Education Theme Essay Example

According to Davis and Moore, education determines one's social class.

The Functionalists believe that society rewards talented and hardworking individuals with important positions and corresponding incentives. They also believe that the education system is based on merit, providing equal opportunities for individuals to showcase their abilities through exams. Success is rewarded, while those who do not perform well learn from their experiences. In contrast, Marx argues that schools socialize students in a way that benefits the upper class by teaching them values such as punctuality, respect for authority, and discipline. Consequently, schools produce leaders, managers, and workers based on academic performances.

According to Althuser, Private schools play a vital role in shaping the future economic and political power leaders. He highlights how working-class students are taught to think and behave according to the upper class's ideology which ultimately results in their obedience to the system. This control mechanism is achieved through both the repressive state apparatus and the ideological state apparatus. The education system, as pointed out by Bowles and Gintis, is designed and functioning to serve the interests of the upper class by teaching their viewpoints on subjects such as Economics and History in schools.

The Hidden Curriculum is present in both school and work environments. In school, students learn to accept hierarchies and follow the instructions of their teachers, just as workers do in their jobs where they have no say in what they produce. Both students and workers are motivated by external rewards such as bonuses and punctuality, leading to fragmentation. Tragically, it is often believed that all children from working-class backgrounds drop out of school prematurely.

Marx and conflict theorists argue that the establishment

of a reserve army leads to an excess supply of labor, which enables the bourgeoisie to offer meager wages and instill anxiety among workers about being replaced. This results in the working class blaming themselves for their lack of success, despite societal principles ostensibly based on merit. In reality, it is the capitalist system's fault. As such, education also does not prioritize merit but rather social class. Students from affluent backgrounds are favored over those from lower-income households, irrespective of talent or intelligence.

According to interactionists, the focus of all theories is on society and education system rather than the students themselves. This leads them to believe that if a student fails, it is due to their own shortcomings. On the other hand, integrationists highlight the issue of labeling in classrooms where teachers classify students based on their performance. If a student becomes aware of the label the teacher has put on them, they may start to believe and behave according to it, which ultimately fulfills the teacher's initial expectations. Hargestaves, Hester, and Mellor explored this process of typing which involves teachers speculating about a student's abilities based on their behavior and enthusiasm towards work. They then go through a process of elaboration where they test their hypotheses before finally stabilizing their beliefs about the student.

C. Rist discusses how social class influenced seating assignments in relation to children's typing. Within the first week of school, students were assigned to one of three tables, with the table for the intelligent children being table one and tables two and three being reserved for less capable students. Rist maintains that the placement was not based on academic ability,

but rather on social class. The children who adhered to the teacher's middle-class norms were seated at table one.

According to Cicourel and Kitsuse, class plays a significant role in the effects of typing and labeling. High school counselors in the US believe that these effects impact the courses taken and ultimately affect college admission. Counselors use merit/IQ tests and grades to make these decisions.

The theory of self-fulfilling prophecy suggests that teachers' predictions about students can come true or not. According to Margret Fuller, black girls were expected to fail and were discouraged, but they proved otherwise. Banding and streaming are classification methods used in education. Banding involves labeling a group of students, while Stream A consists of high ability middle-class children.

Stream C students were granted the freedom to be louder and possess higher level of intelligence grades while Stream A students had confidence in their teachers and did not question their knowledge, unlike their counterparts in Stream C. According to interactionists, merit is not the basis of education but rather the perception of the individual by society. Additionally, class plays a significant role in shaping education.

Based on the Labour Force Survey, children from the upper class have a greater chance of pursuing higher education compared to those from lower classes. According to Eyesneck, one's IQ is inherited and school performance is correlated with it, hence individuals with lower IQ tend to perform poorly. Arthur concurs with Eyesneck. Otto Klinberg believes that a student's culture influences their IQ scores. An example is the Yakima Indians, who scored lower in IQ tests compared to children from Western cultures.

The culture a student belongs to influences

their IQ results, even though they may provide the same answers as Western children. However, their response time may be slower due to their socialization to take time when answering. Sugarman discusses how working class subcultures' values and norms impact their academic achievement and school performance. Working class children are taught to seek immediate gratification, while middle class children are future-oriented. Therefore, working class children tend to leave school early.

The topic of Fatalism arises as the belief that being part of the working class eliminates the need for better education. According to J.W.B. Douglas, the most significant element determining educational differences is parenting. The author suggests that middle class students excel and remain in school longer due to their parents' involvement and attentiveness.

Basil talks about the variation in language codes among social classes. The working class typically employs a more restricted vocabulary, shorter phrases, and incomplete sentences lacking specificity, while the middle class uses more descriptive and thorough language. Certain individuals assert that cultural deprivation resulting from elements such as subculture, family, and neighborhood socialization contributes to the academic underachievement of those from lower-class backgrounds.

Individuals from lower class backgrounds often lack the values, attitudes, and skills necessary for success due to their deprived culture. One proposed solution to this issue is compensatory education. However, cultural capital theory argues that the education system teaches the values of the upper class and therefore favors them. This results in middle and upper class children possessing cultural capital while those from lower classes do not have access to it. Better academic performance is typically seen among students who possess cultural capital due to the dominance of upper-class culture.

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teacher's use of language is considered Bourgeois, which is unfamiliar to the working class and familiar to the lower class. As a result, working-class students may fail exams or feel that there is no point in pursuing education because they will stay in the lower class, leading to elimination from the system. Consequently, the education system lacks a merit-based approach and instead reproduces existing inequalities. A correlation exists between social class and education systems.

While the upper class receives advantages, the lower class does not. Speaking about gender, there are biological differences between boys and girls that result in boys performing better. However, Trowler states that IQ scores between boys and girls are similar and any discrepancies in abilities are more likely due to societal rather than biological differences.

Norman states that parents give their children toys based on gender, leading them to develop interests in particular areas. Boys typically receive toys related to math and science, which can lead to career choices that conform to stereotypes. Douglas also notes that when resources are limited, parents may prioritize their son's education. Furthermore, teachers have a significant role in shaping the education and development of children, with boys and girls having different interactions with male and female teachers within schools.

According to Spender, men dominate and influence education to promote their own interests. The curriculum is biased towards male accomplishments and disregards those of women, resulting in a sexist educational system that reinforces traditional gender roles.

Stanworth’s research into A level students found that teachers tend to have stereotypical views about girls’ career prospects and are less likely to remember girls’ names. Moreover, female students frequently believe that teachers

give more attention and time to boys than to girls, and that boys are more likely to be asked questions. According to Sharpe’s work from the 1970’s, girls at that time typically viewed family life and marriage as inevitable, which resulted in less emphasis placed on education. Additionally, media sources such as magazines, newspapers, and television tend to portray women in stereotypical roles. Over time, women have been influenced through socialization to prioritize caregiving as a primary role.

According to Sharpe, girls undergo socialization when they are taught the distinction between masculine and feminine jobs, such as electricians and mechanics versus nurses and secretaries. Meanwhile, Kelly argues that science is often presented as a masculine subject in both teacher behavior and textbook content, exemplified by the use of football imagery.

According to Mitsose and Brown, the improved performance of girls in education is due to various factors including changes in the economy, growth of service sector jobs, and the availability of flexible and part-time work. The influence of gender on education is evident as it is not solely based on merit, with boys often being given preference over girls who tend to underestimate themselves and are dominated. In addition, racism is a significant source of inequality in education, with the Swann Report revealing that it is often unintentionally perpetuated by teachers and through the use of textbooks projecting racist views.

Mirza argues that black girls' educational accomplishments are undervalued, despite outperforming black boys and white students. This challenges the labeling theory. Despite experiencing discrimination and racism, the girls' self-confidence was not affected, and they remained motivated to achieve academic success through hard work. While some teachers tried to

support them, others were overtly racist, causing the girls to avoid certain educators.