EDUCATION
PERSPECTIVES :
FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE
DURKHEIM : SOCIAL SOLIDARITY
- Schools teach mainstream norms and values through the curriculum and the hidden
curriculum, creating a mini society & preparing students for society and the real world
CRITICISM : ignores the fact that some students may choose not to accept taught norms and
values & that there are other factors affecting their decisions such as teachers and peer
pressure
DURKHEIM : SPECIALIST SKILLS
- Pupils are taught skills needed for the workplace at a young age preparing them to join
society
PARSONS : SCHOOL AS A SOCIAL BRIDGE
- School acts as a bridge between families & wider society
- Students are judged off of their meritocratic success ( their exam results )
PARSONS : UNIVERSALISTIC STANDARDS
- Everyone is given the same opportunity to study at school
- One’s place in society depends on their meritocratic success
- Students are judged based off of their exam results
MARXIST PERSPECTIVE
ALTHUSSER
State use the ISA & RSA to oppress the w/c
- RSA = ‘repressive state apparatus’, control the w/c through laws and social jurisdictions
- ISA = ‘ideological state apparatus’ control the w/c through institutions such as schools
- w/c people are prepared to fail whilst the m/c are encouraged to go to university
CRITICISM : there’s no proof to back up this theory, lacks research based evidence
BOWLES & GINTIS : SURPLUS OF SKILLED LABOUR
- Students are trained for jobs from a young age - more competition - high rates of
unemployment - w/c work for lower wages & go on less strikes as they need the money
to provide for family
BOWLES & GINTIS : CORRESPONDENCE PRINCIPLE
- Students are taught things such as respect for the hierarchy, the idea that each action
has its own reward and consequence through the hidden curriculum, which passes on
societies norms & values needed to succeed
, CRITICISM : there is no proof to support the hidden curriculum theory / ignores other factors
such as age & ethnicity
WILIS : 12 LADS
- Observed 12 w/c lads and found that most of them were prepared to fail & ready to take
on their ‘dream jobs’ of manual labour in a factory
CRITICISM : small sample size - not representative / only focuses on w/c boys and not girls /
not all w/c lads have the same fatalistic attitude
NEW RIGHT PERSPECTIVE
- Argue that the state has failed education & schools should operate like businesses
CHUBB & MOE : MAKING SCHOOLS EFFECTIVE
- Schools can be made more effective through multiple different ways including
- Increased parentocracy - let parents choose where their child goes to school
- Marketisation - education should be a ‘free market’ - parents choose where their
kids go to school & the bad schools are shut down eventually
FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
GENDER ROLE SOCIALISATION
- Boys and girls are socialised differently from a young age
- Girls = passive & play with toys - bedroom culture
- Boys = loud & aggressive - hyperactive
HOW SCHOOLS REINFORCE GENDER ROLE SOCIALISATION
- Through subjects ( eg. textiles / pe )
- Through dress codes
THE EDUCATION SYSTEM & DISADVANTAGES
- Girls are treated differently in comparison to boys
SOCIAL CLASS DIFFERENCES :
EXTERNAL FACTORS
CULTURAL DEPRIVATION :
BERNSTEIN : SPEECH CODES
- m/c = elaborate speech code, w/c = restrictive speech code. Schools, textbooks & exam
questions use the elaborate code which puts w/c pupils at a disadvantage
CRITICISM : too simple / a w/c child may speak the elaborate code & vice versa, depending on
how they were socialised
CULTURAL CLASS : W/C SUBCULTURE
PERSPECTIVES :
FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE
DURKHEIM : SOCIAL SOLIDARITY
- Schools teach mainstream norms and values through the curriculum and the hidden
curriculum, creating a mini society & preparing students for society and the real world
CRITICISM : ignores the fact that some students may choose not to accept taught norms and
values & that there are other factors affecting their decisions such as teachers and peer
pressure
DURKHEIM : SPECIALIST SKILLS
- Pupils are taught skills needed for the workplace at a young age preparing them to join
society
PARSONS : SCHOOL AS A SOCIAL BRIDGE
- School acts as a bridge between families & wider society
- Students are judged off of their meritocratic success ( their exam results )
PARSONS : UNIVERSALISTIC STANDARDS
- Everyone is given the same opportunity to study at school
- One’s place in society depends on their meritocratic success
- Students are judged based off of their exam results
MARXIST PERSPECTIVE
ALTHUSSER
State use the ISA & RSA to oppress the w/c
- RSA = ‘repressive state apparatus’, control the w/c through laws and social jurisdictions
- ISA = ‘ideological state apparatus’ control the w/c through institutions such as schools
- w/c people are prepared to fail whilst the m/c are encouraged to go to university
CRITICISM : there’s no proof to back up this theory, lacks research based evidence
BOWLES & GINTIS : SURPLUS OF SKILLED LABOUR
- Students are trained for jobs from a young age - more competition - high rates of
unemployment - w/c work for lower wages & go on less strikes as they need the money
to provide for family
BOWLES & GINTIS : CORRESPONDENCE PRINCIPLE
- Students are taught things such as respect for the hierarchy, the idea that each action
has its own reward and consequence through the hidden curriculum, which passes on
societies norms & values needed to succeed
, CRITICISM : there is no proof to support the hidden curriculum theory / ignores other factors
such as age & ethnicity
WILIS : 12 LADS
- Observed 12 w/c lads and found that most of them were prepared to fail & ready to take
on their ‘dream jobs’ of manual labour in a factory
CRITICISM : small sample size - not representative / only focuses on w/c boys and not girls /
not all w/c lads have the same fatalistic attitude
NEW RIGHT PERSPECTIVE
- Argue that the state has failed education & schools should operate like businesses
CHUBB & MOE : MAKING SCHOOLS EFFECTIVE
- Schools can be made more effective through multiple different ways including
- Increased parentocracy - let parents choose where their child goes to school
- Marketisation - education should be a ‘free market’ - parents choose where their
kids go to school & the bad schools are shut down eventually
FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
GENDER ROLE SOCIALISATION
- Boys and girls are socialised differently from a young age
- Girls = passive & play with toys - bedroom culture
- Boys = loud & aggressive - hyperactive
HOW SCHOOLS REINFORCE GENDER ROLE SOCIALISATION
- Through subjects ( eg. textiles / pe )
- Through dress codes
THE EDUCATION SYSTEM & DISADVANTAGES
- Girls are treated differently in comparison to boys
SOCIAL CLASS DIFFERENCES :
EXTERNAL FACTORS
CULTURAL DEPRIVATION :
BERNSTEIN : SPEECH CODES
- m/c = elaborate speech code, w/c = restrictive speech code. Schools, textbooks & exam
questions use the elaborate code which puts w/c pupils at a disadvantage
CRITICISM : too simple / a w/c child may speak the elaborate code & vice versa, depending on
how they were socialised
CULTURAL CLASS : W/C SUBCULTURE
