Theories of Education

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Created by
Lauren

Cards (25)

  • Functionalism:
    > social solidarity
    > specialist skills
    > secondary socialisation
    > sifting and sorting
  • Marxism:
    > social control
    > specialist skills
    > secondary socialisation
    > sifting and sorting
  • New Right:
    > role of education
    > effects of state control
    > one size fits all
    > lower standards
  • Feminism:
    > social control
    > specialist skills
    > secondary socialisation
    > sifting and sorting
  • Postmodernism:
    > role of education
    > modern vs postmodern education
  • Functionalism - Social Solidarity:
    > Durkheim - school is society in miniature
    > children learn how to interact with other members of the school and follow set rules, which prepares them for society
    > for example, learning about a shared culture in history - unites people
    > without this, people would not cooperate
  • Functionalism - Specialist Skills:
    > Durkheim - individuals must be taught specialist skills so they can take their place within a highly complex division of labour
    > for example, education teaches time management and respect for authority
    > employment ensures people can support their family and pay taxes, which keeps society running
  • Functionalism - Secondary Socialisation:
    > Parsons - education passes on the norms and values of society e.g. meritocracy (we can achieve status based on ability and effort)
    > school mirrors society because it is meritocratic - national curriculum, same grade criteria
    > education is the bridge between the family and society - universalistic and particularistic standards
  • Functionalism - Sifting and Sorting:
    > Davis and Moore - role allocation - education sorts people into careers based on ability and effort
    > high grades lead to important jobs, which are recognised with higher status and pay to reward the best workers
    > this will lead to inequality, but this is natural and desirable - acts as an incentive to work hard
  • Marxism - Social Control:
    > Althusser - education is an ideological state apparatus used to create false class consciousness
    > hidden curriculum - things taught covertly in school to ensure people comply with capitalism e.g. pupils respecting those above them in the school hierarchy
  • Marxism - Specialist Skills:
    > Bowles and Gintis - education maintains capitalism by creating passive and docile workers
    > done through the correspondence principle (school mirrors work) - hierarchy, dress code, competition
  • Marxism - Secondary Socialisation:
    > education passes on capitalist norms and values to benefit the ruling class e.g. myth of meritocracy
    > education promotes this myth to legitimate class inequality and persuade the working class that their position is justified - in reality, success is based on class, not effort
    > they believe that their low status is their own fault so do not revolt against capitalism
  • Marxism - Sifting and Sorting:
    > Bowles and Gintis - pupils are allocated roles based on class
    > found that obedient students got the best grades, rather than non-conformist or creative students
    > education rewards those who conform to the expectations of capitalism
  • New Right - Role of Education:
    > socialisation - education should pass on the shared national culture, to ensure traditions remain
    > skills - education should provide skills for jobs so families are self-reliant (men should be primary earners)
    > the New Right are worried that education is not adequately performing these functions
  • New Right - Effects of State Control:
    > state control of education has resulted in inefficiency - standards are slipping due to a lack of incentive
    > schools have failed to provide the skills needed for employment, which has created a dependency culture - 2011 Wolf Review
  • New Right - One Size Fits All:
    > in a state-run education system, education inevitably becomes 'one size fits all', which does not meet individual, community or employer needs
    > education should be providing skilled employees, but the national curriculum does not teach the different skills needed for different businesses
  • New Right - Lower Standards:
    > state-run schools are not accountable to those who use them - underachieving schools do not change because they are not answerable to consumers
    > results in lower standards and a less qualified workforce - reliant on benefits
  • New Right Solutions:
    > state should impose a competition structure on education
    > OFSTED - encourages raising standards
    > state should make sure that schools pass on the shared culture
  • New Right Study - Chubb and Moe:
    > children from low income families who go to private schools perform 5% better - private schools have to answer to consumers
    > to make state schools like private schools, we should introduce marketisation - putting the control in the hands of consumers (parents) with a voucher system
    > state schools have to compete to attract customers by improving their product (better grades)
  • Feminism - Social Control:
    > education reinforces patriarchy, so controls women
    > girls' behaviour is controlled through the male gaze and sexual double standards
    > male gaze - women sees as sexual objects for the pleasure of male teachers and students
    > sexual double standards - boys and girls are treated differently based on standards
  • Feminism - Specialist Skills:
    > education passes on gendered skills
    > boys are taught skills to perform the instrumental role (decision makers, breadwinners)
    > girls are prepared for the expressive role (childcare and domestic work) through subject choices, such as health and social care
  • Feminism - Secondary Socialisation:
    > education socialises girls and boys into different gender identities
    > girls are encouraged to be passive and communicative, boys are encouraged to take prestigious subjects (maths and science) - access to best universities and jobs, which reinforces patriarchy
  • Feminism - Sifting and Sorting:
    > education prepares boys and girls for their roles in the family and society
    > hidden curriculum - feminine and masculine subjects
    > masculine subjects provide access to best jobs - reinforces gender inequality, as boys get best jobs even though girls get better grades (glass ceiling)
  • Postmodernism - Role of Education:
    > in a postmodern society, barriers like class, gender and ethnicity no longer exist
    > they reject any single explanation of the role of education, and there is not a definitive curriculum that should be followed
    > Thompson - schools can break free from the one size fits all system and become customised to meet the needs of diverse communities e.g. faith and specialist schools
  • Postmodernism - Modern vs Postmodern Education:
    > modern: one size fits all, controlled by the state, learning takes place at a fixed time and place and during a fixed period of life, teacher-led learning
    > postmodern: diverse and customised to learner's needs, controlled by communities, learning is flexible and lifelong