Psychology help? Discuss how far sociologists agree that a student’s socializati

Question

Psychology help?

Discuss how far sociologists agree that a student’s socialization experiences in the home are the main reason for differences in their educational achievement.

in the mark scheme it is like below. However, I really want some elaboration to these points.

- Socialisation experiences in the home (eg parental experience

of education and expectations of their children).

- Marxist theorists view on socio-economic class as a

determinant of educational success.

- Social inequalities in access to educational opportunities eg

access to private education or effective choice of state school.

- Female achievement (girls tend to perform better than boys in

school).

- Feminist theorists views on patriarchy and on education as

largely controlled by men.

- Male underachievement (changing labour market and changing

attitudes)

Explanation / Answer

Socialization refers to social interaction but it also refers to understanding and learning to navigate a society’s social norms and rules of behaviour. Most scholars view peer interaction, which generally centres on the school, as a critical component of this kind of socialization. However, many homeschool parents and leaders argue that the socialization children receive in school is unnatural and actually harmful, and that socialization is best gained through life experiences that center around the family, and should include interactions with those in a variety of age groups.

Marxist theorists view on socio-economic class as a determinant of educational success
Traditional Marxists see the education system as working in the interests of ruling class elites. According to the Marxist perspective on education, the system performs there functions for these elites:

   a. Reproduces class inequality :- In school, the middle classes use their material and cultural capital to ensure that their children get into the best schools and the top sets. This means that the wealthier pupils tend to get the best education and then go onto to get middle class jobs. Meanwhile working class children are more likely to get a poorer standard of education and end up in working class jobs. In this way class inequality is reproduced

   b. Legitimates class inequality :- Marxists argue that in reality money determines how good an education you get, but people do not realize this because schools spread the ‘myth of meritocracy’ – in school we learn that we all have an equal chance to succeed and that our grades depend on our effort and ability. Thus if we fail, we believe it is our own fault. This legitimates or justifies the system because we think it is fair when in reality it is not.

   c. It works in the interests of capitalist employers :-

Social inequalities in access to educational opportunities
High class people get more access to quality education and they have more choices of educational institutions. Whereas, lower class people get less access to the same, which intern affects their educational success.

Female achievement
As for why girls perform better in school than boys, the authors speculated that social and cultural factors could be among several possible explanations. Parents may assume boys are better at math and science so they might encourage girls to put more effort into their studies, which could lead to the slight advantage girls have in all courses.Gender differences in learning styles is another possibility. Previous research has shown girls tend to study in order to understand the materials, whereas boys emphasize performance, which indicates a focus on the final grades.

Feminist theorists views on patriarchy and on education as largely controlled by men
Feminist theorists believe that the education system is patriarchal and dominated by men, just like the work force is. They argue that the education system is just a primary preparation for leading into the future work force. They believe there are still gender differences in subject choice in schools. Colley reviewed this idea and found that despite all the social changes in recent decades, traditional definitions of masculinity and faminity were still widespread. Sociologists - Heaton and Lawson argue that the hidden curriculum is a major source of gender socialisation; within education, various subjects are aimed at a certain gender group; for example cooking would be aimed at girls doing house work and cooking.

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