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Education inequality theory
How can education lead to income and wealth inequality
Education inequality theory
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Functionalist and Marxist Approaches to Education and Economy
Functionalist and Marxist perspectives differ considerably in the way
they view the relationship between education and the economy. Both
perspectives agree that the educational system provides society with
certain functions, but they disagree about the purpose of these
functions and more importantly who benefits from them. Functionalists
see the educational system as providing a positive educational
experience, which benefits the children and society. Whereas, Marxists
claim that the system oppresses and harms people, and that it only
benefits the powerful.
Functionalists believe mass formal education is an essential part of
industrial society, and that the expansion of industrial economies
brings a corresponding expansion in the educational system. They also
see the introduction of mass education in Britain during 1870, as a
response to the increasing demand of industry, for a literate and
numerate workforce.
Many Functionalists, such as Durkheim, claim that education performs
two central functions, which relate to social cohesion and the
division of labor. Durkheim (1961 'Moral Education') argued that
education transmits the norms and values of society to the next
generation. It therefore reproduces social solidarity, which according
to functionalism, is needed in order for society to exist.
Durkheim offered an explanation of how social solidarity is reproduced
by the educational system. He said that school creates a miniature
model of society, where the child interacts and cooperates with other
pupils whilst following a set of fixed rules. In this way, the ch...
... middle of paper ...
...basic level, on some sort of
conspiracy between employers and teachers.
To conclude, the Functionalist perspective views education as a vital
part of society, which turns pupils into model citizens and has a
positive impact on the economy and society as a whole. Education also
produces a diverse workforce, in a way that is fair to everyone, and
it compliments the requirements of the economy perfectly. The Marxist
perspective views education as a part of society that is vital for the
ruling class, because it reproduces the unequal distribution of wealth
and power, by turning working class pupils into conformist workers. It
therefore sees education as an ideological tool, used by the upper
classes to exploit the working classes.
Ref: Haralambos and Holburn (2000) Sociology: Themes and
Perspectives (fifth edition)
Functionalism views society as the stability and assimilation of a range of forces that function within it. While society is a separate entity with a life of its own, there are individual elements contributing to that stability. Functionalism as a sociological theory emphasizes assimilation rather than the dissociation of society. Therefore, the society is seen as a whole that is compromised of parts which give one another their identity and their function. The part, whether that is education, such as a school, or sports, such as a football team, operates in relation to the other parts, and cannot be entirely understood in isolation from the other parts. All the parts are interrelated, and when there is a disturbance in any one of the parts, is when you can see the interdependence. But what is important about this theory is that “there will always be some reorganization and tendency to restore equilibrium” (Wallace and Wolf 17). Functionalist do not believe it’s crucial that the people involved in the society to be aware of this interconnectedness anymore than the brain and heart consciously realize that they work together as an organism.
He further stated that with all sincerity in themselves and colleagues, public school is now regarded as outmoded and barbarous. This thought, according to him is both observable to students and the teachers alike, but the students inhabit in it for a short period, while the teachers are condemned to it. Pursuant to teachers being condemned, they live and work as intellectual guerrillas strong-minded to stimulate students, ignite their inquisitiveness, and to open their minds, yet reluctant to stay behind in their profession. Together with this, teachers...
Education holds power over determining one’s class. Knowledge and refinement can set one individual apart from another who lacks the qualities of successful individuals. Finances and opportunities distinguish class meaning the lower class has difficulty in obtaining the same conditions of the upper class. Education ultimately dictates success and power in society. Education is taken for granted and should be recognized for the significance it possesses.
Functionalism is a theory in which various social institutions and processes in society serve a significant function in order for society to continue
The functionalist paradigm focuses on the integration of society, and how society how its own groups which has their own functions to help improve the peoples lives. Functionalist paradigm fits in the category of macro-sociology, because it focuses on the patterns that shape an entire society. Functionalists believe that society is maintained through the thought of trust and consensus on moral values for ideal behavior. Working together will result in a stable social environment that will create equality. Conflicts or dysfunctions will be view as a disease in the social system. Social conflict paradigm believes that society is divided into many groups that have their own goals, and that certain parts of the world have the luck of benefiting economic dominan...
...ave the education they need to thrive in society. Modern education is an essential part of society and without it society would fall to shambles.
Everyone goes through stages of life and everyone goes through them differently, there are some people that will go through life and not have any problems. While there are some people who will go through life and then will get a disease that will slowly kill them. Does getting a disease in old age make it harder for a person to live the rest of their life out? The functionalist perspective would best explain the expected outcomes, because it tries to help out society and make sure there is some stability.
The Marxist/ Economic lens serves to promote economic change such as overcoming capitalism and those with the power of wealth as well as incorporating the roles of money, politics, and power in literature. It emphasizes that literary works are a product of the economic and social conditions of either its time or the time the story is set to where it has been utilized most on books and drama where the influences of the time period remain much more prevalent (Brizee). Used to portray ways of how certain forces chose to allocate power between groups, the lens incorporates class conflicts as well as the preference of materialism over spirituality (DiYanni 2173). In Tim O’ Brien’s The Things They Carried, The Marxist/Economic lens gives insight into class differences in American society and economic powers of the Vietnam War relating to the struggles of the young soldiers had to face firsthand before, during, and even after the war.
"The functionalist perspective is a sociological approach which emphasizes the way that parts of a society are structure to maintain its stability,"(Schaefer & Lamm, 1998). This perspective looks at a society in a positive manner and sees it as stable, with all the parts working together. Under the functionalist view every social aspect of a society contributes to the society's survival, and if not, the aspect is not passed to the next generation.
Functional Literacy and the Working Class, technically belong to the social lower classes, and the individuals are just mandated to learn the minimal skills for dayli life survival. In Functional Literacy and Working Classs, the participants are being taught in a rigid way without any type af allowance to try other options or be creative. They are designed to function by followint the directions and play an especific role that has been choosen for them. And we can confifm this argument through the author's words in the article when she said "Work is often evaluated not according to whether it is right or wrong but according to whether the children followed the right steps" (Anyon, 1980, p.3). Continueing to compare Knoblauch defitions with Anyon's types of classes we have the Cultural Literacy and the Middle Class. The Cultural Literacy promotes the awareness of cultural heritage, "citizens must learn to speak and write decorously, as well as functionally, and must also read great books," (Knoblauch, 1990, p.4) and the oportunity to a thinking level above the Functional Literacy. The Middles Class students get thier knowledge from the books, and the are there to support them. They are allowed to think or to
Functionalism is the oldest and most commonly used theoretical approach used to understand social issues. Functionalism is a macrosociological perspective that presents the idea that society consists of different components working together to help a society function as one. Sociolog...
Alfred A. Hunter reviews the importance of formal education as discussed by Kerr, Dunlop, Harbison, Myers, Clark, Bell, Davis and Moore, Becker, and Porter. Hunter concluded that they proposed “schooling is a major means by which individuals acquire the mental skills and capacities for self-direction necessary for successful future performance in an occupation” (A.A. Hunter, page 753). Hunter also mentions the Marxist and Weberian view of schooling which is “regarded as primarily a means of shaping and certifying people’s values, attitudes, and habits, and only secondarily, at most, as a mechanism for imparting skills as such or as an indicator of technical trainability”(A.A. Hunter, page 753). Lastly, Hunter mentions the view of Thurow which is “formal education is a signal of individuals’ abilities to learn on the job and, hence, of training costs” (A.A. Hunter, page 753). Although the three definitions differ they do have common grounds. Whether it be for trainability, values or skills, formal learning provides fundamentals and the original
Mr. Russell’s A History of Western Philosophy enlightened my deep thinking about truth. Then I read Mr. Rousseau 's of the Social Contract, or Principles of Political Right, and became a believer of social contract theory; I also self-studied some of Weber’s, Marx’s and Durkheim’s sociology thoughts, but the two-year preparation for Master study put an abeyance on my reading plan. Regarding to the educational philosophy, I self-studied the thoughts as ancient as Quintilian’s and Comenius’s, and as modern as Horace Mann’s, Dewey’s and Dr. Weis’ educational thoughts. Moreover, my teaching and administrating experience in both private for-profit education organization and in public schools in China plus the study of the real-life problems and contemporary researches in UB, generate a deep feeling that education studies should become an independent, open and scientific field of study. Furthermore, during my master study, I encountered numerous materials about social injustice, cultural prejudice, racial discrimination and political corruption which are all jeopardizing education practices, but most of our debates in the classroom were difficult to generate constructive suggestion. It is always good to have different opinions, but our discussions rely too heavily on individual’s life experience and it is no doubt that when the empiricism prevails, science dims. This observation motivates me to explore the education studies in a more scientific way. I hope my future effort will enable people to discuss and solve education problems on a scientific track, so that the education system in human society will be the secure for educating the “ideal human
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Education is a vital part of society. It serves the beneficial purpose of educating our children and getting them ready to be productive adults in today's society. But, the social institution of education is not without its problems. Continual efforts to modify and improve the system need to be made, if we are to reap the highest benefits that education has to offer to our children and our society as a whole.