Sociological Perspectives on Education

Starter Questions – In small groups.

1. How far does education provide all individuals with equal opportunities for achievement?

2. How far does education recreate existing social inequalities?

3. In what ways does education serve the needs of the economy?

4. What kind of knowledge, skills and values does education transmit?

3 minute question roulette.

Talk – write – pass on.

Perspectives on Education

Functionalism New Right Feminism

Marxism Interactionism

Functionalism : Key Concepts

Social control Socialisation Value

consensus

Organic analogy

Norms and values

Social Solidarity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhhdPgVzkwU

Functionalism

• Society is based on a VALUE CONSENSUS.

• Socialisation maintains social order.• Society is like a biological ORGANISM.• Everything has a PURPOSE or

FUNCTION.• Education is an important sub-system – a

building block of society.

The Organic AnalogyBody Society

A self-regulating system of inter-related and inter-dependant parts

Made up of inter-related organisations and institutions that link together

The system has needs: Nutrition; exercise etc – without which the body will die.

Society needs to socialise its members if society is to continue harmoniously.

The circulatory system carries blood and oxygen, essential for survival

The economy helps maintain the social system by meeting the need for food and shelter (to keep society’s members going)

The Warning Function...• Cohen argues that, like a body, if society is ‘unwell’ there

will be certain symptoms.

• Eg, if you has a kidney problem, your skin might turn yellow. With society, something like a rise in a particular offence or protesting might be a symptom that society is ‘ill.’

• The sub-systems and institutions then need to pull together (like the immune system) and change/adapt in order to get better

Can you think of any examples of the warning function?

Value Consensus....Is the glue that holds society together

• A shared, common culture or value system provides norms and values for communities, and lays down rules about how they should behave.

• In order to have social order (harmony), the majority must agree on these norms and values (which will inevitably alter over time)

• In order to feel attached to society and its norms and values, citizens must feel integrated...

Functionalism

How might this image describe Functionalism?

Learning Outcomes

ALL should be able to identify a selection of functions of education identified by functionalist sociologists. [D grade]

MOST should be able to demonstrate their understanding of the functions of education identified by Durkheim, Parsons and Davis and Moore. [C grade]

SOME may be able to demonstrate their understanding of the functions of education identified by Durkheim, Parsons and Davis and Moore and in addition being able to evaluate these perspectives. [A grade]

Functionalist key termsOrganic analogyValue consensusSocial solidarity

Education:TheFunctionalist Approach

As ever, Functionalists view the education system in a positive light.

They believe it to perform a range of valuable functions for society as an agent of secondary socialisation

He wrote Moral Education

1858-1917

KEY CONCEPT: Social solidarity

A structuralist, macro approach to the role of education in society.

Durkheim (1903)

Social SolidarityEducation transmits a societies culture – shared beliefs, values from one generation to the next.

School acts as a ‘society in miniature’ preparing us for life outside, e.g. cooperation.

Specialist SkillsModern societies – complex division of labour where production requires complex cooperation.

Education teachers us specialist knowledge and skills so we can take part in the social division of labour.

Durkheim

• Education transmits of society’s norms and values

• History teaching creates a link between the individual and society.

• History teaching creating the link between the individual and society leads to social solidarity.

Durkheim

• Compared school to a miniature society.

• Children learn to interact with others and follow set rules preparing them to become adult member of society and to accept social rules.

• Value ConsensusAre there any weaknesses in Durkheim’s theory?

RESEARCH METHOD: this was what we call ‘Armchair theorising’ because Durkheim didn’t actually carry out empirical research…he was simply expressing his opinion based on his functionalist beliefs.

WEAKNESSES:

Durkheim assumes the norms and values transmitted by the education system are those of society as a whole, rather than those of a ruling elite or ruling class.

How successful is Education in teaching the norms and values of society?

He wrote The school as a social system (1961)

KEY CONCEPTS: Focal socializing agency; particularistic and universalistic standards; ascribed/achieved status;

meritocracy;

A structuralist, macro approach to the role of education in society.

Education as a bridge between …

Family

ParticularisticStandards (rules only apply to particular child.)

Status Ascribed

Wider Society

Universalistic standards (rules that apply to everyone – impersonal rules)

Status Achieved

School and Society are both based on meritocratic principles.

Everyone is given the opportunity to achieve on merit.

SUMMARY OF THEORY:* School acts as a bridge between the family and society, preparing children for their adult roles.

* School prepares children for the transition between their particularistic standards and ascribed status of the family to the universalistic standards and achieved status of society.

* Status is achieved on the basis of merit (or worth).

* Advanced, industrial society requires a highly motivated, achievement-orientated workforce. By using the principle of differential reward for differential achievement, this value is instilled in a society.

* Schools match children to occupations based on aptitude and achievement.

RESEARCH METHOD: this was what we call ‘Armchair theorising’ because Parsons didn’t actually carry out empirical research, he was simply expressing his opinion based on his functionalist beliefs.

WEAKNESSES: The idea of meritocracy is undermined by the statistical patterns which show that not all children have equal chances of success. Like Durkheim, Parsons fail to recognise that the value consensus may be that of the ruling elite.

Davis and Moore (1945) Role Allocation

Inequality is necessary – not everyone has equal talents.

Society offers large rewards to most demanding jobs.

Education helps to sift and sort us the population by ability.

Those most able to gain high qualifications are eligible for the most well-paying jobs.

Critique

How far is it true to say that the education system sifts and sorts individuals into

appropriate roles according to their abilities?

Equal opportunities do not exist – your opportunities are shaped by class, ethnicity,

gender.

How does school prepare you for work?

The New Vocationalism

“The main function of education is to provide the economy with a skilled workforce.”YTSApprenticeshipsBTECsVocational A levels.Foundation DegreesNVQs

How successful have these

been?

Critiques of New Vocationalism

Marxists – these initiatives serve the needs of K.

Cohen – Young people not taught valuable skills, rather to be subservient, lower their expectations and accept low paid work.

Cheap labour for employers, keeps young people off the streets and U/E figures.

Reproduces class and ethnic inequalities. M/C students still opt for Academic A levels.

Activity: Evaluation of Functionalism

7 Evaluation Points.

Discuss and rank them 1 most important – 7 least important criticism of functionalist idea

OR

Diamond Seven.

Evaluation of Functionalism

• Educational achievement is influenced by class, ethnicity and gender.

• Marxists - Does education instil values of whole society or just ruling class values?

• Interactionists - Do pupils just passively accept all they are taught and never question the values. (– we are not puppets!)

• New Right – the problem is inefficient state education.

1. Social solidarity2. Specialised division of labour3. Secondary socialization 4. Value consensus5. Collective conscience6. Individual achievement7. Equality of opportunity8. Role allocation9. Meritocracy 10. Focal socializing agency11. Particularistic standards12. Universalistic standards13. Ascribed status14. Achieved status15. Differential reward for differential achievement

Functionalist View

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx5X5h7mTs0

Formal Curriculum• The subjects you are taught at school• National Curriculum – lays down what you

should be studying• Emphasis on Maths, English and Science

Some people criticise the formal curriculum…

• The subjects do not lead to practical skills

• Modern languages are not compulsory (unlike the rest of Europe)

• Some believe the National Curriculum is ethnocentric – it teaches British values and culture as being dominant over others (Gilborn, 1990)

Informal Curriculum

• Also known as the ‘hidden curriculum’.

• Responsible for teaching children the rules and regulations of school life.

• Plays a crucial role – responsible for the transmission of the norms and values crucial to survival in schools and classrooms.

What might the informal curriculum include?...

• What is expected at the beginning of a class• How to queue outside a classroom• Where to gather (and where not to gather) at

break or lunch• Manners – putting up hands, not talking when

the teacher is

How might others schools differ?

The informal curriculum is not taught to pupils – the rules, norms, values, culture of the school is passed on by…

• Listening/talking to others• Brothers/sisters• Watching/imitating others

Sometimes the formal and informal curriculum overlaps…

• Through informal learning (listening/talking to others) – pupils can understand how far they can push the rules (deviate from the rules)

E.g.) Uniform policy (how far did you push your luck?)If students deviate from these rules, then might from others too

In short…Education socialises individuals into the culture of a school which involves learning new norms and values, and understanding different social roles.

Education should teach young people to appreciate their achieved status

New Right

A political approach that believes in neo-liberal economic ideas.

The state cannot run a decent education system.

The free market will improve the provision.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lIj_znSrhQ

Functionalist thinking has influenced New Right political thinking which is strictly

conservative & a firm believer in the idea that the state (government) should not be

over-relied on.

The New Right &

Education:

In terms of Education this means that they favour the ‘Free Market’ & the

Marketisation of Education… The Free Market in Education suggests that schools

should compete against each other for ‘Clients’ (pupils).

For every pupil a school enrols they receive funding. By

doing this, the standard of education should go up in

schools, otherwise they will fail to attract pupils &

receive no funding.

There are many similarities

between the Functionalist

perspective & the New Right

perspective on Education:

> Both believe that inequality is inevitable (but

justified) as some pupils are naturally more able than

others. > They both value Meritocratic Ideals, Open

Competition & Using Education to meet the needs of

the Economy (Role Allocation & the Division of

Labour)> Education should socialise pupils into shared norms,

values & identities (Value Consensus, Collective

Conscience)

Key Difference:Unlike Functionalists, the New Right do not believe that the current Education

System is meeting these goals. This is because it is run by the state i.e. not

privatised.The New Right argue that the State takes a

‘One Size Fits All Approach’ in it’s approach to

schools & as such tries to impose the same

regulations, same policies & same funding to all

schools which ignores local, individual needs i.e.

those of pupils, parents & staff within schools.

School are

‘Unresponsive’

The answer is to ‘Marketise’ Education – run a

school like a business & compete with other

schools to attract ‘Custom’ / ‘Clients’. This

means schools will have to listen to the needs

of pupils, parents & staff.

Giving choice of

schools to parents

(rather than

catchment areas) is

called a

‘Parentocracy’.

This is not a new idea:

In order to help parents make informed

decisions about their child’s education OFSTED

& League tables were introduced in the 1988

Education Reform Act which was introduced by

Thatcher’s Conservative government.

Chubb & Moe (1990) Consumer

Choice: Argue that America’s State Schools have

failed in their goals & should therefore be

placed in the ‘Free Market’.

> State Education has failed disadvantaged groups

(W/C, Minorities) & failed to create equality of

opportunity.> Pupils are not being equipped with the skills needed

to work i.e. the economy is thus failing.

> Private Schools are more efficient & productive because

they have to answer to their ‘Clients’ – the paying

customer.

Chubb & Moe compared the achievements of 60,000

pupils from low-income families in 1,015 state

schools & private schools as well as a ‘Parent’s

Survey’.Schools should no longer receive

guaranteed funding but should

have to ‘Earn’ funding through good

performance. Parents should be

given an ‘Education Voucher’ to

spend at the school of their choice

(forcing schools to improve).

Link to

Methods:

Surveys

So should the State have any power in

Education?.... Yes, it should perform 2

roles:

1.It should impose a strict, standardised framework for schools to compete

within e.g. OFSTED Inspections, League Tables, Formula Funding.

2.It should make sure that all schools transmit a shared, united culture i.e.

through a standardised National Curriculum, & the Practice of Christian

Principles.

Gewirtz (1995):Marketisation benefits the Middle Class & disadvantages the Working

Class.

> The New Right ignore wider social inequalities within

education & place all blame on the schools themselves.

> The New Right want parents to have choice & freedom

but at the same time want a strict curriculum in place –

Contradictory.> Marxists argue that schools do not transmit a shared

culture, only the culture of the R/C - the dominant

culture.

Critique of the New Right view on

Education:

Functionalism Questions1. According to Davis and Moore, What key

function does education serve? 2. Give 2 main points from Durkheim’s views of

Education. 3. What does Parsons means when he says school

is a bridge?4. Name 1 way the New Right is similar to

Functionalism. 5. Name the key difference between the New

Right and Functionalist views of education.

New Right recaps1. Outline one similarity and one difference between

Functionalist and New Right views of education.2. State one of Chubb and Moe’s claims about why the US

education system has failed.3. Why do Chubb and Moe believe that their should be a

‘voucher system’ in education?4. What is meant by the ‘marketisation’ of the education system?5. Outline 2 market principles that should be applied to the

education system according to the New Right.6. According to the New Right, what is the purpose of such

moves as publishing school league tables and Ofsted reports?7. Why does Gewirtz have beef with the New Right?8. Why would New Right thinkers be pleased with the recent

policies that have allowed schools to convert to academies?

Functionalism and New Right – Assessment Questions

(a) What is meant by meritocracy? (2 marks)(b) Suggest three criticisms of the ‘new

vocationalism’. (6 marks)(c) Outline the New Right view of the role of

education. (10 marks)(d) Evaluate the contribution of functionalism to

our understanding of the role of education. (20 marks)

Past Paper Questions - Functionalism

1. Explain what is meant by the ‘correspondence principle’.(2 marks) June 12

2. Suggest three criticisms that other sociologists may make of the functionalist view of the education system. (6 marks) June 12

3. Outline some of the functions that the education system may perform. (10 marks) June 11

4. Assess the claim that ‘the main function of education is to maintain a value consensus in society’ (Item A, lines 7–8). (20 marks) Jun 09

5. Assess the view that the education system exists mainly to select and prepare young people for their future work roles. (20 marks) Jan 11