Roles & Functions of Education (AQA GCSE Sociology): Flashcards

Functionalists view the hidden curriculum as positive, whereas Marxists argue it only benefits the ruling class.

With the headteacher at the top and students at the bottom, a school reflects the hierarchical structure of society.

False.

Teachers may expect girls to perform poorly in STEM subjects, which may discourage girls from entering STEM careers.

Durkheim argued that the main function of education is the secondary socialisation of children into society's norms and values.

Social solidarity is where individuals see themselves as part of something larger than themselves, so members of society are united.

History lessons instil shared norms and values through a shared past and a commitment to wider society.

Strict rules help children learn self-discipline and see that misbehaviour damages society as a whole.

According to Durkheim, industrial society needs education to teach specialist skills because producing a single item requires the cooperation of many individuals, each with the necessary specialist knowledge and skills.

T Levels are two-year courses developed with employers to prepare students for work.

One criticism of Durkheim's view of education is that in a multicultural society there may be no single shared culture to transmit, and some students do not passively accept society's norms and values.

Parsons saw education as the main agency of socialisation, preparing children for their adult roles in wider society.

Particularistic standards are the standards used in families, where a child is judged by their ascribed status, such as being the eldest.

Universalistic standards are the same standards applied to everyone, so status is achieved through talent or merit.

Parsons argued schools promote the importance of achievement and equality of opportunity.

False.

Parsons believed education was meritocratic, as students are judged against the same standards and status is achieved by merit rather than ascribed.

Critics argue meritocracy is an illusion because in an unequal society, wealth and privilege matter more than merit, and achievement is greatly influenced by class background.

Willis's research on counter-school subcultures shows that pupils can reject school values rather than passively accepting them.

False.

Marxists see education as based on class division and capitalist exploitation, as it teaches ruling-class values such as competition.

Marxists argue education reproduces class inequality because working-class students are less likely to achieve good qualifications, and they are prepared for their lower position in capitalist society, learning to accept hierarchy and obey rules.

Bowles and Gintis used surveys of 237 New York high school students and secondary sources from existing theories.

Schools rewarded students who were hard-working, disciplined, obedient and unquestioning of authority.

False.

Bowles and Gintis found that students showing independence and creative thinking were more likely to gain lower grades.

The correspondence principle is Bowles and Gintis' idea that education and the workplace mirror or correspond with one another.

Tests, grades and exams breed competition that mirrors competition at work for promotions, higher pay and status.

Knowledge broken into isolated subjects mirrors jobs broken down into separate tasks.

Students motivated by exam results rather than enjoyment of learning mirror workers motivated by the external rewards of pay and bonuses.

The myth of meritocracy is Bowles and Gintis' idea that education appears fair and equal but disguises the fact that social class decides a person's status.

Bowles and Gintis assume students have no free will, and their research may only apply to the 1970s, as modern businesses need creative, independent workers.

Feminists argue Bowles and Gintis ignore the fact that schools reproduce not only capitalism but also patriarchy.

Feminists argue education helps to maintain patriarchy, reinforcing gender inequality through both the formal and hidden curriculum.

Schools in the 1950s and 60s prepared girls for traditional domestic roles: girls were encouraged to study cookery and needlework, while boys took woodwork and metalwork.

Textbooks often showed women as housewives or mothers, suggesting men belonged in the workplace and women in the home.

The National Curriculum meant that boys and girls study the same subjects in publicly funded schools.

True.

Girls now outperform boys at most levels, although feminists argue sexism has not disappeared.

False.

Feminists argue sexism has become more subtle, appearing in classroom interactions, subject choices and leadership positions.

Teacher expectations reinforce traditional gender roles because girls are often praised for being neat and well-behaved, while boys are rewarded for confidence and assertiveness.

Although most teachers are women, men dominate senior positions; in 2023, 58.5% of secondary headteachers were male.

Lees found a double standard where girls were criticised for being sexually active or flirtatious, while boys were praised for the same behaviour.

Francis found that boys dominate classroom space, receive more teacher attention and control playground space.

Feminists argue schools exercise social control by policing girls' behaviour, dress and physical appearance.

Feminists may underestimate progress towards equality and overlook how class and ethnicity also shape students' experiences.

Marxist feminists argue education reproduces both patriarchy and capitalism, benefiting ruling-class men most of all.