... others, how to behave and to obey the authority figures, the teachers. This prepares the children for the world of work and how to accept the rule put down by the authorities. Marxists point out a weakness in this view. Durkheim presumes that the norms and values learnt in the school are those of society rather than those of the dominant culture. Bordiue stated that there was a Cultural Capital and that was what was being promoted in the education system. In the UK this dominant culture is middle class; therefore the working class are disadvantaged in schools. So the dominant middle class are more likely to succeed because the education system is more suited to them. This perspective disagrees with the functionalistic belief of a meritocracy. Parsons, Davis and Moore believe that the education system is a means of role allocation. The harder you work the greater the rewards you ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now