education

• Functionalism


  A sociological perspective that views education as performing important functions for society
• Durkheim's view of the functions of education

  • Social solidarity: Ensures individuals have norms and values to function in society
  • Society in the miniature: School prepares students for wider society
  • Skills for work: Teaches skills needed for modern society
  • Role and punishment: Rewards good behaviour and sanctions bad behaviour
• Parsons' view of the functions of education

  • Bridge analogy: School acts as a bridge between home and wider society
  • Meritocracy: Belief that students get what they deserve based on abilities and efforts
  • Role allocation: Students are put into jobs best suited to their abilities
• Criticism of the functionalist view: Assumes norms and values taught in school are the same as in society, and that qualifications always lead to the best jobs
• Marxism


  A sociological perspective that views education as reproducing and legitimising social inequalities
• Bowles and Gintis' correspondence principle

  • Education mirrors the workplace: Obedience to authority, Extrinsic rewards
  • Myth of meritocracy: Belief that hard work leads to success, used to stop questioning the system
• Criticism of Marxist view: Willis' study showed not all pupils are brainwashed into being passive
• Feminist perspectives on education

  • Gendered subject choices: Resources in science/maths appeal more to boys
  • Textbooks and stereotyping: Hidden curriculum teaches patriarchal values
  • Domination of space: Boys dominate the classroom and get more attention
  • Double standards: Boys get away with more than girls
• Criticism of feminist view: Francis and Skelton argue females may adopt empowering male traits, and Moirs argues school has become too girl-friendly
• Labelling


  Teachers interact with students based on an 'ideal pupil' stereotype, leading to self-fulfilling prophecies
• Becker's labelling theory


  • Middle/upper class students more likely to fit 'ideal pupil' stereotype and be labelled positively
• Rosenthal and Jacobson's study


  • Spurters: Average ability students labelled as high ability made significant progress
• Criticism of labelling: Fuller found a group of black girls who persevered and proved their teachers wrong
• Banding and setting


  • Students' behaviour and performance changes based on the band/set they are placed in
• Criticism of banding and setting: Lower streams can be motivating and lead to a self-negating prophecy
• Anti-school subculture


  Working class students who reject school values and focus on getting a job instead
• Hargreaves' anti-school subculture

  • Underachievers, often working class, form an anti-school subculture due to status frustration
• Willis' anti-school subculture


  • Working class boys who see through meritocracy and want to get a job instead of focusing on academics
• Criticism of anti-school subculture: Some pupils are somewhere in between anti and pro-school
• Material deprivation


  Lack of access to resources and opportunities due to socioeconomic status
• Examples of material deprivation

  • Inability to afford textbooks, uniforms, school trips
  • Poor living conditions affecting performance
  • Not eating during the school day affecting focus
  • Inability to afford leadership opportunities
• Cultural deprivation


  Lack of cultural capital and values aligned with the education system
• Bernstein's language code theory

  • Working class have a more restricted language code, putting them at a disadvantage
• Sugarman's attitudes and orientations

  • Fatalism, immediate gratification, present time orientation, collectivism
• Social capital

  Connections and networks that provide advantages
• Criticism of external factors: Not all working class parents lack interest, some groups overcome disadvantages, and it ignores what happens in the classroom
• Ethnocentric curriculum


  Curriculum that focuses only on white history and achievements, ignoring other cultures
• Criticism of ethnocentric curriculum: Chinese and Indians do better than white and African-Caribbeans even though their culture is not covered
• Institutional racism


  Racism built into the structure of the education system
• Criticism of institutional racism: Chinese and Indians do better than white and Afro-Caribbeans even though they also face institutional racism
• Material factors

  Socioeconomic disadvantages faced by inferior groups
• Criticism of material factors: Chinese and Indians on free school meals perform better than all other groups on free school meals
• Cultural factors


  Cultural differences and values that affect educational attainment
• Language as a cultural factor

  • South Asian children speaking multiple languages may be confusing when learning English
• Criticism of language barrier: Bangladeshis have been improving and are generally above white pupils, with white working class on free meals being the lowest achieving
• Parental values and aspirations as a cultural factor


  • Working class ethnic parents lack skills/knowledge to make informed school choices, unlike middle class parents
• Criticism of parental values: Indian families' high expectations positively affect their children's results, and Afro-Caribbean families send their children to Saturday school due to worries about underachievement
• Emphasis on coursework


  Boys suffer from low self-esteem and poor motivation, while girls are more willing to do coursework
• Laddish subculture


  Boys rejecting academic work to appear 'cool' and popular
• Criticism of laddish subculture: Girls can also form a laddish subculture and prioritise appearance over studies