Education
Education and Socialisation
- Socialisation is the process through which individuals learn the norms, values, and behaviours of their society. Education is a critical part of this process.
- Formal socialisation occurs in structured environments like schools. Here pupils learn explicit rules, such as dress code, and implicit ones, such as disciplinary expectations.
- Hidden curriculum refers to the unspoken or implicit lessons that children learn in school, such as obedience to authority and conformity.
- Education serves as an agent of secondary socialisation, reinforcing societal norms and values and shaping individuals' behaviour and attitudes.
Theoretical Perspectives on Education
Functionalism
- Functionalists believe education plays a vital role in maintaining social cohesion and order.
- They argue that education imparts a shared value consensus which is crucial for social harmony.
- They see education as preparing individuals for their future roles in society; this concept is known as role allocation.
Marxism
- Marxists view education as a tool used by the bourgeoisie (the ruling class) to perpetuate their dominance over the proletariat (the working class).
- They argue that education reproduces class inequalities by favouring the rich and disadvantaging the poor.
- They also believe that education serves to instil the ideology of the ruling class, a phenomenon referred to as ideological state apparatus.
Interactionism
- Interactionists focus on individual experiences and interactions within the education system.
- They argue that labelling and self-fulfilling prophecy can impact a child's educational achievement - if a child is labelled as 'bright' or 'dull', they may internalise this label and act accordingly.
- They also study how factors such as race, gender and class can affect teacher expectations and subsequently impact student performance.
Culture and Identity in Education
- Education can shape an individuals' cultural outlooks through the teaching of literature, history, and social sciences.
- It can form a major part of individuals' societal identity – for example, the prestige associated with attending a prestigious university can affect personal identity.
- Pupils may develop a unique educational identity as a part of a subculture within the school, influenced by factors such as peer groups, teacher perceptions, and academic achievement.
- The interplay of factors such as gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic status can influence a student's educational experiences, outcomes and overall identity.
Educational Policy and Equality
- Government educational policies play key roles in shaping the education system and attempt to address educational inequality.
- Policies such as the introduction of grammar schools, the tripartite system, comprehensive schooling, and academies each hold differing implications for social equality.
- The correlation between social class and educational achievement is a key concern in the sociology of education.
- Factors such as material deprivation, cultural capital, and social capital have significant impacts on educational access and achievement.