SOCIOLOGY ED TOPIC 5

2 main functions of education according to Durkheim?

1.Creating social solidarity 2.Teaching specialist skills

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Social solidarity?

Education creates it by transmitting society's culture. Teaching of a country's history instils in children sense of shared heritage & a commitments to wider social group. Acts as 'society in miniature', preparing us for life in wider society

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Specialist skills?

Modern industrial economies have complex division of labour, involves cooperation of many different specialists. Promotes social solidarity but each person must have necessary specialist knowledge/skill to perform role. Argues ed teaches individuals

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Parsons overview?

Sees school as 'focal socialising agency'- bridge between family & wider society. Needed as family & society cooperate on different principles, so kids need to learn new way of living to cope with wider world

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Parsons meritocracy?

Within fam, child judged by particularistic standards=Rules that apply only to that particular child. Childs status ascribed in family. School/wider society judge all by same laws apply to everyone. School each pupil judged against same standards.

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Davis & Moore - Role allocation?

See ed as device for selection/role allocation, focus on relationship between ed & social inequality. Argue inequal necessary to ensure most important roles in society are filled by most talented. Not everyone equally talented-higher rewards=competit

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Education & role allocation continued?

Education plays key part in this. Is where individuals show what they can do. 'Sifts & sorts' according to ability. Most able gain highest qualifications=entry to most important & highly rewarded positions

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Evaluation of funtionalist perspective?

Evidence that equal opp in education doesnt exist EG Achievement greatly influenced by class not ability.

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Melvin Tumin on Davis & Moore?

Criticises them for putting forward a circular argument = How do we know that a job is important? Because it is highly rewarded. Why are some highly rewarded? Because they are more important

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Marxist criticism of funtionalist perspective?

Functs see education as a process that instils shared values of society as whole, but marxists argue education in capitalist society only transmits ideology of minority-ruling class

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Interactionist criticism of functionalist perspective?

Dennis Wrong- Argues functs have over-socialised view of people as mere puppets of society. They wrongly imply pupils passively accept all they are taught & never reject school values

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New Right criticism of funtionalist perspective?

Argue state education fails to prepare young adequately for work. Because state control of education discourages efficiency, competition & choice

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3 ways New Right are similar to Functionalists?

1.Believe some people naturally more talented 2.Broadly favour ed system run on meritocratic principles of open competition & one that serves needs of eco by preparing young for work 3.Believe ed should socialise pupils into shared values/national id

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Difference between New Right & Functionalists?

New Right dont believe current education system is achieving these goals. Reason for its failure is that it's run by the state

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New Rights perspective on education?

Argue in all state ed systems, politicians & ed bureaucrats use power of state to impose their view. Imposes uniformity & disregarding local needs. Local consumers who use schools have no say. State ed system unresponsive/inefficient

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New Rights solution?

Creating an 'education market'. Believe competitions between schools & laws of supply/demand will empower the consumers, greater diversity, choice & efficiency to schools & increasing their ability to meet needs of pupils, parents & employers

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3 claims Chubb & Moe make on American state education failing?

1.Disadvantaged groups- L/W, ethnic & religious minorities & rural communities badly served by state ed 2.State ed inefficient as fails to produce pupils with skills needed by ecos 3.Private schools deliver higher qual ed as answer to paying customer

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Chubb & Moe's study?

Compared achievements of 60,000 pupils from L/income families in 1,015 state/private high schools & findings of parent survey & case studies of failing schools being turned around.

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Chubb & Moe's evidence?

Showed pupils from l/incomes do 5% better in private schools. Call for introduction of market system in state ed giving consumers control. Allow them to shape schools

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Methods Link - Using Surveys?

Chubb & Moe - Asking people fixed list of questions via interviews/written questionnaires. Quick way of collecting data from large sample of people=generalisations. Interp argue fixed list impose researchers meanings on respondents=limiting answers

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2 roles for state according to New Right view?

1.Impose framework on schools within which they have to compete EG Publishing ofsted reports parents get info to make informed choice of school 2.Ensures schools transmit shared culture. Imposing single nat curriculum, socialise pupils in single heri

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Evaluation of New Right perspective?

1.Gewirtz & Ball- comp between schools benefits m/c who use cult/eco capital to gain access to desirable schools 2.Critics-real cause of l/ed standards not state control but social inequality & inadequate funding

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Marxists criticism of New Right perspective?

Education doesnt impose shared national culture, imposes culture of dominant minority ruling class

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Contradiction of New Rights perspective?

Contradiction between New Rights support for parental choice on one hand & state imposing compulsory national curriculum on all its schools on another

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SOCIOLOGY ED TOPIC 5

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