Sociology Education AQA Unit 2 & Research Methods
1) ROLE OF EDUCATION & ECONOMY CONSENSUS PERSPECTIVES (FUNCTIONALISTS – EMILE DURKHEIM) 1) teaches skills needed in work and economy 2) sifts and sorts people into their appropriate job roles - allocation 3) plays a part in secondary socialisation · Positive aspects of school going,Durkheim noted the importance of education in preventing anomie (state
of chaos) also emphasized the role of subjects such as History for teaching the students heritage, integration and solidarity. · Teaches children to interact outside their families. Durkheim said families use affective relationships
society is based in instrumental relationships. Children’s experiences with adults become increasingly formal. Parsonsdeveloped this idea, saying children gain achieved status through education; also school rules acclimatised children to universalistic standards. Parsons also argued that education instils values of competition, equality and individualism. All help to function a capitalist society. CONFLICT PERSPECTIVES (MARXISTS and FEMINISTS) 1) prepares children for work 2) justifies inequality 3)ruling class ideology that supports capitalism · Education operates as an ideological tool, manipulating people to think certain ways to legitimise exploitation
by the ruling class and inequality. · Schools render the proletariat passive and resigned to their fate. Louis Althusser argued that education
operates as an ideological apparatus, therefore hidden curriculum transmits values such as obedience and respect for authority. · Bowles and Gintis (1976) school mirrors the workplace (correspondence principle) prepares children to
fit with their exploited future by the proletariat. Use strict hierarchy, share the same values (punctuality), external rewards (grades/money) and fragmentation and alienation in both (individuals are split by forms subjects etc) · Feminists argue that education legitimises inequalities – maintain the ways in which boys and girls are treated
sends subtle messages. All creating a patriachal society 2) TEACHER-STUDENT INTERACTIONS LABELLING
Hargreaves, Hester & Mellor (1975) 3 stages of labelling: Speculation - guessing about the student Elaboration - test the hypothesis Stabilisation - the hypothesis solidify SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY Rosenthal & Jacobsen (1968) IQ tests to students from California, a random 20% were told they had high IQ's. the tests were then done after a year and these 20% had improved considerably more than others. also looked at teacher reports and grades. both of these approaches to differences in achievement do not consider other factors such as class etc. 3) Student Subcultures ANTI-SCHOOL Hargreaves (1973) interviewed inner-city boys in secondary modern. they formed as a response to negative labelling, attach prestige to disrupting lessons. LAD'S Willis's Lads (1978) w/c boys made subcultures because of their limited opportunities - self-defeating properties - disengage from education and consequentally under-achieve CURRICLUM Official Culturally Biased - ethnocentric curriculum, benefits m/c white students Hidden work place help - hierachy (student to headteacher), rewards (grades and money) these should be taught as part of the actual curriculum not as a subconscious counter-part. 4) Patterns of Achievement SOCIAL CLASS & ETHNICITY
poorer w/c children more likely to underachieve for example Afro-Caribbean had 23% of 5 good GCSEs in 1996 whereas Indian's in 1996 gained 48% of 5 good grades at GCSE level. does not take into account individual differences e.g. single parents, material deprivation, subcultures etc. 5) influence of the home MATERIAL DEPRIVATION Harker (2006) links between underachievement and housing, less space to play and study, bullied, hazards to health, stress and mental illness. CULTURAL DEPRIVATION under-socialised w/c (fatalistic - determined to fail). M/c benefit better linguistic skills, easier to ask questions and exams etc Bernstein (1971) Said W/C use a restricted code, harder for them to portray their messages across also M/C use elaborated code and therefore can portray their message to the usually M/C teachers and examiners 6) home-school interaction CURRICULUM CONTENT Labov (1973) criticises Bernsein's ideas of R and E codes, he interviewed W/C black students and found they could express sophisticated ideas in restricted code. TEACHER-INFLUENCE Becker (1971) studied 60 Chicago high-school teachers, who described their ideal student, emphasised many characteristics of a M/C student (well dressed, confident, attitudes etc) showing that it is easier for M?C children to succeed. Sewell (1997) Black Caribbean boys at a disadvantage, teachers were more likely to discipline them because they were 'around the most'. SCHOOL SUBCULTURES Sewell (1997)
anti-school subcultures formed by teacher disenchantment therefore created own or joined subculture to escape the disenchantment. 7) Girls recent achievement POLICY sexual discrimination act of 1975 & national curriculum 1988, however some males representatives believes that the curriculum makes the 'feminine' subjects easier in terms of specification. EXPECTATIONS Broadening opportunities, more is expected of them (not just to be the typical housewife) and can now be anything. still some gender differences/inequalities in work women more likely to work in the 5 C's. also change in traditionally gender typical subjects (social sciences, textiles etc) 8) Boys new underachievement Mac An Ghaill (1994) crisis of masculinity - more limited male jobs, lack of role models - culture of dependency, no aspirations Curriculum has been feminised, emphasis on discussions, presentations etc. 9) Admissions Policy RELIGION faith schools better exam results affects social side of community can't interact with ethnic minorities ABILITY POLICIES tailors schooling to the needs of children, progress at their own pace and chose excelling subjects aptitude tests have tended to suffer from bias experiences from m/c families CATCHMENT AREAS all children have access to same standard of education buying into a good schools area - some can't unequal PARENTOCRACY league tables and OFSTED reports - increase choice, shopping for a good school over-applied, M/C have more chance of getting better schools
BANDING presents a link between background ability etc. potential to access same education selection of ability - bias 10) Non-government involvement FAITH SCHOOLS better exam results racism - social inequality PRIVATE SCHOOLS access quality education, small classes better teachers etc. can't afford to go, not meritocratic although govm't have introduced school vouchers to some areas to help BUSINESS & INDUSTRY city technology colleges half way between private and public city academies are empirical, failed to produce expected grades. forgets schooling importance VOCATIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING youth training scheme (YTS) 1993 introduced NVQ & GNVQ RESEARCH METHODS Practical issues, Ethical issues, Theoretical issues Practical issues -
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Time, money, sample size personal skills/characteristics (age, gender etc) subject of research research opportunity personal danger funding bodies personal concerns
Theoretical issues R - Representativeness - is the group or situaltion being studied typical of others? R - Reliability - whether it is consistent and can be replicated to get the same results. V - Validity - gives a true and genuine picture. interpretivists
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meanings motives Micro sociologists qualitative data validity subjectivity
Positivists - functionalists, marxists
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scientific generalisations objectivity social facts cause and effect Macro sociologists quantitative data reliable, representativ
social surveys
Self-completing written questionnaires- postal Interviews- (structured) face to face, telephone, internet
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Gallup- church attendence Peter Townsend Wilmott s.hite literary digest
Closed ended questions Advantages
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quick/cheap easy to quantify/classify lack of researcher bias (however questions come from researcher in first place)
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reliable data
Open questions Advantages
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finds out what the respondent is thinking asks more complex questions respondents compose their own answers more valid data
selecting a sample
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Access
Target population- the group your'e interested in finding out about sampling frame- list of relevant members of of the population that the sample can be chosen from. Sample- smaller group elected from the larger survey population sampling unit- members of the group or individuals being studied within the relevant population.
Gatekeepers are people who the researcher has to go through in order to gain access to the participants. The British Census - every 10 years since 1801. However the census has some problems as it doesn't go to the homeless, students, elderly homes, soldiers, prisoners, people working abroad. Sampling techniques
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Random - selected purely by random chance. systematic/quasi- equal probability of being chosen e.g every 10th name on a list. stratified random sample- designed to contain a % of certain groups e.g. ethnicity quota sampling- looking for the right number of each person for the certain group snowball sampling- individuals suggest others to take part. someone is recommended. opportunity- choosing from those who are easiest to access e.g passers by in the street.
Response rates The 'hite report on the family' only got a 3% response rate. Oakley's study on housework got 100% response rate because her survey was face to face. Reasons for non response include
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failure to make contact (people move, on holiday, in prison) contact is made but the interview cannot be conducted because of illness,deafness, English as a second language. refusal to participate.
Questionnaires Problems such as leading questions, interviewer bias etc can be avoided using a pilot study. e.g Willmott and Young carried out 100 pilot interviews before the finalized their survey. Advantages of pilot studies
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avoids wasting time and money establish a rapport with people you are studying may determine whether research goes ahead. used to convince funding bodies
social surveys
Advantages of questionnaires
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quick and cheap no need to train researchers. easy to quantify reliable (consistent) testing a hypothesis (cause + effect) unbiased ( objectivity) representative
Disadvantages of questionnaires
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limited datalow response (postal questionnaires) inflexible snapshots lack validity lying, forgetting imposing the researchers meaning
interviews
Structured (W+Y) Unstructured (Dobash + Dobash) Advantages of structured interviews group (Willis) semi-structured (Gavron)
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representative quantitative data scientific data reliable cheap/easy face to face = better response rate limited interviewer effect
