AQA AS Sociology: Unit 2 Education with Research Methods - Social Democratic and New Right perspectives

AQA AS Sociology: Unit 2 Education with Research Methods - Social Democratic and New Right perspectives

1. Social Democratic

   • Based on political ideologies
     • More left wing
       • In favour of greater equality and greater state intervention in the economy
     • Influenced Labour governments of the 1960's and 1970's
   • Perspectives on education
     • Governments should play a major role in providing welfare through the state
       • In order to promote the well-being of members of society
       • Society produces inequality of income and wealth
         • Creating inequalities of opportunity
           • Those from advantaged background tend to do better in the education system
           • The role of the state should be to make opportunity more equal
             • Society should be more meritocratic
               • Where success or failure in education and labour market are based on effort and ability
     • Opposed the Tripartite system
       • Where pupils went to one of three schools
         • Grammar schools = provided academic education for those who passed the 11+ exam
           • These were selective, taking only higher ability pupils
             • Social democrats believe this is a divisive system
               • As most of these pupils were middle class
         • Secondary modern schools = more vocational focused education
           • Working class backgrounds
         • Technical schools = for those with technical ability (e.g. science, I.T.)
   • Social democratic policies
     • Labour governments of the 1960's and 1970's
       • Partly replaced the tripartite system with comprehensive schools
         • All pupils attended as the intention was:
           • To get ride of class divisions between different types of schools
           • To create more equal opportunities
           • To encourage economic growth, to ensure talent was not being wasted, by sending talented pupils to secondary modern schools where skills would not develop fully
     • Also worked to reduce inequalities through taxation and welfare policies
       • Rich were more heavily taxed than others (progressive taxation)
       • Welfare was provided to the less well-off so they did not live in poverty

2. New Right

   • Also known as neo-liberals or market liberals
   • More right-wing
     • In favour of competition and free markets
   • Perspectives on education
     • Private enterprise, based on competition between businesses
       • Most efficient system for running any service
     • State service tend to be inefficient, because producers have no incentive to work
       • No competition
     • No customers paying to state education, it is then unresponsive to customers
     • Competition is essential to raising standards, which is then vital to the UK producing highly educated adults
       • Necessary to compete in the global economy
     • The main focus of education should be training of the workforce
       • This then requires a new emphasis on vocational education
   • New Right policies
     • Influenced policies of Conservative governments
       • Margaret Thatcher - Prime Minister (1979 - 1990)
       • John Major - Prime Minister (1990 - 1997)
     • Introduced market forces and competition between educational institutions
       • Schools competed for pupils. Unpopular schools lost money/funding
     • Greater choice with new types of schools
       • E.G. Grant maintained schools where funded directly by the government
     • Designed National Curriculum, league tables, frequent inspections and regular testing
       • Designed to drive up standards in order to make the UK more economically competitive