Assess the Marxist view on the role of education in society
Assess the Marxist view on the role of education in society Marxists have many different theories on the role of education in society. These theories are the ‘hidden curriculum’ which was found by Bowles and Gintis (1970), reproducing the working class workforce which was studied by Willis and that education is a Ideological State Apparatus which was found by Athusser. However, each of these theories can be criticised for factors such as being unable to generalise the study, feminist’s beliefs and disregard of gender ethnicity and culture, etc. One way in which Marxists believe the role of education in society is to teach pupils the ‘hidden curriculum’. This is where pupils are informally taught things such as norms, values and beliefs. This was found by Bowles and Gintis (1970) through their study ‘Schooling in capitalist America’. The hidden curriculum is said to teach motivation to pupils by trying to encouraging achieving good grades. This is then used when the pupils leave school as they are motivated to work hard to attain a wage. It also teaches people to accept the hierarchy. It does this by teaching the pupils about authority and power relationships. This then leads to the pupils believing that they should follow the instructions of a person with more authority them such as the police. Also, the hidden curriculum teaches Subservience. This is where
Sociology Family Revision Notes
Sociology Family Revision Notes Topic 6 Family diversity and the life course Modernism and the nuclear family ‘Society shapes us/individuals’ Modernists include Functionalists and New Rights Modern society is fairly fixed, clear cut and predictable structure Best family type is Nuclear family this structure helps perform certain essential functions E.g. Talcott Parsons states that there is a ‘functional fit’ between the nuclear family and modern society. The nuclear family is uniquely suited to meet the needs of modern society; Geographically and socially mobile workforce Performs two ‘irreducible functions’ (difficult) primary and secondary socialization of children. The stabilization of adult personalities (All contribute to the overall stability and effectiveness of society) This explains the functionalist’s view that because of the nuclear family’s ability to perform these functions, therefore we can assume that this would be the most common family in modern society. Hence, other family types are viewed as abnormal, inadequate and unusual, since they are less able to perform the functions required of the family. The New Right Conservative and anti-feminist perspective on the family Firmly opposed to family diversity One correct and normal family type; Traditional or Conventional Patriarchal Nuclear Family Married
Is a successful marriage a utopia today?
LIU 2 21/03/06 Task: essay IS A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE UTOPIA TODAY? The latest marriage statistics should make every couple doubt about whether their relationship shell be sealed with a marriage. Beside the fact that considerably less couples decide to marry at all, in the US every second, in Austria (as an example for middle Europe) every third marriage is divorced. This is not a particularly promising prospect for a couple planning to marry and swear to love each other for the rest of their lives. Therefore the question must be raised: Is a successful marriage Utopia today? When I take a closer look at our society, I can imagine some reasons why successful marriages, which mean staying together happily for a lifetime, have become so rare. One reason might be a shift in our society towards more self-realization and less responsibility. In my opinion many couples may not detect the enormity of their decision to marry. Before making that decision each partner should think about all consequences a marriage might have on the relationship and all consequences a marriage definitively has when it comes to legal terms. Taking the decision whether or not one wants to marry his or her partner should not be made hasty in a romantic mood or occasional feelings of perfect happiness and love. Nevertheless many couples fix their marriage either before really knowing each other or not
Assess the extent to which the traditional nuclear family is the norm in contemporary British society
Assess the extent to which the traditional nuclear family is the norm in contemporary British society. (30) The nuclear family is one which consists of a monogamous and heterosexual couple who are married with children. Functionalist sociologists advocate the notion that the nuclear family is the norm in society as it is a vital institution which maintain social cohesion and value consensus. Postmodernists, however, argue that society has changed, and the structure of the family is now diverse, which should be encouraged. Ken Browne (2006) claims that only 22% of households are married couples with dependent children, which indicates the nuclear family is no longer the norm. Although not discussing contemporary British society, Functionalist George Murdock (1949) argues that the family is universal. He studied 250 societies ranging from agricultural to industrial, and claimed that the nuclear family could be found in every society. He noted that there were some variances, although he emphasized that in all family forms the nuclear family was the building block This can be criticized due to the diverse nature of families in contemporary life. The very notion of the nuclear family being universal is questionable, as various family forms are evident, such as the communal Kibbutz in Israel, and the female headed matrifocal family in African-Caribbean communities. It can
Using material from item 2B and elsewhere assess the view that the modern family has become more child-centred. (24 marks)
Using material from item 2B and elsewhere assess the view that the modern family has become more child-centred. (24 marks) Sociologists argue about what the term ‘childhood’ actually means. They say that childhood is a social construction, rather than a natural state. Our current society has become more child-centred than what it was in the past; I am going to assess the view that modern family has become more child-centred. Neil Postman says that childhood is ‘disappearing. He says that the cause of the disappearance of childhood lies in the rise of television culture and this has meant that children are being given the same rights as adults. Postman says that childhood is a social construction and that it has changed over time. He states that childhood is created by society and culture, and not biology. This could be proven by looking historically at how ‘being a child’ has changed. In the middle Ages, childhood was a very different back then and Aries an historian, said that to an extent, ‘childhood did not exist’. Young & Wilmot say that the March of Progress view says that over the last few centuries, the position of children in today’s societies has been improving steadily and is better today than it has been. Aries said that children and adults were not separated and had the same responsibilities as each other. Children were expected to go to work
Is the nuclear family the ideal model for families in Britain?
Is the nuclear family the ideal model for families in Britain The definition of a nuclear family is a family unit that consists of a mother, father and their children, who all live together. It can be argued that the nuclear family is no longer the ideal model but some sociologists, like Murdock and Talcott Parsons, would argue that the nuclear family is the ideal model. The three different types of sociologists; functionalists, feminists and new right all have different views on the family and its importance. Functionalists such as Murdock and Parsons would say that the nuclear family is the ideal form of a family. Murdock felt that all families fulfill four functions. The first function being sexual which is where married adults enjoy a healthy sex life which prevents them having affairs and ensures children are raised by their natural parents. The second function is reproductive which involves making the next generation. The third function is economic, by this Murdoch means providing food and shelter. Ideally the man will go out to work and the woman will look after the house and children. The fourth function is educational, by this Murdoch means socialization which is the process of learning the norms and values of society. This shows the functionalists favor the nuclear family, they feel this provides children with a male and female role model and it also provides
According to the functionalist sociologist the family is key institution of society, as it performs vital functions for the maintenance of society
The family is a unique part of society, which is found in every country and culture in the world, however some sociologist may say it is impossible to define the family, as there many different forms of family across the world. According to the functionalist sociologist the family is key institution of society, as it performs vital functions for the maintenance of society as a whole and for the benefits of all the individual members, therefore the functionalist believe the society is a useful system made up of different part of sub system that depends on each other such as the family, the education system and the economy. Moreover Functionalists take a consensus view of the role of the family, as they see it as universal institution that performs essentials functions for the society as a whole. Functionalists see society as being like a living organism, made up of many different parts which all perform particular functions. In 1949, George Peter Murdock (functionalist) analysed societies across the world and came up with four basic functions, which he said all families in all societies performed. The first function is the sexual function, meaning that sex outside of marriage is limited in some way, which stabilises the society and can prevent conflict. Secondly, the family fulfils the reproductive function, as it is the main context for children to born and brought up. This
The Family: Contemporary Issues and Debates.
Essay: The Family: Contemporary Issues and Debates. This essay will begin by explaining briefly what the term ‘family’ really means. It will then proceed to determine three different family groups consisting of ‘the lone parent family’, ‘the nuclear family’ and ‘the extended family’. It will then examine the changing and diverse nature of the family in modern societies by looking at the changing position of the children in the family and how this has changed in Britain since the nineteenth century. Once this has been identified the main focus of the essay will be to explain the main ways in which the concept of the extended family has changed over time and across cultures in relation to the families of the Caribbean and British family institutions. The family can be regarded as ‘a group of people, related by kinship or similar close ties, in which the adults assume responsibility for the care and upbringing of their natural or adopted children’ (Jary & Jary: 1991). The family unit is one of the most important social institutions, which is found in some form in nearly all known societies. It is a basic unit of social organisation and plays a key role in socializing children into the culture of their society. (Browne: 1998) The most common forms of the family are the nuclear and extended family groups. The nuclear family usually consists of a two
ASSESS THE CONTRIBUTION OF FUNCTIONALISTS TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS.
Assess the contribution of functionalists to our understanding of families and households. Functionalist’s views are based on the conviction that society is made up from critically important factors which have their own particular purpose in the functioning of our daily life. They also believe that if one of the segments fail (e.g. education, family, economy), then other factors continuously follow the failure, and society cannot work correctly or smoothly. A good example to illustrate it is imagining a broken pen or human body. If one of the parts, or organs, stop working then it triggers a chain of destruction and the object has no possibility to work appropriately. George Murdoch (1949) argued that the family performs four essential functions in order to meet the needs of society and its members. These functions are: economic stability, reproduction, primary socialisation and sex. He believes that those needs can only be achieved within a nuclear family. However, some sociologists would argue that these needs can be met in other ways than within the family. For example, other family types such as an extended family or institutions such as the Kibbutz in Israel can be used for primary socialisation and economic security. Other needs such as reproduction and sex can also be met by sperm donors or prostitution. Omitting a potentially perfect theory, functionalism had to
Teenage Pregnancy in Peru
Hare Andrea Hare English Composition II – ENC 1102 Dr. Jason Buchanan October 3, 2012 Teenage Pregnancy in Peru Teenage pregnancy in Peru is a serious matter that according to a Peruvian Health Ministry study, 12.5% of Peruvian teenagers between 15 and 19 years old have been pregnant at least once, which seems to be quite alarming. Of that percentage 9.9% are already mothers and the other 2.6% are pregnant for the first time (ENDES, 2011). This same poll also states that the 33.9% of adolescents which are already moms or are pregnant have only primary education and the 22.4% live in poverty. This numbers show how critical is the Peruvian situation regarding to this issue and that these figures have to be reduced as soon as possible, because teenage pregnancy decreases not only the development of the country but also the opportunities for study and professional development of these girls. Teenage pregnancy has been a problem that hasn’t decreased significantly in the last years in Peru, and this must become a priority for the government and the society itself because a several number of these unwanted pregnancies can be avoided if we pay due attention. Teenage pregnancies carry different problems, not only for the child but also for the mother, as James E. Rosen (WHO) stated that teens that are less than 16 years old are at risk of maternal death four times more
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