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Summary AQA A-Level Sociology Education with Methods in Context (Paper 1)

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Course
Unit 2 SCLY2 - Education with Research Methods; Health with Research Methods (7192)

Institution
AQA

These notes explore Education with Methods in Context, which is assessed at AS and A Level. They have been structured with the help of the actual exam specification provided by AQA, ensuring that everything has been covered. Other topics are available to download including Families and Households, ...

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Type Summary

sociology
education

Study Level
A/AS Level
Examinator
AQA
Subject
Sociology
Unit
Unit 2 SCLY2 - Education with Research Methods; Health with Research Methods (7192)

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5 items

1. Summary - Aqa a-level sociology families and households (paper 2)
2. Summary - Aqa a-level sociology education with methods in context (paper 1)
3. Summary - Aqa a-level sociology beliefs in society (paper 2)
4. Summary - Aqa a-level sociology crime and deviance (paper 3)
5. Summary - Aqa a-level sociology theory and methods (paper 1 and 3)
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Education

The role and functions of the education system:

Functionalism:
 Structural consensus theory.
 Society is more powerful than individuals, determining individual behaviour through process of
socialisation.
 Every institution has a positive function and is indispensable (central/necessary to the whole)
and interdependent (relies on others).
 Any institution without function will eventually disappear; it has no use.
The education system is an essential part of society, which has a positive function for individuals and
society.

Emile Durkheim - Founding father, who compared society to a biological organism (organic analogy).
Function of education system:
1. To create social solidarity - transmits society's culture from one generation to the next making
pupils feel a strong sense of belonging to a single body or community (e.g. wearing a uniform)
and the school is a miniature society (e.g. presence of authority figures).
2. To transmit specialist skills - pupils learn skills required for the workplace and economy (e.g.
managing deadlines).
Talcott Parsons - The education system is:
1. Meritocratic - there is equal opportunity for all, with rewards based on effort and ability. The
school bridges the gap between the family and society in this way.
2. Agency of secondary socialisation - continues the socialisation started in the family to ensure
pupils are prepared for wider society. This is because family and society are very different:
 Family operates on particularistic (personal) standards. Status is ascribed (e.g. characteristics
such as being caring, optimistic, indecisive etc.).
 Society operates on universalistic (impersonal) standards. Status is achieved (e.g. qualifications,
skills, appearance etc.).
Davis & Moore - Argue that inequality is necessary. The education system is:
1. Meritocratic - there is equal opportunity for all, with rewards based on effort and ability. The
school bridges the gap between the family and society in this way.
2. Device for role allocation - sifts and sorts according to ability to ensure fair allocation to the
most appropriate jobs in society suited to the individual.
Positives of Functionalist explanations of education system:
 Education system does aim to be meritocratic.
 Education system does allocate people to roles in society.
Criticisms of Functionalist explanations of education system:
 Evidence suggests it is not meritocratic (e.g. in terms of social class, ethnicity and gender).
 Role allocation is not done fairly or necessarily based on ability.

Marxism:
 Structural theory because it believes society is more powerful than the individual.

,  Conflict theory because it argues that that society is built on conflict (between the most
powerful bourgeoise who own the means of production and the least powerful proletariat who
own nothing but their labour power).
 The proletariat accept their powerlessness because they have been socialised into the idea that
inequality is normal (a false class consciousness). This prevents a revolt, and so they are
exploited and oppressed by the bourgeoise.
 All institutions in society exist to benefit and serve the needs of the capitalists/economy. These
are called the Ideological State Apparatus because they control people's minds through
socialisation.
 Marxists want a revolt and for communism to replace capitalism.
Education is an Ideological State Apparatus, controlling people's values and behaviours to maintain
bourgeoise power.

Bowles and Gintis - Function of education system:
1. Reproduction of social class inequality - through to the next generation of labour power with the
correspondence principle and the hidden curriculum. There is a similarity between school and
the workplace.
2. Legitimisation of social class inequality - through the myth of meritocracy.
Paul Willis (1977) - Found that the Marxist view is supported by the view that there is a correspondence
principle between school and the workplace in terms of behaviour. However, he found that this was
different from Bowles and Ginitis' as it isn't the education system that prepares 'the lads' for working
class jobs but themselves:
 12 working class males ('the lads') from Birmingham.
 Qualitative methods (informal interviews and participant observation).
 Took 1 and ½ years until school ended and a few months at the start of employment.
 Had anti-school subculture.
 Opposed to both the school's values and the 'ear'oles' (conformist pupils in the school).
 Had a shop floor culture, similar to behaviours (alternative values) seen in the school. Having a
laugh with friends is important to alleviate boredom and overcome monotony.
However, this study can be criticised for being unrepresentative.
Correspondence principle - (DEAF)
 Docile. School = Pupils rewarded for being docile and obedient. Workplace = Workers are
expected to be docile and obedient.
 External rewards. School = Pupils are motivated by external rewards i.e. qualifications.
Workplace = Workers are motivated by external rewards i.e. pay.
 Accept. School = Pupils must accept a hierarchy. Workplace = Workers must accept a hierarchy.
 Fragmented. School = Fragmented school day (separate subjects). Workplace = Fragmented and
divided workforce (division of labour).
Hidden curriculum - Aspects of the correspondence principle are found the hidden curriculum, which
consists of the things that pupils learn through the experience of attending school, rather than what is
found in the formal curriculum (e.g. hard work, respect, punctuality etc.).
Positives of Marxist explanations of education system:
 Helps to explain how inequality in society is made to be normal and acceptable.
 Explains how education system is functional for the smooth running of capitalism.
Criticisms of Marxist explanations of education system:

,  Suggestions that it is out of date. We are in a postmodern society in which the class divide isn't
as clear. Furthermore, the government has addressed inequalities (e.g. EMA policies and
subsidising schools in deprived areas).
 Education system is meritocratic to an extent - many individuals within social groups overcome
barriers.
 Doesn't take into account social groups like gender and ethnicity - over emphasises social class
as main source of inequality.

Differential educational achievement of social groups by social class, gender
and ethnicity in contemporary society (external - factors outside the school):

Structural theorists - Look at external factors to understand reasons for differences between social
groups in educational achievement (e.g. through looking at class differences).

Social Group 1: SOCIAL CLASS

Patterns and trends:
Social class - A group of people who share a similar economic position in society; may be ascribed or
achieved, relating to occupation, wealth and power. It's a social structure, affecting our values, interests
and success.
New class structure - Allows for social mobility (people can move from class to class).
1. The upper class: originally royalty/aristocracy; now self-made rich.
2. The middle class: good disposable income, professionals, responsibility, white collar workers.
3. The working class: less disposable income, fewer qualifications, less responsibility, skilled/semi
skilled/unskilled.
4. The underclass: the never worked/long term benefit dependent.
Michael Gove (Former Education Secretary) - "Rich, thick kids do better than poor, clever kids, even
before they start school."
Middle class backgrounds - 75% achieving 5 or more grades A* - C.
Working class backgrounds - 40% achieving 5 or more grades A* - C.
Poverty - Most likely to be working class.
 1/3 of those on free school meals achieve 5 or more grades A*-C.
 Exclusion and truancy more likely for children in poorer families.
 Nearly 90% of failing schools are located in deprived areas.

External factors affecting educational achievement (social class differences):

Cultural explanations

Cultural advantages - Having the necessary attitudes and behaviours to be successful in education. For
example:
 Parents have been through the education system so can help with school work.
Cultural deprivation - Lacking necessary attitudes and behaviours to be successful in education. For
example:
 Parents have not been through the education system so cannot help with school work.
Barry Sugarman (1974) - Found that the middle class and working class have different values:
 Conducted questionnaires w/ year 10 boys across London schools.

,Found middle class values:
1. Individualism - valuing individual achievement and success (e.g. group of friends who have very
different aspirations for their future).
2. Future orientation - valuing personal goals and planning for the future (e.g. parents encouraging
their child to do well; to go to the university of their choice to suit career ambitions).
3. Deferred gratification - making sacrifices in the present in order to reap the rewards of the
future (e.g. not going out much or seeing friends a lot because exams are approaching and the
student wants to perform to the best of their ability).
Found working class values:
1. Collectivism - valuing loyalty to their class or friends/family rather than individual achievement
(e.g. not wanting to go to university because none of their friends or no family members have
been before).
2. Present time orientation - being concerned about the here and now, with few goals and little
planning for the future (e.g. not seeing post 16 education as having any purpose and having very
little ambition for the future).
3. Immediate gratification - wanting pleasures of the moment and instant rewards rather than
long-term rewards (e.g. wanting to leave school to achieve immediate rewards related to wages,
adult status and freedom from the discipline of school).
4. Fatalism - acceptance of social position and no effort nor desire to improve it (e.g. feeling
destined for working class jobs and so seeing little value in education).
These working class values mean that pupils will have a particular mindset not associated with good
educational achievement.
J.W.B. Douglas (1964) - Found that parental interest was the main reason for educational success:
 Conducted longitudinal study of over 5000 children through primary up to secondary education.
 Working class and middle class have very similar IQs.
 However, middle class parents were more likely to stimulate children through activities like
reading, writing etc.
 Therefore, this has a big impact and gives children (usually middle class) a cultural advantage.
Basil Bernstein (1972) - Found that language i.e. speech codes impacts educational success:
 Middle class more likely to use the elaborated code. This is universalistic and provides full
expression of ideas.
 Working class more likely to use the restricted code. This relies on context and is limited in
terms of understanding if you are not part of the group using it.
 Therefore, because formal schooling is conducted in elaborated code, middle class children are
more successful as they know how to express themselves and understand textbooks and
teacher's language.
 This means that working class children get left behind because, whilst they understand it, they
can’t express themselves in the way required/expected and so don't achieve the highest grades.
How cultural deprivation affects educational achievement:
 Valuing immediate gratification may lead to pupils leaving school early with fewer qualifications.
 Having a restricted speech code may prevent pupils understanding teachers, textbooks or exam
questions.
 Fatalistic subcultural values may lead to pupils not trying hard to achieve.
Criticisms of cultural explanations:
 Too deterministic - sees social class as having a powerful effect. Many working class children
actually succeed and many middle class children resist schooling.
 Victim blaming approach - sees working class culture as deviant/inferior.

,  Ignores material explanations - many working class parents instil aspiration but lack resources to
help.

Material explanations

Material advantages - Having the necessary finances and resources to be successful in education. For
example:
 Housing quality - living in a large house with lots of room and having private space for studying
in peace leads to revising more effectively.
 Diet and health - healthy: homemade food, with more nutrients leads to better concentration.
Material deprivation - Lacking the necessary finances and resources to be successful in education. For
example:
 Housing quality - living in a small house with limited space, without any private space for
studying in peace can lead to not being able to revise/do homework effectively.
 Diet and health - poor: junk/frozen foods affects concentration.
1) Hidden cost of free schooling - :
David Bull (1980) - Identified a hidden cost of free schooling.
Emily Tanner (2003) - Found that costs of transport, uniforms, books etc. put a burden on families. Not
having these items can lead to stigmatisation and bullying.
2) Higher education and fear of debt - :
Claire Callender and Jon Jackson (2005) - Used questionnaire data to conclude that working class
students are more debt-averse; in other words, see debt negatively. 5x less likely to apply for university.
*Diane Reay (2005) - Found that working class students are more likely to go to universities closer to
home - limits potential. They work longer hours to fund their studies and there is less opportunity to go
to the highest status universities. Furthermore, if they do progress that far, they are more likely to drop
out.

Cultural capital

Pierre Bordieu (1970) - Uses term to describe what gives middle class advantages in education over
working class.

Parents have 'capital' - a knowledge and understanding of education - and invest this into their child's
education in order to greatly improve their chances of success (e.g. researching the best school for
them, having 'connections' etc.).

Compensatory education

Compensatory education - Educational programmes designed to improve the achievement of the
working class by overcoming cultural and material deprivation:

1) SureStart centres - Aims to work with families to provide support for babies and young children.
 Set up in more deprived areas to break the cycle of disadvantage, offering services like child
care, employment and advice.
 Attempts to overcome cultural and material deprivation by changing attitudes and behaviours to
support educational success and by offering free classes.

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