Unit 2 SCLY2 - Education with Research Methods; Health with Research Methods
Institution
AQA
The Education topic of A-Level Sociology, in fact A-Level Sociology as a whole, can be extremely difficult if you are unable to find a coherent structure of revision amidst the enormous amount of information, theorists and case studies that you have to remember for your exams. This is why this docu...
Unit 2 SCLY2 - Education with Research Methods; Health with Research Methods
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Education Paper Notes
The role of Education:
Functionalist theories of education:
Functionalist is a consensus theory which sees society as being essentially
harmonious. It argues that: society has basic needs, including the need for social order. To
survive, society needs social solidarity through everyone sharing the same norms and
values. Otherwise, society would fall apart. Social institutions, such as education, perform
positive functions for both society and for individuals, by socializing new members of society
and by helping to create and sustain social solidarity. Functionalism has a conservative view
of society, and they tend to focus on the positive contribution education makes to society.
The school is a society in miniature. In school, the child learns to interact with other
members of the school and to follow a fixed set of rules. This experience prepares the child
for interacting with members of society as an adult accepting social rules. Functionalists ask
two questions about education; (1) What are the functions of education for society as a
whole? (2) What are the functional relationships between education and the other parts of
the social system?
Durkheim:
Durkheim identifies two main functions of the education system;
1. Creating social solidarity through teaching value consensus
2. Teaching specialist skills
1. How does education create social solidarity according to Durkheim
Identify: Durkheim saw the major function of education as social solidarity.
Application: One way this happen is through the teaching of history. Durkheim
argued that when children learn history of their own country, they learn to see
themselves as part of something bigger, which is society, rather than just as
individuals or members of a small community. He argued that history teaches
children that people work together across society in order to achieve common goals
and this in turn instils social solidarity.
Analysis: The teaching of history is important as it helps to integrate the younger
generations into the culture of their society which provides a common bond.
Evaluate: Critics have argued that learning history suggests that everyone shares the
same history when in fact a shared heritage does not exist and does not have the
same meaning to everyone. The history of ethnic minorities is often ignored, and
white MC history is taught.
2. Teaching specialist skills.
Identify: Another function of education according to Durkheim is teaching specialist
skills.
Explanation: They are specific skills taught in schools that are required for the
functioning of our complex industrial society. E.g. schools teach subject specific skills
such as how to carry out a scientific experiment and also practical skills, like
plumbing.
Application: They support society to function as an industrial society requires a
specialised division of labour. People have specialised jobs with specific skills and
, knowledge requirements. According to Durkheim, schools in modern society are
relied on to support this.
Analyse: In the past skills were passed from parents to children so schools now have
an important role to play but now society has undergone many changes. Therefore,
without schools these skills would be learnt.
Evaluate: Critics argue that vocational skills are often not taught well in schools as
they lack specialist skills and knowledge. They also have lower status. There is also a
long running debate about whether the British education system teaches the right
skills and how successful they are. E.g. there are many shortages for teachers in
maths, science and geography meaning that the younger generation are not fully
equipped.
General criticisms of Durkheim:
- Marxists argue that educational institutions tend to transmit a dominant culture
which serves the interest of the ruling class, rather than society as a whole.
- Studies by Willis and Hargreaves show that the transmission of norms and values is
not always successful. Some students openly reject the values of the school and form
anti-school subcultures. Willis’s lads openly embraced values which were the
opposite of those of the school and conformist students.
Parsons: what does he argue are the functions of the education system?
He mainly focuses on the concept of universalistic standards. He argues that schools
perform two major functions for society;
- Through the process of socialisation, education acts as a bridge between the family
and wider society. In the family, children are judged according to particularistic
standards that apply only to them and their status is ascribed. In wider society, the
individual is judged against universal standards. E.g. rule of law. Also, status is
achieved through achievement not ascribed. Education helps to ease this these
traditions. The exam system judges all pupils on merit and school rules apply to all
students equally.
- Education helps to socialise young people into the basic values of society. School
transmits two major values;
The value of achievement – everyone achieves their own status through their
own efforts, and
The value of equality of opportunity for every student to achieve their full
potential.
Criticisms of Parsons:
- Dennis Wrong argues that functionalists, such as Parsons, have an ‘over-socialised’
view of people as mere puppets of society. Functionalists wrongly imply that pupils
passively accept what they are taught and never reject the schools values.
- Parsons assumes that the Western education system is truly meritocratic. The
existence of private education and inequalities tied to class, gender and ethnicity
challenges this view.
Davis and Moore – Role Allocation:
, David and Moore see education as a means of role allocation. The education system
sifts and sorts people according to their abilities. The most talented gain the highest
qualifications which lead them to functionally important jobs with high rewards. This will
lead to inequalities in society, but this is natural and even desirable in capitalist societies as
there is a limited amount of talent. These talented few need to be persuaded to make the
sacrifice of staying on in education rather than earning a wage, and society therefore offers
incentives through the promise of greater rewards, such as higher salaries.
*Human Capital Theory: a similar idea to Davis and Moore’s role allocation view.
Modern industrial society is technologically advanced and so the skills of its workforce are
its main economic asset. A meritocratic education system is the best way to develop a
sufficiently skilled workforce and thus creates greater economic efficiency and higher living
standards.*
Criticisms of Davis and Moore;
Marxist view of role allocation;
- Intelligence and ability have only a limited influence on educational achievement.
Research indicates that achievement is closely tied with class, gender and ethnicity.
E.g. Bourdieu argues that MC students possess more cultural and social capital and
therefore are able to gain more qualifications than WC students.
- Bowles and Gintis reject the functionalist view that capitalist society is meritocratic.
The children of the wealthy and powerful obtain high qualifications and well-
rewarded jobs irrespective of their abilities. Therefore, students are not sifted and
sorted fairly, and it is not based on abilities. The education system disguises this with
its myth of meritocracy. Those denied success blame themselves rather than the
system. Inequality in society is thus legitimated.
- The range of class differences in educational achievement suggests that not
everyone has the same chance in education.
The New Right (NR) perspective on education;
NR is more of a political than sociological perspective. However, the NR is of interest
to sociologists because;
- It is a more recent conservative than Functionalism
- It has influenced educational policy in Britain and elsewhere.
Functionalism and NR compared (A03);
NR ideas are similar to those of Functionalists:
- They believe that some people are naturally talented than others.
- They agree with functionalists that educational should be run on the meritocratic
principles of open competition.
- They believe that education should socialise students into shared values and provide
a sense of national identity.
NR: Market vs State
- Effects of state control: a key feature of the NR thinking (not found in Functionalism)
is that too much state control of education, as well as other areas of social and
economic life, has resulted in inefficiency, national economic decline. And a lack of
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