education- 1

• Parsons- Bridge of society

  school acts as a bridge

  
• ascribed status


  a persons position in society that is a result of a factor beyond their control e.g class, sex or race
• prescribed status 


  a persons position in society as a result of their own actions, either climbing up or down the social mobility ladder
• Schultz human capital


  high levels of spending on education and training is to develop peoples knowledge and skills, to improve the workforce and is therefore an investment into the economy
• parsons standards/values


  • primary socialisation- particularistic and ascribed
  • secondary socialisation- universalistic
• role allocation


  • Davis and Moore
  • functionalist theory
  • streaming and exams fit people into their suitable position of societies hierarchy
  • meritocratic- everyone has the same oppurtunities
• Functionalists functions of education

  • passing on societies culture to create a value consensus
  • providing a bridge of particularistic and universalistic values
  • developing human capital
  • role allocation in a meritocratic society
• NR functions of education


  -training workforce

  -role allocation

  -socialisation of collective values
• Chubb and Moe - control


  -schools shouldn't be controlled by the state or local council

  -there should be a free market of education much like private businesses, leading to marketisation
• Althusser and ideological state apparatus 


  -education is reproducing an obedient labour force

  This is through:

  -reproduction of necessary technical skills

  -reproduction of ruling class ideology creating false class consciousness
• forms of ideological state apparatus 


  -the family

  -the media

  -the law

  -religion

  -education
• Bourdieu- reproduction of class inequalities


  The dominant class have power to impose their habitus in the education system, giving the middle class students a cultural capital advantage.
• Illich and Freire- hegemonic control 


  Schools are repressive, by rewarding those who are obedient, submissive and punctual. This suggests that the education system produces hegemonic control of the ruling class.
• Bowles and Gintis - 'long shadow of work'


  The workforce is repoduced in 2 ways:

  • hidden curriculum and the relationship between school and work, called the 'long shadow of work'
  • education system legitimising inequality and the class structure
• Examples of the hidden curriculum 


  Privileges/ responsibilities of sixth form

  • respect for elders/ managers

  Streams/ bands

  • different positions at work based on ability

  Concentration on school work

  • getting used to repetitive, dull jobs

  Individual competition in sports and exams

  • working to compete against each other in jobs/ wages
• Willis- 1997- learning to labour 


  -marxist/ interactionist approach

  -recognises that not all students are obedient

  -12 male w/c students in an anti-school subculture

  -school is 'irrelevant and boring'

  -eager to 'graft' at work

  -similar to w/c, low level jobs such as sexism and lack of respect for authority
• Criticisms of Althusser, Bourdieu, Illich, Freiere and Bowles and Gintis 


  -lack of detailed research into schools, ignoring the disrespect of teachers by pupils

  -ignore some influences of formal curriculum, different subjects produce different traits

  -deterministic that students have no control over their lives
• Similarities between functionalist and marxist views


  -Macro theories concerned with the relationship between school and work

  -education serves the needs of capitalist society

  -education ensures students conform to social values and norms
• Criticism of marxist and functionalist perspectives


  -too much emphasis on the role of education shaping students identities

  -see too much of a link between education and the economy/ labour force

  -ignore students who do not conform
• Vocational education


  -introduced to develop human capital

  -favoured by functionalists and the new right as it boosts the economy

  -argued by marxists as they see it as a second class education for the working class students
• Focus of vocational education


  -improving quality of workforce of those aged 14-18 in order to improve the high unemployment levels among young people

  -ending status division between vocational and academic qualifications so that in the future they hold the same value in the labour market
• How is vocational education being carried out?


  -work experience programmes for schools and colleges

  -expansion of post-16 education and training, for example T-levels, NVQ's, apprenticeships ect
• Birdwell et al 2011- criticisms of vocational education


  Secondary schools neglect vocational students, focus on brighter students to go into higher education. Schools undermined the importance of part time work and volunteering.