Provides detailed yet concise summaries of all topics within the education module of A-Level sociology. All relevant sociologists, theories, methods and perspectives are included, alongside criticisms and comparisons.
THE ROLE OF EDUCATION:
- Creating social solidarity.
- Teaching skills needed for work (role allocation).
- Passing on core norms and values.
ROLE ALLOCATION:
- Process of sifting and sorting people into the roles that they will go on to perform in life.
DURKHEIM:
- Education transmits norms and values.
- Compared schools to a miniature society (microcosm).
- Social solidarity is created through education.
CRITICISMS OF DURKHEIM:
- Marxists: education system only benefits a select few as the system is biassed and
focuses on socialising the capitalist ideology.
- Durkheim's views are polarised.
- Feminists: system validates gender inequality.
PARSONS:
- Education creates a bridge between family and society.
- Passes on the universalistic value of achievement.
- Can change ascribed status to achieved status (social mobility).
CRITICISMS OF PARSONS:
- Social class plays a big role in educational achievement (e.g: MC can afford tuition).
- Disregards external factors (e.g: material deprivation).
DAVIS AND MOORE:
- Role allocation is a key part of their study.
- Inequality is necessary so all spots in society are carried out.
BLAU AND DUNCAN:
- The modern economy depends on the use of human capital and a meritocratic education
system does this best.
MARXISTS
THE ROLE OF EDUCATION - MARXISTS:
- The state enables the ruling class to maintain a dominant position/ideology.
ALTHUSSER:
- Repressive state apparatus: bourgeoisie maintain rule by using physical force (police,
courts, army).
- Ideological state apparatus: bourgeoisie control people's ideas, values and beliefs
(education, media, religion).
- Bourgeoisie ideology is spread to ensure that the working class are kept in a state of
false class consciousness.
- Prepares the working class for a life of exploitation.
, - Education promotes and teaches passive acceptance of hierarchy.
BOWLES AND GINTIS:
- Correspondence principle: schools mirror the workplace;
+ Hierarchy.
+ Rewards/sanctions.
+ Passivity.
+ Motivation.
+ Fragmentation.
CRITICISMS OF BOWLES AND GINTIS:
- Views are outdated.
- Feminists: do not consider other impactful factors (e.g: gender inequality).
- Functionalists: school is meritocratic and Marxists disregard social mobility.
FEMINISTS
THE ROLE OF EDUCATION:
- Feminists believe that the education system transmits patriarchal values.
- Heaton and Lawson: argued that the hidden curriculum taught patriarchal values in
schools.
LIBERAL FEMINISTS:
- Would continue to criticise the education system's transmittal of patriarchal values, but
would value the progress that has been made over the years.
RADICAL FEMINISTS:
- Argue that the education system is still fundamentally patriarchal and continues to
marginalise and oppress women.
DIFFERENCE FEMINISTS:
- Not all girls have the same experience in education and ethnic minority girls are often
victims of specific stereotyping and assumptions.
THE NEW RIGHT
THE ROLE OF EDUCATION:
- Chubb and Moe: state-run education in the US has failed because:
+ It has not created equal opportunities for disadvantaged groups.
+ It fails to produce students with the skills needed for the economy (lack of human
capital).
+ Quality of education is lacking as they are not answerable to parents like private
schools are.
- Neoliberal economic ideas on a free market and a non-interventionist approach by the
government. Believe schools should operate like businesses and compete on the global
marketplace.
- Failing schools are not answering the demands of their consumers, which creates lower
standards of achievement for pupils and a less qualified workforce.
, - The state must impose a framework on schools through league tables and OFSTED
inspections, and transmit a shared culture through the national curriculum.
CRITICISMS OF THE NEW RIGHT:
- Gerwitz and Ball: competition between schools benefits the middle class who can use
their cultural and economic capital to gain access to more desirable schools.
- There is a contradiction between the New Right’s support for parental choice as well as
the state imposing a compulsory national curriculum on all its schools.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller SELALevels. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £4.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
