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PERSPECTIVE KEY IDEAS KEY THEORISTS/THINKERS SUPPORTING EVIDENCE CRITICISMS/LIMITATIONS
Functionalism Education performs positive DAVIS AND MOORE: Selection and School performs positive Main criticism comes from their
functions for the individual and Role Allocation function for most pupils emphasis on the positive functions
society › Argued that education is – exclusion and truancy of the education system and ignores
It creates social solidary by directly linked to the rates are very low the fact that it can be a negative
promoting a value consensus stratification systems Role allocation – those one that doesn’t give them a sense
through teaching the same › Formal education can be seen with degrees earn 85% of self worth
subjects to perform 4 main functions: more than those without Social change and multiculturalism
Strong relationship between 1. Social (cultural degree has meant there are may competing
education and the economy – as transmission and cultural Schools do try to foster value systems and so arguable there
an economy becomes more reproduction) solidary – PSHE is single value consensus
complex it requires new skills 2. Economic (provision of Education is more work- Their view of school is over-
and greater technical expertise workers, learning focused today – determinist as it suggest that all
which are provided by schools opportunities for future increasing amounts of pupils are turned into conformist
Education is an essential agency jobs) vocational courses citizens which doesn’t explain how
of secondary socialisation 3. Political (to help greater Schooling is more many resist and confront
because it socialises each efficiency, bring about meritocratic than in the educational authority
generation into societies values, social quality or as a 19th century A Marxist criticism – the education
norms and attitudes solution to social problems system is not meritocracy – only
Role allocation and meritocracy e.g. youth unemployment) benefits the ruling class in terms of
– through examination system 4. Social control private schooling which legitimises
which helps to allocate children (transmission of norms class inequality
to their appropriate jobs and values, antisocial Many schools fail OFSTED
behaviour discouraged) inspections,
DURKHEIM Not all pupils succeed
› Durkheim views education as Negative In school processes like
an entity creating social subcultures/ bullying/ teacher
solidarity, education transmits labelling
culture, schools are like a Feminists argue that education
miniature society, specialist benefits boy by passing on
skills patriarchal values
› Schools is way of preparing us Vocational education has a
for life in wider society and it relatively low status in Britain
makes us feel like we are part Education doesn’t allocate
of something bigger through individuals to role fairly as class,
subjects such as History and gender and ethnicity do impact
English which gives a shared education success
sense of identity
, PARSONS
› Parsons views education as
being part of a meritocracy
and is a secondary agent of
socialisation, bridge between
family wider society
› It instils values of competition,
equality and individualism and
in a meritocracy everyone is
given a quality of opportunity
› Parson is supported by
Duncan and Blau who believe
that a modern economy
depends on education for its
prosperity on using human
capital, schools train to the
need of the economy
Marxism Traditional Marxists see the ALTHUSSER (1971): Ideological To support the It is deterministic – not every child
education system as working in State Apparatuses reproduction of passively accepts authority (see
the interests of ruling class › He argued that the main role inequality – there is an Paul Willis).
elites. The education system of education in a capitalist on overwhelming wealth Some students rebel – 5% are
performs three functions for society was the reproduction of evidence that richer persistent truants (they are active,
these elites: of an efficient and obedient your parents, the better not passive!).
1. Reproduces class inequality. workforce, achieved through you do in education as Some students from poor
2. Legitimates class inequality. schools: the 1988 education act backgrounds do ‘beat the odds’ and
3. The Correspondence 1. Transmitting the ideology Similarly working class go on to achieve highly.
Principle – School works in that capitalism is right and children are less likely to The growth of the creative
the interests of capitalist reasonable go to university because industries in the UK suggest school
employers. 2. Train future workers to of fear of debt (Connor doesn’t pacify all students.
They see formal education in become submissive to et al.) The nature of work and the class
advanced societies as a authority To support the structure has also changed, possibly
reflection, product or tool of › Althusser argues that ideology Legitimation of class making Marxism less relevant
capitalism and its inequalities in capitalist society is inequality – pupils are today.
Like Functionalists, Marxists too fundamental to social control, generally not taught Henry Giroux says the theory is too
see a link between education as it justifies the capitalist about how unfair the deterministic, he argues that
and the economy but as well as system education system is – working classes at not entirely
having a relationship with they are taught that if moulded by the capitalist system
industrialisation, education plays they do badly, it is down Education can harm the bourgeoise
, a role in capitalist exploitation BOURDEIU (1977): Cultural Capital to them and their lack of as may left wing Marxist activists
Its main function is to maintain › Bourdeiu has stressed how effort. are university educated
legitimate and reproduce, middle and working class To support the Hicox criticises Bowles and Gintis as
generation by generation, class cultures are reproduced by Ideological State he states that the capitalists had
inequalities in wealth and power schools. Apparatus – Surveillance workers that did what they were
Capitalist employers require a › Education is a middle class has increased schools’ told wasn’t this was not due to the
disciplined and skilled workforce establishment, within which in ability to control education system as there wasn’t
and so they claim that education general middle class succeed students. one (1800-1870), as it was set up
is not really about transmitting more after industrialisation
skills but instead preparing them › Working class culture does not Bowles and Gintis ignore the formal
to accept boring routine work fit in well with the system, curriculum which is significant in
and accepting authority and they have cultural deficit that some of the subjects taught in
powerlessness › Education is based on middle schools do not encourage uncritical
Reproduction of class inequality class patterns of through and passive behaviour, sometimes the
= middle classes use their expression reverse e.g. government and
material and cultural capital to BOWLES AND GINTIS(1976): politics, law etc.
ensure that their children get Schooling in Capitalist America
into the best schools n top sets › They argue that the main
Legitimisation of social class function of education in
inequality = Marxists argue that capitalist societies is the
in reality money determine how reproduction of labour power
good an education you get but › They see the education system
people do not realise this as being subservient to and
because schools spread to ‘myth performing functions for the
of meritocracy’ bourgeoisies, who require a
workforce is hardworking,
accepts authority and who
wont rebel if they are
exploited
› This is done through the
hidden curriculum
› They proposed the
correspondence theory, that
the norms and values learned
in education correspond to the
norms and values that make is
easy for future employers to
exploit them at work.
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