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Education

The role and functions of education

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 1

Overview

Functionalist and Marxist accounts of what education does for society, and the hidden curriculum.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Who and when

How does Parsons argue school prepares children for their adult roles?

Who and when

How do Marxists argue education reproduces class inequality?

Who and when

What is the hidden curriculum, and what did Willis find in his study of counter-school subcultures?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    According to functionalists, what essential functions does education perform for society?

    Model answer

    Socialisation into shared norms and values, and creating social solidarity.

  2. 2

    What did Durkheim argue was the main purpose of education in society?

    Model answer

    To transmit society's culture and shared beliefs from one generation to the next, binding individuals together.

  3. 3

    In Parsons' view, what type of standards does the family use when judging children?

    Model answer

    Particularistic standards, where children are judged as individuals with unique characteristics.

  4. 4

    According to Parsons, what type of standards does the school apply when judging pupils?

    Model answer

    Universalistic standards, where all pupils are judged by the same criteria regardless of who they are.

  5. 5

    How does Parsons argue that school prepares children for adult life?

    Model answer

    By teaching them to be judged by universalistic standards, preparing them for achievement-based adult roles in wider society.

  6. 6

    What function did Davis and Moore argue education performs in society?

    Model answer

    Role allocation—sifting and sorting individuals into appropriate positions in the occupational hierarchy based on talent and ability.

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Education
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