appear to relate differently to schooling/ learning - girls find it easier to succeed in school settings. McDonald= girls place high value on presentation of work/spend more time trying improve. Bray= girls care more about teachers opinion. Arnot= girls derive more enjoyment from school life.
• gender - school factors: Machin + McNally study

  • Examined effect of National Literacy Project
  • Found new teaching methods in 1997 did have effect on gender gap by raising boys attainment in english + girls in maths
• gender- school factors: Sewell study

  • Feminisation of education - school become female dominated environment
  • Benefit girls for role models/ conform more but boys feel less comfortable/ alienated
• gender- school factors: Epstein+ study

  • Working class boys more likely bullied/ negatively labelled if hard working
• gender- school factors: Forde study

  • Boys more likely influenced by male peers to devalue schoolwork, etc schoolwork = feminine + they need to adopt masculinity view
• gendered subject choices

  Francis= despite girls catching u in attainment in GCSE at Alevel theres marked difference. Says could be because of gendered socialisation - toys they play with. Creation of gendered identities at school. Skeleton= peer pressure from both genders, 'male gaze' - male teachers/students behaviour reflects dominant masculinity encouraging girls to behave stereotypically female. Browne+Ross= gender domains= tasks/activities which are female or male - encourages them to choose subjects tie in with.
• ethnicity - external factors


  Lupton = she found higher segregation levels in ethnicities in school that neighbourhood + higher for South Asian students than black. Noon= in wider society managers will overtly discriminate against certain workers based on assumptions about their ethnic group-racism.
• ethnicity - external factors: family structure

  Sewell= reasons for black african caribbeans underperformance is absent fathers- common as 59% live in lone parent households compared to 22% white children. Lack of male role model makes harder for boys to adapt to demands of school.
• ethnicity - external factors: language

  Bereitier + Englemann = ethnic minorities lack the language used in school which places them at disadvantage. English not spoken at home in high proportion of Bangladeshi families in Uk - linked to poorer educational outcomes.
• ethnicity - internal factors

  Coard= school made black children feel inferior/ 'subnormal'. West Indian children told their way of speaking was unacceptable.
• ethnicity - internal factors: labelling

  Fuller= researched black african caribbean girls + investigated how they responded to negative stereotypes from teachers by forming anti-school subcultures/didnt try to gain approval of teacher instead they worked hard/rejected school rules -- students have different responses to labels + not always negative leads to failure. Sewell= teachers regard black boys as stereotypically 'macho' + when labelled negatively they had different responses.
• ethnicity - internal factors: institutional racism


  Ghaill= black boys+girls respond differently to institutional racism, boys challenge the school culture more directly whereas girls will comply with formal rules.