18 flashcards · Shared on 19 August 2026 by AtomAI Library
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According to functionalist theory, what is a major role of education in society?
Promoting social solidarity and teaching shared values
According to functionalist theory, what is a major role of education in society?
Promoting social solidarity and teaching shared values
How did Talcott Parsons describe the school’s role between the family and wider society?
As a bridge from particularistic family standards to universalistic standards
In functionalist accounts, what does meritocracy mean?
People are rewarded according to ability and effort
What function do Davis and Moore associate with education?
Selecting people for different occupational roles
How do Marxist theories generally interpret the education system?
As an institution that helps reproduce class inequality
What did Althusser mean by describing education as an ideological state apparatus?
Education transmits ideas that help legitimate the existing class system
What is Bowles and Gintis's correspondence principle?
Relationships and organisation in school reflect those of the capitalist workplace
Which feature of schooling would Bowles and Gintis view as part of the hidden curriculum?
Learning obedience to authority and external rewards
What did Paul Willis find in his study of the working-class 'lads'?
They developed a counter-school culture but often entered working-class jobs
In Bourdieu's theory, what is cultural capital?
Knowledge, language, tastes and dispositions that can bring social advantages
What does Bourdieu's concept of habitus describe?
A person's deeply formed dispositions shaped by social background
Why can middle-class cultural capital produce an educational advantage, according to Bourdieu?
Schools tend to value forms of language, knowledge and behaviour familiar to the middle class
What is material deprivation in explanations of class differences in achievement?
A lack of economic resources that can hinder educational participation and learning
Which example best illustrates how material disadvantage may affect education?
A family cannot afford reliable internet access or a quiet study space
What distinction did Basil Bernstein make in his discussion of language and social class?
Restricted and elaborated speech codes
How can teacher labelling contribute to class differences in achievement?
Teacher expectations may shape treatment of pupils and contribute to a self-fulfilling prophecy
What is a self-fulfilling prophecy in the sociology of education?
An expectation that influences behaviour in ways that help make it come true
Why may market-based school choice benefit middle-class families more than working-class families?
Middle-class parents may have greater access to information, time, transport and other resources