This essay evaluates the postmodernist view on education and creates a balanced argument with the use of other theorist perspectives including functionalists, radical feminists, New Right and interactionalists. This essay was awarded full marks and was used in a timed exam in school. The esssay inc...
Firstly, postmodernists reinforce the idea that education provide
diversity in todays best suited to their academic needs. This can
be identified due to the increase in specialist schools, free
schools (Tony Blair), faith schools, academies and a shift to
more hyper real lessons (media saturated). This is because
education now upholds an increased hybridity in the classroom and
merging of cultures as well as development of new ones. This
means that schools can now avoid ethnocentric curriculums and
eliminate the possibility of students feeling left out or
underrepresented in the classroom. Reinforcing the importance of
Usher and Bryant/Edwards idea that education needs to include
diversity, choice and change. Postmodernists argue that education
no longer uphold a approach to their curriculum and has become
individualised due to the postmodernist view of culture. Whereby
all individuals have the capabilities to shift and mould their
lives as they please; therefore students should be able to be
offered a wider range of schools best suited for them.
Postmodernists argue that schools are a commodity as students are
able to during open evenings to select their most desirable
school. Usher highlights this and suggests that individuals are
now awarded a wider range of choice within schools due to the
pick n mix approach. However, functionalists specifically Parsons
and Durkheim would disagree as they believe the national
curriculum is still very much prevalent in todayt held back from
their creativity or initiative ideas meaning education can target
a wider range of individuals and their relative strengths- a
contrast to the new rights view on new vocationalism.
Postmodernists highlight the emphasis teachers put onto
identifying individual strengths and different learning
techniques that best suit each individual. As well as creating
tailored for each student that best fits in with their future
goals.
However, theories criticise the postmodernist view on education.
For example, radical feminists argue that postmodernists ignore
the patriarchal oppression women face during education as school
is a key institution of inequality for women. Therefore, radical
feminists would suggest pm are gender blind and only focus on the
positive aspect to education. As well as this, Marxists would
argue that pm ignore the fact that working class pupils are
immediately out at a disadvantage as their parents donplay the
systemll have strong academic attainment. This can be idenfied
during the Pygmalion in the classroom study (1968) carried out by
Rosenthal and Jacobsen. As well as this, interactionalists
highlight the idea of the educational triage; which suggests that
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