Talcott Parsons’ Perspective on Education
Writing in the 1950s Parsons argued that modern education systems performed two main functions – role allocation and providing value consensus through meritocracy.
education, Functionalism
Social Theories
Marxism, Sociology key terms
What is Alienation?
Capitalist production alienates workers from their products, their labour power, themselves and their own souls.
Neoliberalism and The New Right, Sociology in the News
Stephen Hawking Against Neoliberalism!
Stephen Hawking this week accused the Conservative government of damaging the NHS by slashing funding, weakening the health service though
Postmodernism and Late Modernsim
Postmodernism in Sociology: Key Ideas and Examples of Postmodern Thinkers
A summary of the work of three postmodern thinkers: Lyotard, Baudrillard and Bauman who argue that we need to think differently about the social world now we have moved out of the modernity.
Feminism, Sex and gender
Should we be Concerned about the Gender Pay Gap at the BBC?
The BBC recently revealed the salaries of stars earning more than £150,000, and two-thirds of them are male, only a
education, Postmodernism and Late Modernsim
Changing Education Paradigms
In this TED talk, Sir Ken Robinson argues that our current educational systems are still based on a industrial paradigm
education, Marxism
The Illusion of the Equality of Opportunity
Marxist sociologists Bowles and Gintis argue that capitalist societies are not meritocratic. Against Functionalists, they argue that it is not
Book summaries, Social Theories
Bauman’s ‘The Individualised Society’ – A Summary of the Preface
It may sound odd doing a summary of a preface, but there is a lot of heavy stuff in here….
education, Marxism
Bowles and Gintis: The Correspondence Principle
School corresponds to work: both are hierarchical, both require passive pupils/ workers and both are motivated by external rewards.
Neoliberalism and The New Right, Sociology in the News
Grenfell Tower – Profits before Safety?
This truly horrific, and avoidable tragedy seems to be a perfect illustration of the downsides of neoliberal policies – deregulation,