Sociology of Education and Education Policy

What this unit covers

The resources follow the usual shape of an education topic. The Roles of Education mind map sets out the functionalist view that schools meet the needs of the economy through socialisation, selection and skills. Other maps cover the Marxist and New Right perspectives, so you can compare theories side by side.

Achievement and inequality

A large share of the page looks at differences in achievement. For social class, there are maps on external factors such as cultural deprivation, language and speech codes, and on internal factors such as pupils' class identities and the school, drawing on Louise Archer et al (2010). For gender, there are maps on internal and external factors and on femininity and masculinity. For ethnicity, you will find maps, notes, flashcards and quizzes on both sets of factors.

Policy

Policy is covered by Marketisation and selection policies, Education Policy and Inequality, Diversity and Choice and a flashcard timeline of education policies. The notes on the main phases of educational policy in Britain give a quick overview.

Where to start

1. Begin with the key terms flashcards, which define functionalism, hidden curriculum, meritocracy, labelling and more.
2. Read the Roles of Education map, then the Functionalist and Marxist maps.
3. Work through class, gender and ethnicity in turn, one map at a time.
4. Finish with the policy maps and flashcards.

Using quizzes with maps

Read a map first, then take the matching quiz, such as the Sociology GCSE education quiz or the quiz on ethnic differences in educational achievement. Any question you miss tells you which branch of the map to revisit. Sociology sits in the Education strand of the wider subject, so these resources work well alongside other sociology topics.

Pick one theme today, try its quiz, and then build a map or flashcard set of your own.