Sociology AQA A-Level Paper 1: Education with Theory and Methods

Introduction

• Focus on education; theory and methods to be covered in separate video.
• 80 marks over 2 hours, 50 marks for education section.
• Breakdown into eight topics.

Functionalism

Social Solidarity (Durkheim)

• Education socializes shared norms and values.
• Creates social solidarity and a sense of community through school practices.
• Marxist critique: indoctrination into passive rule acceptance.

Bridge Theory and Meritocracy (Parsons)

• School bridges family and wider society.
• Teaches universalistic standards.
• Meritocracy: advancement based on talent, effort, achievement.
• Critics: unequal chances, meritocracy is a myth.

Specialized Skills

• School teaches skills for future occupations.
• Critics: further skills needed beyond school.

Role Allocation (Davis and Moore)

• Education identifies best talents for best jobs.
• Critics: inequality in opportunities, societal power imbalance.

Critique of Functionalism

• New Right support functionalist ideas of meritocracy and individual responsibility.
• Criticisms: overlooks inequalities, doesn't always teach specialized skills.

Marxism and Education

Ideological State Apparatus (Althusser)

• Education reproduces and justifies inequalities.
• Ethnocentric curriculum and hidden messages.
• Government control reflects capitalist protection.

Specialization and Skills

• Skills predetermined by social class.
• Critics: overlooks gender and social mobility.

Meritocracy Myth

• Social class over grades in job attainment.
• Poor schools in deprived areas.

Correspondence Principle (Bowles and Gintis)

• School mirrors workplace expectations.
• Hidden curriculum indoctrinates obedience.

Indoctrination and Filtering (Chomsky)

• Brainwashing to create ideal workers.
• Critics: education sometimes promotes critical thinking.

Paul Willis' Learning to Labor Study

• Study of anti-school subculture among working-class boys.
• Highlights rebelling against educational norms.

Critique of Marxism

• Exposes meritocracy myth.
• Criticisms: lack of agreement within Marxist perspectives, class-centered.

Social Policy and Education

1944 Education Act

• Introduction of compulsory state education.
• Tripartite system of schools.
• Critiques: inequalities and gender biases.

1965 Comprehensive Education Act

• Abolition of 11-plus selection.
• Critiques: private education still exists, New Right critique.

1988 Education Reform Act

• Marketization of education.
• Policies: national curriculum, league tables.
• Critics: stress on pupils, market focus over education.

New Labor Policies

• Specialist schools and city academies.
• Sure Start Centers for early education boost.
• Educational Maintenance Allowance for participation.

Conservative Education Policies

• Trebling tuition fees, pupil premium funds.
• GCSE/A-Level reforms focusing on exam difficulty.

Globalization and Education

Impact on Education Policy

• Global competitiveness focus.
• Commodification of students.
• Multicultural curriculum promoting equality.

Internal School Relationships and Processes

Hidden Curriculum

• Implicit lessons in school mirroring work expectations.
• Critics: increasingly explicit and not all students conform.

Labeling Theory

• Judgments based on non-academic characteristics.
• Self-fulfilling prophecy: labels affecting educational outcomes.

Setting and Streaming

• Dividing students based on ability.
• Criticisms: labeling and reduced opportunities.

Ideal Pupil

• Concept of model student impacting teacher expectations.

Subcultures

• Pro and anti-school subcultures forming among students.

Social Class and Education

Material Deprivation

• Lack of resources impacting achievement.
• Statistics on free school meals and school outcomes.

Cultural Deprivation

• Inadequate primary socialization affecting education.
• Critics: working-class culture merely different, not deprived.

Cultural Capital (Bourdieu)

• Middle-class cultural advantages in education.
• Critics: needs to be considered with economic factors.

Gender and Inequality in Education

Female Achievement and School Environment

• Females outperforming males; feminized school environment.
• Criticisms: issues with role models and pressure on girls.

Subject Choice

• Gendered subject preferences and outcomes.
• Single-sex schools reducing gender gaps in choices.

Ethnicity and Inequality in Education

Cultural Deprivation

• Language and family impacts on education.
• Critics: some ethnic groups outperform white British students.

Material Deprivation

• BEAM communities more likely to face deprivation.

Racism in Education

• Institutional racism affecting outcomes.
• Racism compounding material deprivation issues.

Note: This is a summary and study guide based on the provided lecture transcript. Please refer to specific studies and critics mentioned for more detailed understanding.