...Sociology of Education Unit 10 What do Marxists say about the education system? Learning targets: • Marxists see that the ruling class or 'bourgeoisie' rule the workers or 'proletariat'. • The bourgeoisie have the wealth and the power to rule. The proletariat are exploited because they are not treated fairly. • Marxists argue that the education system plays a key role in disseminating the ideology of the ruling class. • Education acts as a force of oppression for the children of the working classes Key questions (AO1) What do Marxists believe? (AO1) How do Marxist theories apply to the education system? (AO2) What strengths are there to the Marxist view of education system? (AO2) How have Marxist views been criticised by other writers? Summary of key points Marxists see capitalist society as being ruled by the economy. The minority, the ruling class or 'bourgeoisie' rule the majority, namely the workers or 'proletariat'. The bourgeoisie have the wealth and the power to rule. The proletariat are exploited because they are not treated fairly. This is the basis of class inequality. Institutions such as organised religion, the mass media, the political and the education systems all reinforce the ideology that the rich and powerful should control society. They promote an ideology or belief that our society is fair and just and...
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...ed however that religion does in fact cause social change. Yet some believe that religion can be both a conservative force and a force for social change. Max Weber believed in the social action theory, where religious beliefs of Calvinists helped to bring about social change. This is supported in item A ‘religious ideas can be a powerful motivation for change, as Weber showed in his study of Calvinism.’ The emergence of modern capitalism in Northern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries was due to Calvinist beliefs. Calvinists had several distinctive beliefs. Predestination, where god had predetermined whether a soul will be saved or not and there is nothing you can do to change this. Devine transcendence, no individual can claim to know god’s ill, which made people feel inner loneliness and ‘salvation panic’. Asceticism, abstinence, self-discipline and self-denial were required by Calvinist’s and prepared them for a life under capitalism. Vocation or calling, Calvinist’s introduced the idea of this worldly asceticism, which meant constant methodical work in occupation and was a religious duty. Again preparing people of life under capitalism as it requires hard work. Weber did not say that Calvinism was the cause of modern capitalism, but that it was one of the causes. Weber’s theory is often seen as a direct assault on Marx’s theory. Bruce was interested in the relationship between religion and social change he compaired two examples of religiously inspired protests...
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...‘Outline and assess the view of the New Egalitarian arguments about social mobility’ (40 marks) Social mobility refers to the movement of individuals, families, households, or other categories of people within or between social strata in a society. It is a change in social status relative to others' social location within a given society. The New Egalitarians are a group of sociologists and politicians who believe that social-class divisions are in decline and that policies to socially include deprived groups are working. Their critics consist mainly of the Traditionalists, Marxists and Neo Marxists. In this essay I aim to show how persuasive the New Egalitarian argument is. New Egalitarian sociologists such as Giddens and Diamond (2005) argue that social class is no longer an important source of inequality or identity in the contemporary UK. They suggest that the UK is a meritocratic society in that equality of opportunity is now the norm, i.e. all members of society are objectively and equally judged on their talent and ability. However, the Traditionalist view opposes this; they argue class divisions and conflict are still the key characteristics of British society today. They believe that Labour politicians have abandoned their commitment to equality and social justice for those exploited by the organisation of capitalism. They believe Labour politicians have betrayed its working-class roots because it has done nothing to redistribute wealth and income from rich to poor...
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...* You will have 30 minutes to write a 20 mark answer. * The essays will consist 4 paragraphs and a conclusion containing new information. How to use this document: * Use the extract from the mark scheme and examiners’ advice to create essay plans of the questions. * You may not have heard of all of the concepts in the mark scheme but there should be at least some that are familiar to you. * The examiner’s advice usually outlines bad, moderate and good answers to the question so pick out the ways in which you can achieve top band and incorporate this into your plan. June 2015 Examine the impact of government policies and laws on family life. [24 marks] From the mark scheme: Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: patriarchy; familism; surveillance; ideological control; gender regimes; marital breakdown; family structure; family diversity; welfare dependency; underclass; reserve army of labour Policies/laws on abortion; divorce; contraception; reproductive technology; marriage; adoption; pensions; benefits; taxes; education; childcare; child protection; sexuality; immigration may be discussed Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance by comparing the impact of different policies/laws or by discussing perspectives on social policy and the family (eg New Right, feminist, functionalist etc) From the examiner’s report: The most successful answers were able to identify relevant policies...
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...Evaluate the usefulness of sociological explanations of ethnic inequalities.(30) Evaluate the view that society is institutionally racist (30) Adapt according to question given Introduction Ethnic inequalities are still significant in the UK – give a few examples. Suggest some explanations e.g Racism, Institutional racism, social class of ethnic minorities (Marxism), welfare dependency (New Right). This essay will identify and assess these explanations. AO1 Define types of Racism e.g Barker and new racism, institutional racism – McPhearson report on murder of stephen lawrence – racism in met police. Jenkins suggests recruitment to jobs is more word of mouth and disadvantages ethnic minorities. Modood 1994 28% of african caribbean people surveyed said they felt they had been refused a job on grounds of race. AO2 There are many government acts such as Race relations acts which should prevent discrimination AO2 However because racism is implicit (hidden) now it can be difficult to prove in court. AO1 Marxists such as Westergaard and Resler argue that race is a distraction from the real issue which is social class. It is capitalism which disadvantages certain groups and ethnic minorities are more likely to be in lower classes. AO2 However this ignores the existence of racism in society e.g in education where black boys have the highest exclusion rates in school. AO1 Another marxist explanation by Castles and Kosack is that ethnic divisions in society ensure that there is...
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...Outline and assess the view that the role of the education system is to reproduce and transmit culture. This essay will outline and asses the view that the view that the role of the education system is to reproduce and transmit culture. According to Bourdieu, the major of the education system is cultural reproduction. This does involve society as a whole, as Durkheim argued, but, instead, the reproduction of the culture of the ‘dominant classes’. These groups have the power the power to ‘impose meanings and to impose them as legitimate’. They are able to define there own culture as ‘worthy of being sought and possessed’, and to establish is as the basis for knowledge in the educational system. The high value placed on dominant culture in society as a whole simply stems from the ability of the powerful to impose their definition of reality in other. The possession of dominant culture is referred to as cultural capital by Bourdieu. This is because via the education it can be translated into wealth and power. Children of dominant classes acquire skills and knowledge from pre-school which puts them in an advantage because they have the key to understanding what is being transmitted in the classroom. Bourdieu claims that, since the education system presupposes the possession of cultural capital, which few students in fact possess, there is a great deal of inefficiency in teaching. This is because working students simply do not understand what their teachers are trying to...
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...Outline and assess the view that the role of the education system is to reproduce and transmit culture. This essay will outline and asses the view that the view that the role of the education system is to reproduce and transmit culture. According to Bourdieu, the major of the education system is cultural reproduction. This does involve society as a whole, as Durkheim argued, but, instead, the reproduction of the culture of the ‘dominant classes’. These groups have the power the power to ‘impose meanings and to impose them as legitimate’. They are able to define there own culture as ‘worthy of being sought and possessed’, and to establish is as the basis for knowledge in the educational system. The high value placed on dominant culture in society as a whole simply stems from the ability of the powerful to impose their definition of reality in other. The possession of dominant culture is referred to as cultural capital by Bourdieu. This is because via the education it can be translated into wealth and power. Children of dominant classes acquire skills and knowledge from pre-school which puts them in an advantage because they have the key to understanding what is being transmitted in the classroom. Bourdieu claims that, since the education system presupposes the possession of cultural capital, which few students in fact possess, there is a great deal of inefficiency in teaching. This is because working students simply do not understand what their teachers are trying to...
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...Outline and assess feminist explanations of social inequality Feminists stress the importance of woman being treated as equal to men in society and work to ensure that males and females are entitled to the same rights. Most believe that women are disadvantaged in society due to their gender and that this disadvantage is socially constructed; there are numerous types of feminists which take different approaches in explaining key concepts such as status, power the labour market and other disadvantages some individuals face within society. Most feminist explanations of inequality focus on discrimination surrounding gender, however Oakley provides an explanation for age inequality; she argues that inequalities experiences by children are inextricably linked to those of women and the patriarchal nature of society. Children are controlled by adults in relation to the age they can start work, their education, where they play and use of their time. Gannon (1999) goes on to argue that some are controlled by abuse and neglect and that older women are materially deprived compared to men as a result of time out of employment and the gender pay gap. However Wyness (2006) opposes this view and argues that children are controlled by both women and men in society. Liberal feminists desire equal opportunities for men and women which they argue can be achieved through legislation and changing attitudes. They argue that gender roles are socially constructed through the family, education...
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...Outline and assess sociological explanations of gender inequality in contemporary UK (40) Intro: * There are many sociological explanations of gender inequality, for example, functionalist views contrast hugely with Marxists. * For hundreds of years, women have been seen as unequal, however in the late 19th and 20th century up until today, there has been a huge increase in the belief of gender inequality and numerous feminist movements to try and conquer gender inequality. Functionalists: * Different, not unequal * Men and women serve different social roles in society, fam & workplace. * Parsons: women = expressive. Men = instrumental (breadwinner). Differences are innate and prescribed at birth. Warm bath 4 husband * Murdock: One of roles of fam = to socialise children into gender roles to fit instrumental & expressive roles for society * Human Capital Theory: many women choose to prioritise role as homemaker, fitting with expressive instincts, therefore choosing their own position * Marxist feminists would argue that gender differences = used to exploit women through capitalism at work and in home. * Ansley: Women used to benefit economy, absorbing frustration & anger of husbands who are also exploited at work. ‘Women are the takers of shit’. * Benston: focused on economic aspects of gender inequality. Women = a reserve army of labour. Contribution of domestic labour to capitalism. Marxists: * More critical...
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...Introduction Assess the role of education form the functionalist perspective Functionalists believe that education performs very important roles for individuals, the economy and the wider social structure. It provides secondary socialisation, passing on shared culture enables individuals to develop their potential and regulates their behaviour. Functionalists argue that education has three broad; socialisation where education helps to maintain society by socialising young people in to key cultural values, such as achievement, individualism, equality of opportunity, social solidarity and democracy. The second one is skills provision in which education teaches the skills required by a modern industrial society. These may be general skills that everyone needs such as literacy and numeracy or the specific skills needed for particular occupations. And the final function is role allocation, where education allocates people to the most appropriate jobs for their talents using examination and qualifications. This is seen to be fair because there is equality of opportunity, everyone has the chance to achieve success in society on the basis of their ability. ...read more. Middle Educational mechanisms such as grades, examinations, references and qualifications are used to sort individuals. Society is this a meritocracy in which people are rewarded for intelligence, ability and effort. Functional importance is decided by length and specialist training required for particular occupations...
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...Assess the contribution of functionalism to our understanding of families and households. Functionalism is a macro approach to society. It is based on a consensus that society as whole is run by and for the benefit of all its members. Early Functionalists such as Durkheim believed that society is made up of many institutions which work together to function. Regarding families, Functionalists believe that the nuclear family is best for society. Functionalists look at what the functions the family performs and they therefore say that the nuclear family is best for society. For example functionalists believe that traditional domestic roles (for the male to play an instrumental role as the breadwinner and the female to do the dual-burden) are necessary to ensure that children are socialised correctly with both male and female role models. Functionalists believe that the nuclear family is perfect for bringing up a geographically mobile workforce which allows families to move about for work easily, for example Functionalists believe during the industrial revolution nuclear families became more common as it was easier for families to move to an urban area in search of work than if it was for example an extended family. Conflict theories such as Marxism and Feminism challenge the Functionalism and the consensus of society by taking a more critical view. Social historians such as Laslett and Anderson also criticize the functionalist view of a ‘Functional Fit’ in the family. The main...
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...“Outline and assess the view that the role of education is to meet the needs of the economy” There are a few theories that agree with the idea that the purpose and role of education is to gain qualifications and the ideal job suited for the particular person, which aids the needs of the economy. Functionalists, new rights and social democrats support this idea of education and the economy, especially the positive side of the capitalist system. However social democrats are aware of the negative side of seeing education aiding the economy, alongside Marxists and the liberal theories. They are all highly critical of the capitalist system. As for postmodernism, it goes against all these theories and refuses to give a grand theory of education aiding the economy. Functionalists believe that education plays an important role in helping the economy. Durkheim believes that it is crucial for society to have social order and social solidarity; to successfully have this there is the value consensus that aids society with unwritten rules that everyone follows, such as not to steal or not to murder. Education has the goal of teaching that we need to act as one and to be homogeneous by having essential similarities and in doing this becoming successful in understanding the teaching of wrong and right within society. Durkheim also believes that school prepares for division of labour, as schools teach the students the skills that are needed for the work force. With regards to the specialised...
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...Outline and assess Marxists explanations of class inequality There are many concerns in sociology as to whether class is still important. Many argue that it is not important as an individual’s identity is based on status, values and intelligence. Postmodernists claim that class is now dead. We can now be defined by consumption (what we spend money on) rather than class. However, others argue that class in still an influence on people’s lives, affecting certain aspects such as health and education. Marxism is a conflict theory that believes class division within society still exists between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat through the unequal distribution of wealth, power and status. The relationship between the two classes is based upon exploitation and class conflict. The proleteriat produce more goods only to get paid a low wage in return which enables the bourgeoisie to gain large profits. They believe the middle class also exists, but it is fragmented and undergone through the process of polarisation, either rising to the bourgeoisie or falling into the proletariat. The higher classes will get smaller and richer while the working class will get larger and poorer, eventually leading to revolution. Marshall argues that the underclass does not exist, claiming that the underclass would work if appropriate work was available. They also point out that half of those who claim benefits are in full-time work. They believe the concept of underclass is an ideological justification...
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...Outline and assess functionalist’s explanations of the role of the education system in society. As a theory which places heavy emphasis on the analysis of institutions and their relationship with society, especially with regards to the functions of institutions, Functionalists place a significant amount of focus on the education system. Functionalists believe that education has 3 basic roles. The first being socialistion, the second being to teach skills required by a modern industrial society and the third being to role allocate. However, this perspective is not always accepted, it’s macro theory approach is often seen as too wide bearing to be applied to the study of the education system as well as critics which dispute the functions of the education system as portrayed by functionalists. Nevertheless, its macro theory approach puts the education system in context and is therefore a theory which is notable when discussing the role of the education system. Firstly, it cannot be ignored that one of the main principles of the theory is that society is based upon consensus, - agreement between norms and values. As an institution of secondary socialisation, Functionalist theorists see the education system as one of the main institutions which help to achieve value consensus within society, allowing society to operate in a smooth manner. Durkheim suggested that the education system is an institution which helps to create a “collective consciousness”, uniting society into one body...
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...Section A: Education 0 1 Explain what is meant by the term ... (2 marks) • Meritocracy: such as equal opportunity or a system in which rewards are based on achievement/ability or similar. Partial answer: [fair rewards] • Immediate gratification: wanting rewards now, or leaving school as soon as possible to get a job, or similar. • Cultural capital: the values, etc that the middle class transmit to their children or that confer advantage in the education system. • Compensatory education: additional educational opportunities/resources directed at deprived or under-achieving pupils. • Cultural deprivation: a lack or deficit of values (or of norms, attitudes, skills or knowledge). Partial answer [immediate gratification / a lack of culture] • Vocational education: relating to a career or specific work roles. • Ethnocentric curriculum: the subjects taught in school being biased towards one particular culture. One mark for a partially satisfactory answer. 02 Suggest three ways/reasons ... (6 marks) Two marks for each of three appropriate ways. One mark will be awarded where there is a partially appropriate answers. Marxists see school as being similar to the world of work: • A hierarchy of authority • Fragmentation of work/learning • Extrinsic rewards • Based on competition • Alienation • Status differences. Boys’ educational under-achievement: • Lack of male teacher role models • Feminisation...
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