D) Identify and briefly explain two reasons why females in general are now achieving better GCSE grades than males. (8 marks)
One reason that I think females are achieving better GCSE grades than males is that more pressure is being put on females nowadays due to women being more determined to be treated equally to men in areas such as jobs. Another reason, is that I think women are becoming more independent are striving harder to reach their targets and goals.
E) Explain how the hidden curriculum and processes within schools help to produce inequalities between children of different social classes. (20 marks)
There are processes within the hidden curriculum which could help to produce inequalities in children of different social classes such as labelling and streaming. Children in the lower groups, often regard breaking the rules as ‘cool’ therefore the teacher usually spends more time controlling behaviour than teaching; this gives the children a bad education as they are not being taught properly. Also, streaming can lead to labelling e.g. someone who teaches a lower group often expects less from then, this leads to the children being deprived of higher knowledge to help them achieve better grades. They are also placed into lower tier exams, making it impossible for them to strive for higher grades and exceed other peoples’ expectations of them. Other factors in the hidden curriculum could be language and values, as the language used by teachers is mainly aimed at middle class children, therefore, they have an advantage over lower class children, as they have been brought up using that style of language, and so understand it. Also, the values taught to the children are, in the majority, middle class values. This also puts the lower class children at a disadvantage because they are not being taught the same values at home as they are at school.
F) Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the contribution of functionalist sociology to an understanding of the role of education in society. (20 marks)
Functionalism states that education performs the functions of selection, sharing roles and training, and also emphasizes the importance of preparation for occupation.
Durkheim believes that education prepares for specific roles, and also teaches them how to fit into society. He concentrated on three main areas:-
- Social solidarity – e.g teaching history provides social stability
- Social Rules – At school we learn to co-operate with other members of society, whom we do not know and to be self-disciplined
- Division of labour – education teaches individual skills necessary for future occupations
Therefore, school gives general values to children, and provides specific skills for diversity for social co-operation, as people need to work together.
Parsons believes that education acts as a bridge between the family and society itself, and that it prepares us for adult roles in society. Parsons says that education is the main secondary agent of socialisation, and that we are judged in terms of achieved status which is produced though education, and then work. Whereas, he believes that family is the primary agent of socialisation and we gain ascribed status i.e. brother, sister, mother, etc. Parsons says that education is a meritocracy and that everyone has a fair chance, because if you have the ability and you put in effort, then you will achieve merit and status to go with it.
Davis and Moore believe that social stratification is a means of ensuring that the most talented people fill the positions that are most functionally important for society.
Overall, functionalists believe that education is good for society, as it prepares us for work in later on. It teaches us how to interact with people as well as academic knowledge.
