...Essay: Evaluate the role of education in society. Consider issue of gender in your response. Also, consider how such factors may impact on a person’s life chances. This essay will examine the role of education in society and an analysis of inequality in relation to Gender. It will discuss briefly education and examine the different theoretical approaches to education followed by an analysis of inequality using information on statistics of inequality in British education in relation to gender and attainment. This essay will Identify and evaluate key policy developments in education provision designed to bridge the gap of gender inequality in British education. The role of education in society has been among the major issues in contemporary sociological and political debate. According to Iannelli and Paterson (2005) education is a major factor that helps determine the jobs and social class positions of individuals in society. As an institution of sociology, education plays a dominant role in transmitting prevalent ideologies of society by providing pupils with the curriculum and hidden curriculum as well as the skills that will prepare them physically, mentally and socially for their life chances (Clark 2005). Educational institutions play a very important role in reducing social inequalities. Over the last century British schools experienced very important changes and moved from a selective system to a comprehensive one in the 1960s and 70s. Much research has shown that the...
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...The mass media plays a large role in modern society. Indeed, many have argued that people spend more time in “mass-mediated” interaction than in actual human interaction. The mass media, then, would seemingly be an excellent position to initiate social change, positively affect social problems, and help combat social ills that are considered normal patterns of behavior. Yet, the mass media has largely failed in addressing and helping to solve social problems. As seen through its presentation of the three major variables of race, class, and gender, the mass media has actually served to contribute to the social problems it covers, reinforcing them, and creating an inter-related cycle in which these problems continue. TV has become perhaps the primary vehicle that society receives its information and presents its values and expectations. One of the most important roles television plays is its presentation of news and information. What a station chooses to present as newsworthy can play a strong role in how people view their society and the world around them. Often, television news sources have followed a philosophy of “if it bleeds, it leads”, focusing on violence in urban environments. This violence occurs more frequently in black neighborhoods, resulting in what amounts to essentially as a steady, nightly stream of reports on violence in the inner-city by and among African-Americans. In this way, the television media plays a strong role in formulating racial problems...
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...Assess functionalist views of the role of education (20 marks) There are multiple views in society of the education system. The first view is functionalist – they believe that the education system is positive. The second view is Marxism – they believe that education in negative. The final perspective is feminism and they believe that again education is a negative thing. Functionalists such as Durkheim believe that the education system is positive because it gives us a shared sense of belonging, he also believes that due to history in education we are all bonded together because we all share the same past. Moreover, he also said that education gives us social solidarity because we’re all functioning together in society due to education giving us specialised skills for the workforce and later life. Additionally, functionalists such as Parsons believe that education is vital because it’s a bridge from the family to society. He also believes that there is equality of opportunity in society and in education this means there is a meritocracy and social mobility. Moreover, he said that education encourages individual achievement and this achievement is measured by role allocation and setting. This means that those who do well in school (those in the top sets) will be pushed to go for the highest jobs. He also said that education develops a value consensus in society this means that society has a shared set of norms and values. Davis and Moore examined role allocation. They believe that...
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...DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL VALUES AND CULTURAL PRACTICES Certain needs such as to make a living, the need for social organization, knowledge as well as learning, normative and metaphysical expression are common to all the people. As a result, the culture of a society not only acts as an instrument of cooperate development, but also as a basis of social values and cultural practice development. In addition, culture is not considered as being in the opposition to development, but rather as an idea that is continually changing as well as being created in relation to the changing social processes and it constitutes a common point of reference within the global development. The study examines how social values and cultural practices are shaped by age, class, ethnicity and gender. Social values and cultural practices shaped by age A study on the vast potential expansion of HIV epidemic as well as cultural impact in the sub-Saharan Africa reflects how ages shapes social values and cultural practices. Cultural practices that include large differences within the ages of men and women at marriage as well as along the period of postpartum abstinence have resulted into frequent extra-marital relations. However, such relationships have contributed to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. In order to respond to the spread of HIV/AIDS, the social adaptations have to include some profound changes within the sexual behaviours, child bearing and marriage customs. On the other hand, social values,...
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...Gender Role Analysis The roles of gender in today’s society vary according to history, one’s personal biases, environment, and society’s input in education, government, and the workplace. History has shown that gender roles have made great strides of accomplishments in roles that were once very similar in each area of life; particularly the role of females in that they were considered to be the property of men and played the role of the helpmeet, which was a biblical term that was taken to what is considered extreme in today’s U.S. culture. Through various social movements throughout history gender roles have changed greatly. Those changes that were affected by such social movements caused great opportunities and advancement for women and minorities in education, government, and the workplace. Social Movements From the beginning of this nation women did not have the same rights as men and were considered to be more of a second class citizen. In the early years of this nation, women along with minorities were considered the property of men. Women were not permitted to be educated in most cases, did not count as a citizen, could not vote, could not own anything, could not enter into contracts, obtain credit, work without her father or husband’s permission and could not even receive a paycheck in her own name. Social movements have made great impacts on gender roles in society throughout history. From social movements in the beginning of this nations’ history such as...
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...Gender, Class, and Race Stereotypes in American Television A Content Analysis Gender, class, and race stereotypes abound in contemporary society, much like they have done throughout human history. With the advent of television, however, stereotypical assumptions have become so pervasive, and so diffused, that some call for a serious and purposeful scrutiny of television's contents. On the following pages, various content analyses of television programs will be addressed, followed by discussions on the greater implications race, class, and gender stereotypes have on society. The research method most often used in studying media images is called content analysis. Content analysis is a descriptive method in which researchers analyze the actual content of documents and/or programs. By systematically counting items pertaining to a specific category, researchers are able to conceptualize a larger theoretical framework based on their observations of media content (Wiseman 1970). Content analyses of television programming show, that during prime time hours, men make up the vast majority of characters shown. Furthermore, women characters found during that same time frame are mainly in comedies, while men predominate in dramas. Thus, the implications are that men are to be taken serious, while women should not. (Tuchman 1978). Similarly, content analyses on soap operas reveal highly stereotypical representations of the genders. In soap operas, strong, willful women are predominantly...
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...Construction of Identity and Worldview: The Influence of Social Variables The meaning of human identity is vast and complex. Identity, for our purposes, is in part a derivation of an inseparable piece of one’s consciousness, and largely an assembly of attitudes, behaviors, values, and beliefs collected and learned during a lifetime. Individual identity, as the centerpiece of an individual’s place in society, is the mechanism through which worldviews are shaped. Identity may seem a nonessential study of little consequence in comparison to more explicit and trenchant topics, but actually is very consequential. Identities and worldviews are, after all, what have defined and created our reality as we know it. Movements toward social equality and political progressiveness have been born as a result of identities and worldviews differing from that of the collective. To study the social variables that mold identity and construct worldview is to study how our species has created our reality. Learning about the way identities and worldviews are shaped is the first step necessary in altering the formation of those identities and worldviews in order to change our thinking; to create a better and more equal reality. In some cases, such as my own, the formation of an individual’s identity is influenced by a collection of social variables typical of those within their society, as well as variables considered atypical. An absence of organized religion, Caucasian racial categorization, a culture...
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...Social stratification- is systematic inequalities among groups of people 1. Wealth and income (social class) 2. Racial inequality 3. Gender inequality. Equality/inequality -Ontological equality -Equality of opportunity -Equality of condition -Equality of outcome Why inequality exists? Inequality in wealth and access to resources is generated by three processes: 1.) Unequal division of labor and/or low mobility across occupations. 2.) Surplus or abundance of resources 3.) The desire to accumulate wealth and assets Types of social mobility: mobility refers to movement between different position within a system of social stratification 1. Horizontal 2. Vertical 3. Structural 4. Exchange Why the class structure is changing -Massive growth in inequality between the rich and the poor. Called the “Great U-Turn” -Shrinking of the working class, with some growth in middle class and working poor. -Growth of poverty and the “underclass” -Rate of poverty is increasing twice as fast as population growth Why income inequality is increasing -Largely due to the increasing concentration of wealth at the very top of the income distribution. consequences of income inequality -High levels of income inequality reduces social cohesion, overall health, overall wealth, and education -Increases crime, debt, and political polarization Social construction of race -Instead, social scientists argue that “race” is socially constructed. Racial...
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...Socialist Feminist Criticism: You Dropped the Bomb on Me, Baby Feminism and gender studies have been described as having the ability to “challenge literary and culture theory to confront the difficult task of assimilating the findings of an expanding sphere of inquiry” (Contemporary Literary Criticism 567). This area of study has taken center stage during the last fifty years, not only in our society, but also in literary criticism. Although the terrain Feminism traverses can hardly be narrowed down to one single definition, the exploration of the genre can, at times, be the most intriguing feature of the criticism itself. While feminism has undoubtedly changed the way women and gender roles are considered in society today, it has also had an impact on the way that I, too, read literature, look at American culture, and view the world. Walter Ong suggests that “‘literature’ itself is the product of—or completely wound up and ‘imbricated’ in—the social contexts out of which it grows” (CLC 461). The social contexts that exist in our society have not only affected our societal systems themselves, but also have changed the way we view our class systems, gender roles, and sexual choices. Viewing society from a Marxist perspective can also help us decipher the unspoken rules that govern us. “Not only do Marxist critics want criticism to be constantly aware of history—both present and past history—in reading and literature, they also demand that the criticism become more overtly...
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...Social Inequalities: Gender and Employment The debate about the relative significance of gender has been important to the understanding of the structural force in society. There is a need to make a distinction, between women and men concerning their perceptions and roles within the workforce in today’s society. The distinction between sex and gender is that sex relates to the biological difference whereas gender relates to the socially unequal division into femininity and masculinity. Theorists have stressed the importance of social rather than the biological determinants of a wide range of behaviors between men and women and created an oppositional stance that attempted to tie women to subordinate positions on account of their biology. This has created an immense contribution to feminist thinking and has placed a powerful argument in the field of sociology. Although women’s gains in education may have been central to narrowing the gender gap in income historically, gender differences in fields of study continue to disadvantage women (Bobbitt-Zeher, 2007). Gender and Employment Before World War II, women did not have a major role in the workplace. Some argue that women in pre-industrial societies had a considerable influence in the household, which in those times were not separate from the various productive activities. This changed after the Industrial Revolution, as many men moved away from home to mechanized factories, lessening the involvement of women in the economic...
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...distinction between ethnic group and race are too subtle for clarification; however, Scientists distinguish race on the basis of “physical characteristics” (11), such as a person’s skin tone, texture of hair or facial features. As people continue to migrate into this country, the increase number of interracial children will eventually alter the biological composition of future generations. This evolution of race will impair the variables that scientists use to classify race. Society distinguishes a person’s race based on collective conjecture; while the majority of us accept appearance as the driving force we assign a race or ethnicity. As the races intermingle, societies’ ability to categorize American’s by “social construct,” will be contingent more so on “Social assumptions,” such as language, religion, customs and ethnic group membership to determine race. White like me—Judith Levine I loved reading this! Ms. Levine has step outside herself and realized what the majority of white people in America may never be aware—“whiteness” (48). This became evident to Ms. Levine as she moved from New York’s highly diverse culture, to mainstream white neighborhood in Vermont. She says “Whiteness purports to be both nothing and everything” (48). She explains how whiteness is this invisible power that makes the majority of white people their race is superior bar none. She realized her skin shielded her from the struggles of minorities and afforded her perks that are associated...
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...Question 7: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Gender And Development (GAD) approach for oppressed communities in the Caribbean? Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance within ones country. With a mouthful said, I can now turn my attention to the matter at hand. One could ask what is gender and development? The fact is, there is no true meaning for this, however theorist have pieced together that, the Gender and Development (GAD) approach is a way of determining how best to structure development projects and programs based on analysis of gender relationships, in other words it focuses on the socially constructed basis of difference between men and women, economic, political and cultural forces that determine how men and women participate in, benefit from, and control project resources and activities differently and it also places a great emphasis on the need to challenge existing gender roles and relations. This approach shifts the focus from women as a group to the socially determined relations between women and men. With the birth of this approach it is constantly being compared with the WID, they both have perspectives that are theoretically distinct; although in practice it is less clear, with a program possibly involving elements of both. It was developed in the 1980s as an alternative to the Women in Development (WID)...
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...large role in forming our personalities. For some, education also manages to act as a way of socialising people into the norms and values that are seen to be important for a particular society. For others it can be seen as a source of conflict particularly when issues surrounding gender, class and ethnicity are put under the sociologists, ‘microscope’. It also provides an excellent indicator of how political ideology affects social policy, with the changing of governments impacting on educational policy. Some questions sociologists are interested in about education are: * Why do some pupils achieve more than others? * What is the relationship between education and the economy? * What is the purpose of education? * Do pupil’s school experiences vary? Assessment The course will be assessed by examination only. The examination will consist of various short answer question and essay style questions. Date of Exam: June 2010 Duration: 2 hr The Unit 2 exam is worth 60% of your final AS level grade. There will be 90 marks available on the paper. You will answer one question on the chosen topic, one question on sociological research methods in context and one question on research methods. Assessment Objectives AO1 Knowledge and understanding of the theories, methods, concepts a) The nature of sociological thought AS and A Level candidates are required to study the following concepts and theoretical issues: • social order, social control ...
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...recognizable performances of roles and gendered and sexualized performances (Giltrow 276). According to Delph-Janiurek, voices are limited within the confines of certain societal hegemonic norms. He explains that the relationship between voices and bodies is not necessarily physiological; voices are vocal “performances”. There exists a pre-established gender duality within society, in which masculinity and the “male” voice is associated with the male body, and femininity and the “female” voice is associated with the female body. Thus, what is considered to be a “natural” voice is merely a choice made by an individual as to which of the two sides of duality they identify with more (Gamson). This choice is a representation of a gendered and sexualized identity that is influenced by discourse. Gender norms dictate that males identify with the more masculine voice, with a lower pitch and only slight increases in intonation. The stereotypical female voice, on the other hand, is more high pitched, with more variation in intonation (Bonds-Raacke). With this in consideration, Delph Janiurek’s thesis is that voices have a “geography”, and that they can be authored in a certain way within certain societal “spaces” (Giltrow 276). In other words, certain situations demand misperformance of hegemonic gender roles in the form of voice alteration. Delph-Janiurek’s argument is limited in the sense that it does not conduct enough research into different types of social roles in order to properly consider...
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...Review Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9 I. Gender roles A. Gender roles are sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany one’s status as a male or female. However, there is much evidence showing that gender roles have more to do with social status then biology II. The Women Question A. What is the root of patriarchy? III. Patriarchy A. A nearly universal system involving the subordination of femininity to masculinity B. A wide range of theories and approaches have been applied to the study of gender, including structural functionalism, psychoanalytic theory, conflict theory C. Each perspective has contributed to our understanding of gender differences, gender roles, and this complex and fundamental social institution IV. Structural functionalism A. Theoretical tradition claiming that every society has certain structures(the family, the division of labor, or gender) which exist in order to fulfill some set of functions(Reproduction of the species, production of goods, etc). B. A structural functionalist approach to studying gender assumes that gender differences exist to fulfill necessary functions in society V. Sex role theory A. Talcott Parson’s theory that men and women perform their sex roles as breadwinners and wives/mothers, respectively, because the nuclear family is the ideal arrangement in modern societies, fulfilling the function of reproducing workers VI. Limitation A. Their theory doesn’t allow for the possibility...
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