This document discusses different sociological perspectives on the role and function of education in society. It summarizes key ideas from functionalism, neo-liberalism, Marxism and related theories. Functionalism views education as preparing students for their future roles and developing skills for the economy. Neo-liberalism advocates a market-based education system with school choice and competition. Marxism critiques education as reproducing class inequalities and legitimizing the existing social order. Specific scholars like Bowles and Gintis are discussed for their analyses of the hidden curriculum and myth of meritocracy.

1. Perspectivesof education
》Functionalism
Solidarity&skills - Durkheim
Solidarity - tofeel like amemberof alarger
body/community.School actsasa societyinminiature
whichpreparesyouforwidersociety.
Skills - schoolsteachspecialistskillswhichare neededto
helpthe economy.Thisincreasessocial solidarityasyou
feel like avaluedmember.
Meritocracy - Parsons
School isa socialisingagentwhichactsas a bridge
betweenhome andwidersociety.Withinthe home a
childisjudgedwithaset of particularstandardsunique
to the child.Insocietywe are all judgedbya universal set
of standards.
Meritocracyis the ideathat everythingisfair,we getout
whatwe putin.We achieve throughourownefforts and
therefore,failure isourownfault.
Role allocation - Davis& Moore
School select andallocatespupilstotheirfuture work
roles.Thishappensthroughevaluatingpupilsaptitudes
and abilities.Itisimportantthatthe mostimportantjobs
go to the most able insociety.
Human capital
Modernindustrial societyistechnologicallyadvanced,so
the skillsof itsworkforce are itsmaineconomicassetor
‘capital’.
A meritocraticeducationsystemisthe bestswayto
developasufficientlyskilledworkforce andthuscreate
greatereconomic efficiency and higher standards of living.
✗ The educationsystemdoesn'tadequatelyteachskills
neededbythe economywithmanypupilsleaving
educationwithdegreesordiplomasthatdon't
equate toemployment.
✗ Equal opportunitiesare limitedforW/Cpupils.
✗ Functionalisttheoriessuggestthatpupilsare passive
and accepttheirdesignatedroles.
✗ Neo-liberalistsargue thatschoolssystematicallyfail
to produce skilledlabourers.
✗ Hargreaves – schoolsplace more value on
competitionanddevelopingindividualsthan
developingasense of social solidarity.
》Neo-liberalism&New Right
New right
The state cannotmeetpeople'sneedsandthatthe
people are bestsuitedtomeettheirownneedsthrougha
free market.
Similaritiestofunctionalism:
 Both believe thatsome are naturallymore able.
 Both favoura meritocraticeducationsystemthat
servesthe needsof the economy.
 Educationshouldsocialisepupilsintovalue
consensusandinstil asense of national identity.
New rightdon't believe thatthe currenteducation
systemismeetingthe these goals.New rightimposes
marketisationof educationwhichcreatescompetition
betweenschoolstoimprovestandards. Education
shouldn’tbe a‘one-size fitsall’approach.
Formulafunding–schoolshave incentive tobe successful
since those thatattract more pupilsgetmore money.
Consumerchoice - Chubb &Moe
The Americaneducationsystemhasfailedbecause:
 Has not createdequal opportunitiesfor
disadvantagedgroups.
 Failsto produce pupilswiththe skillsneededforthe
economy.
Private schoolsprovide betterqualityeducationasthey
are answerable topayingconsumers (parents).
Theystudied60,000 low income familiesin1015 state
and private schools.Private schoolpupilsdidonaverage,
5% better.
Two rolesof the state
 Imposesaframeworkonschoolswithinwhichthey
have to compete.E.g.schoolshave topublishOfsted
reportsand league tables.Thisgivesparentsthe
informationtheyneed.
 Schoolstransmita sharedculture.Throughthe use
of a national curriculumE.g.teachingBritishhistory.
✗ Competitionbetweenschoolsonlybenefitsthe M/C
as theycan use theireconomiccapital toaccess
betterschools.
✗ Social inequalityistoblame for inadequate funding
of state schools.
✗ Parental choice andthe national curriculum
contradicteach other.
✗ Marxistsargue thatschoolsimpose the culture of the
rulingclass.

2. 》Marxistperspective
Apparatus - Althusser
Ideological apparatus - maintainrule of bourgeoisie by
controllingpeople'sideasandbeliefsthroughthingslike
the media.
Repressiveapparatus - maintainthe rule of the
bourgeoisiebyforce orthreat,thus includespolice and
courts.
Two functionsof education:
 Reproductionof classinequalitybyfailing
generationsof W/Cpupils.
 Legitimisesclassinequalitybyprovidingideasthat
disguise it'strue cause.Theypersuade W/Ctoaccept
lesserpositionsinsocietywithoutrebellion.
Correspondence principle &Hiddencurriculum - Bowles
& Gintis
School and workare parallels,thereare several
similaritiesE.g.hierarchy,obediencetoauthority.
All lessonslearnedinschool,outside of the curriculum,
withoutbeingdirectlytaughtE.g.dresscodes,obeying
rules,respectfulof authority,workingtoa
timetable/schedule.Thishelpspupilsgetreadyfortheir
rolesas low-paid,exploitedworkers.
Myth of Meritocracy - Bowles & Gintis
The educationsystemhelpspreventrebellionfromthe
W/C insocietybylegitimisingtheirfailure.Theydothis
by creatingideologiesastowhy itis fair.
The myth of meritocracyservestojustifyM/C
achievementmakingitseemthattheirsuccessisgained
throughhard work.It labelsthe W/Cas 'dumb' because
theyare poor.Thisblamespovertyonthe individual
rather thancapitalism.
SchoolingincapitalistAmerica
Capitalismrequiresthe kindof workforce withthe kindof
attitudes,behaviourandpersonalitytype toaccepttheir
workrole as exploitedworkers.
Studyof 237 NewYork schoolsfoundthatteachers
praisedthiskindof behaviour.Independentandcreative
childrenoftengotlowgrades.
✓ Useful at exposingthe mythof meritocracy.
✓ Showshoweducationservesthe interestof
capitalismandlegitimisesclassinequality.
✗ Bowles&Gintis'sviewaboutthe reproductionof
classinequalityistoodeterministic,seespupilsas
havingnofree will andpassivelyaccept
indoctrination.
✗ Post-modernistsandpost-fordistsargue thattoday's
post-industrial economyrequiresworkers tobe
creative andeagerto learn.
✗ Feminists - ignoringthe reproductionof patriarchy.
Learningto labour- Willis
12 W/C boyswhoapposedschool.Theyverballyabused
pupilswillingtolearn. Theysaw themselvesassuperior
to womenandthat manual workwas superiorto
professionalwork.Theyfloutedthe school rulesby
comittingdeviantactslike smokinganddisrupting
lessons.
Thismade themperfectfortheirworkrolesbecause they
had grownaccustomedto boredomandseekno
satisfactionfromwork.Theirrebelliousactsguarantee
unskilledjobsbecause itensuresfailure ineducation.
✓ He showsthatpupilscan rejectthe school ethosand
still endupinW/C professions.
✗ The sample size wastoosmall - representativeness.
✗ Doesn'tinclude girls.
✗ Portraysthe lads positively - rejectinglabelscreating
one'sownpath, wheninfact theywere bulliesand
anti-school.