ROLE AND Functions OF Education IN Society PDF

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ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF EDUCATION IN SOCIETY FUNCTIONALIST        

Teaching skills needed for economic growth develops from schools, transmits important skills for the economy Secondary socialisation ROLE ALLOCATION Positive force in today’s society: benefits society as a whole Creation of a MERITOCRATIC social order Creation of common values All social structures make a positive contribution to other parts of the social system Formal education develops needs of a modern society

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)  

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Role in education to create SOCIAL SOLIDARITY- feeling of identification & responsibility towards others by welding of a mass of individuals into a united whole CULTURAL HOMOGENEITY: people become geographically mobile, societies less bound together by traditional institutions such as the church & family which create moral order that would control crime & deviance o EGOISM- Students rebelling from education system, people pursuing own goals rather for the good of the community o ANOMIE- lack of shared values & feeling of moral confusion Major function of education is to transmit the norms and values of society. Prepares pupils for interacting with members of society as an adult and accepting social rules. Education teaches individuals specific skills which are necessary for their future occupation.

David Hargreaves (comprehensive schools study)  

Instrumental students: work without enthusiasm & gain only the qualifications they need. Influenced by EGOISM- encouraged by competitive nature of schools Indifferent students- don’t do much work at all. Bored students but too passive to cause trouble: ANOMIE- lack of commitment likely to continue in their lives.

Talcott Parsons (1961) Education acts as a bridge between the family and wider society and school is the bridge between childhood and adulthood. PARTICULARISTIC STANDARDS- where children treated as individuals change to UNIVERSALISTIC STANDARDS- where individuals judged by standards in society. 

Education helps to ease the transmission from family to wider society. The exam system is MERITOCRATIC, and school rules are applied to all pupils equally. Schools install 2 major values: 1. The value of achievement. 2. The value of equality of opportunity.

Davis and Moore   

See the education system as a means of ROLE ALLOCATION. The education system sifts people according to their abilities. The most talented gain high qualifications – which leads to important jobs with high rewards. Education selects people for their future role in society. The education system assesses pupil’s abilities so that their talents are matched to the job for which they are best suited.

CRITICISMS:     

Assumes individuals will passively respond to the education system. Do not recognise anti-school subcultures eg. Smoking/bunking/disruptive/don’t hand in homework Education system is not meritocratic- differentiation between: class/gender/ethnicity. Critics argue education system allocates on basis of background than ability. It could be argues that most British schools fail to transmit shared norms and values. (Hargreaves) Assumption that the norms and values transmitted in schools are those of society not those of powerful group There is only a weak link between educational qualification and income.

MARXIST

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Education system serves the interest of the ruling class Marxists believe that BOURGEOISIE exploits the PROLETARIAT & education helps the ruling class (B) by passing on wealth & privilege similar to the Functionalist approach suggests that education prepares for children for the world of work. This however takes the form of education transmitting to justify inequality and the capitalist system.

Louis Althusser   

In modern society the education system has replaced the church as the main agency for ideological control. (In the past people accepted their position in society because it was Gods will.) Schools transmit an ideology which states that education is just and reasonable. Ideology provides a more effective means of control. Schools prepare people for their roles in the workforce. Most are trained as workers; some are trained to control the workforce. (Their educational qualifications legitimate their position of power.)

Bowles and Gintis (1976) Education system produces subservient workforce that will work long hours for little pay Close relationship between social relationships in the workplace and in education – CORRESPONDENCE PRINCIPLE developed by HIDDEN CIRICULUM alongside formal curriculum (set of values & habits that schools teach by the way they are organised): 1. Teaches sense of respect for hierarchy & authority eg. Teacher walks in, kids stop talking/ teachers tell kids what they will be studying and decide on how lessons are organised. Mirrors working world as workers defer to authority of the employer 2. Teachers workers to accept motivation through external rewardstaught to study for exam, not for joy of learning: mirrors working world as enjoy payslip more than job 3. Develop passive and dependant personality through HIDDEN CIRICULUM- higher grades given to higher attendance 4. School subjects are fragmented. Knowledge in schools is packaged into separate subjects with little connection between them. This is similar to the workplace where most jobs are broken down into specific tasks carried out by separate individuals. Workers are kept unaware of the whole production process, so they remain divided. Meritocracy is a myth according to Bowles and Gintis. The ruling class obtain high qualifications and well rewarded jobs irrespective of their abilities. Those who fail in the education system blame themselves rather than the system. Inequality is therefore made to appear fair. CRITICISMS:

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Marxists see “mug and jug” approach to education- Capitalist as jug and students as mug- students waiting to be filled by Capitalist ideology Narrow minded that concentrates on class inequalities, limited on gender & ethnic inequalities Exaggerate the correspondence between education and work. (Brown et al) Not all pupils accept the hidden curriculum in schools. Some pupils have little respect for teachers and school rules. (Willis)

NEO-MARXIST Pierre Bourdieu (1973)  Education helps maintain wealth of ruling class  Education system based on CULTURAL CAPITAL: which is the values, knowledge and skills of the ruling class and teachers speak like BOURGEIOUSE and not PROLETARIAT Willis: learning to labour Accepts that the education system is closely linked to the needs of Capitalism.  Studied 12 working class boys during their last year at school and first months at work using qualitative observation  The ‘lads’ formed a friendship group with a particular attitude to school – a counter-school culture. o The ‘lads’ felt superior to teachers and conformist pupils – ‘ear oles’ o They saw no value in education. o Their main objectives were to avoid going to lessons and to do as little work as possible. They entertained themselves by ‘having a laff’ – misbehaviour. o The ‘lads’ found school boring and tried to identify with the adult world by smoking, drinking and not wearing uniform. o Their counter-culture was strongly sexist and racist.  When Willis followed the ‘lads’ to their first jobs he found similarities between the school counter-culture and the factory shop-floor culture: o Both were racist and sexist. o Both had no respect for authority. o Both tried to minimize work and maximize ‘having a laff’ o Both cultures were ways of dealing with tedium and oppression. CRITICISMS:  Willis’s study was small scale and may not be representative to society as a whole. (Blackhedge and Hunt)  Willis ignores the full range of subcultures within schools – not all pupils are simply conformists or lads. (Blackhedge and Hunt)  Willis used qualitative research methods therefore his findings may not be valid as he may have misinterpreted them. (Blackhedge and Hunt)  Manual work has declined since Willis’s research – therefore male working class attitudes to education may have become more positive.

FEMINIST One of the main roles of education has been to maintain gender inequalities.      

The HIDDEN CURRICULUM reinforces gender differences. Men seem to dominate the top positions in education. Despite female achievement, boys dominate the classroom and teacher attention. (Kelly, 1987) Boys may be awarded more status in school in an informal gender regime. (Mac an Ghaill, 1994) Explanations of the educational success of girls are rooted in ideas of female independence and positive role models. The positive changes for girls can be linked to the feminist movement. Problem of patriarchy- “rule of the father” male dominance in society principally found in the family unit

Gendered language – School textbooks and teachers tended to use gendered language –‘he’, ‘his’, ‘him’, ‘man’ and ‘men’ when referring to a person or people. This tended to downgrade women and make them invisible. Women in the curriculum– Women tend to be missing in the curriculum. Feminists often argue that women have been ‘hidden from history’ – history has been the history of man.

Subject Choice– Certain subjects were seen as ‘boys’ subjects and ‘girls’ subjects. Female students have tended to avoid maths, science, and technology. Often girl’s subjects had lower status and lower market value. Feminists argue

that this is a result of gender socialisation. (Byrne, 1979) Dale Spender:

Gendered roles – School textbooks present males and females in traditional gender roles. E.G – Women as mothers, housewives.

GENDER AND EDUCATION

Discrimination – There is evidence of discrimination against girls in education because of their gender. E.G – 11+ - in 1940’s – the pass mark was set lower for boys than girls.

Gendered Stereotypes– Reading schemes present boys and girls in gender stereotypical roles. E.G – Boys are more adventurous than girls. Whereas girls are more caring than boys. Further and higher education – Traditionally the number of female students going on to FE and HE has been lower than for boys. Teachers often gave more encouragement to boys than girls to go onto University. (Stanworth, 1983)

“invisible women”- teachers pay more attention to boys as they are supposed to be getting a job upon leaving school

INTERACTIONIST   

How individuals are shaped and are shaped from the educational system. Focuses on the processes within the education system which results in different levels of achievement. Interactionist theorists research the details of day-to-day life in schools.

1.Role and Self Concept Individuals depend on their self concept which is shaped by others reaction to us. Convey idea of “LOOKING GLASS SELF”. Others will have effect on concept of self

2. Typing and Labeling Students labeled by teachers- part of classroom process. Becker (1997): created ‘THE IDEAL PUPIL’ focuses on how labeling occurs in education system. Teachers have middle class values and label middle class students as ideal.

3. Self Fulfilling Prophecy Predictions made by teachers to come true. Teacher defines or labels the pupil in a particular way e.g. – ‘dull’ or ‘bright’

Teacher’s interaction with pupils will be informed by their labelling of the pupils.

Pupils will respond accordingly, making the label true = SELF FUFILLING PROPHECY Rosenthal & Jacobson (1968): USA: informed teachers pupil expected to show rapid growth  behaved differently to pupils  tested IQ 1 year later showed greater gains in IQ

4. Class Subcultures eg. emos, chavs, goths, punks Within schools- students forming a pre-counter school culture based on class which affects the outcome of their results as shown by Paul Willis’ lads.

5. Streaming and Branding Most schools have some system for placing pupils in teaching groups in terms of their perceived ability.

Stephen Ball: For pupils of similar measured ability, those whose fathers were non-manual workers had the greatest chance of being placed in the top band. Ball identified the following effects of this banding:  The behaviour of pupils in lower bands deteriorated.  Teachers had lower expectations of lower band pupils.  Lower band pupils were directed towards practical subjects and lowerlevel exams.

CRITICISMS:  By focusing on the school, Interactionists ignore wider social context  Studies are qualitative in nature, small-scaled and subjective  Most Interactionists refer to class differences in education but fail to explain the origins of these differences.  Interactionists have been accused focusing too much on in-school factors and therefore fail to take into account out-of-school factors which might influence what happens within education.

DIFFERENTIAL EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENT CLASS Children from higher classes are more likely to stay on in post-compulsory education, more likely to succeed in assessments and more likely to gain university entrance.  3.5 million children in UK are in poverty  61% parents cut back on food  26% parents skipped meals to feed children & pay for school trips

Intelligence At every level of education upper and middle class children tend to do better than working class children. This remains the case even if these children have the same IQ. Most sociologists believe that the same range of ability is present in every social class. This means that differences in educational achievement are considered not to be due to class differences in intelligence.

Material Deprivation or Cycle of Deprivation Resources and experiences that money could buy was a primary determinant of educational success or failure. Problems as consequence include:  LIMITED MATERIALS FOR SCHOOLING: low income may mean unable to support educational requirements for uniform, exercise books, textbooks, holidays.  INADEQUATE HOUSING: can be a problem of individual space, and nowhere to do homework  POOR DIET: health issue, become lazy = no energy to concentrate  LARGE FAMILIES: expensive to keep children beyond schooling leaving age Smith and Noble (1995) Argue that material factors influence class differences in educational achievement:  Likely to lead to large differences between successful well resourced schools in affluent areas and under-subscribed, poorly resourced schools in poor areas.  Having money allows parents to buy equipment to aid educational achievement. Schools have to charge for trips, materials and equipment. LEA’s are cutting back on free school meal provision and transport costs.

Cultural Deprivation Those at the bottom of the class system are deprived of important values, attitudes, skills and experiences that are essential for educational success. Children may receive little encouragement to achieve from parents, as a result of lack of motivation children may fail within the education system. Policies being enforced to ensure children from low income families have equal opportunities to other children – compensatory education:  EAZ’s – Educational Action Zones – Introduced by the Labour government in 1988.These provide extra educational resources in inner-city areas. Dougla: study: the home and school (1964) Middle class parents:  Visited schools more often to discuss their children’s progress.  Wanted their children to stay on at school beyond compulsory education.  Gave children greater attention and stimulus during their early years. Differences in educational achievement could be traced back to primary socialization. Hyman (1967) W.C families posses a distinctive sub-culture that passes on through generations.

Class Subcultures Some sociologists argue that differences in social class subcultures could be used to explain class differences in attainment. Barry Sugarman (1970) Described working class subcultures as:  Fatalistic – accepting the situation rather than working to improve it.  Present-time orientated – living for the moment rather than planning for the future.  Immediate gratification – taking pleasures now rather than making sacrifices for the future.  W.C have no control over their lives & told what to do & when to do it therefore develop a culture into the low status job they have

Speech patterns Basil Bernstein (1971) Speech is an important medium of communication and learning, educational attainment may be related to differences in speech patterns. Bernstein distinguished two patterns of speech: 1. Restricted code – A shorthand speech, which uses short, simple and often unfinished sentences. Members of the working class are often limited to the use of restricted code. (E.G – She saw it)

2. Elaborated code – This code fills in the detail and provides explanations omitted by restricted code. This code is characteristic to the middle class. (E.G – The young girl saw the ball.)  

Middle class individuals are capable from switching from one code to the other, but working classes were only able to use restricted code. As formal education is conducted mainly in elaborated code, working class pupils are placed at a disadvantage.

Cultural Capital Transmitting privilege & wealth from one generation to another. Gewirtz et al (1995) Parent’s cultural capital can explain attainment. 3 types of parents: 1. PRIVELEGED SKILLED CHOOSERS: Knowledge about school system & have time & money to support childs education 2. SEMI-SKILLED CHOOSERS: Concerned for childs education but lack awareness on how to choose the best schools 3. DISCONNECTED CHOOSERS: Concerned for their child but do not see choice of school being a determinant of educational success. Lack material resources to choose a good school. Ball et al MARKETIZATION – middle class parents possess cultural capital and they are in a better position to ensure children get into the school of their choice. Middle class parents have contacts, can play the school system, have the stamina to visit different schools, make appeals, can afford transport costs, can move house to be in a catchment area, afford extra tuition and childcare if necessary.

ETHNICITY Generally, ethnic minorities perform worse than white population Indian & Chinese outperform white students while Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Afro-Caribbean do worse than white. Sewell (1997) Afro-Caribbean: high rate of male desertation  lack male role models  so will be vulnerable to peer group pressure & drawn into aggressive version of masculinity. The PSI Survey of Ethnic minorities conducted by Modood et al) found that the educational qualifications of ethnic groups had improved considerably since the 1980’s. Explanations put forward to explain this:

Social Class/ Poverty The ethnic groups that are less successful within the education system (Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Blacks) have a higher proportion of pupils from working class backgrounds. Swann (1985) At least 50% of ethnic attainment differences explained by social class Platt (2007) Poverty stems from variety of factors: low qualifications, discriminated workplace and limited savings  effects of this: overcrowding in home, poorer diet

Racism In a report in 2007, Freedom of Information Act: uncovered over 100,000 racial incidents in schools 2 types of school racisms: 1.TEACHER RACISM: Wright (1992) If asian then teachers would speak to them in simple terms as assume hve poor grasp of English Gillborn & Youdell (2000) Teachers racial assumption led them to believe that Afro-Caribbean students would cause trouble & have challenging beaviour. Teachers: build resentment and problems escalate 2. INSTITUTIONAL RACISM: Strand (2008) Teachers less likely to enter Afro-Caribbean students for higher-teir tests which has a KNOCK ON EFFECT on which GCSE’s entered for Echoes findings of a study conducted by the CRE (1992): Asians students placed into lower sets...