Marxist and Funtionalist Perspectives on Inequality of Educational Essay

Marxist and Funtionalist Perspectives on Inequality of Educational Achievement Due to Social Class - Essay Example At the least, the democratic socialist countries would be expected to have achieved greater educational equality among citizens of distinct class backgrounds. It was found that the Soviet Union has not achieved educational equality to a noticeable extent, based on its characterization as a state capitalist country, deeply divided by class distinctions, and with the state bureaucracy at its core (Liston, 1988). Ramirez (2006) argues that cross-nationally, family background is clearly related to academic achievement; however, there is extensive cross-national variation in the correlation between achievement and aspirations. According to Ream and Palardy (2008), ‘social capital’ forms one of the components of social class which includes material and human capital. The researchers examined how parental social networks divided by class increase educational inequality among school children. Further, the authors used survey data to determine whether â€Å"certain forms of pare ntal social capital create educational advantages for socioeconomically privileged students vis-a-vis their less economically fortunate peers† (Ream and Palardy, 2008, p.238). Distinguishing between the availability of social capital and its convertibility, while greater extents of parental social capital was found to be concurrent with higher rungs in the social class ladder; the utility value of social capital for education was not clearly related to class status. A possible exception to this tendency could be the collective influence of middle-class parents’ ideas on beneficially changing school policies and practices. It is important to investigate whether the economic and sociological reasons for inequality can promote â€Å"educationally useful... As the paper stresses distinguishing between the availability of social capital and its convertibility, while greater extents of parental social capital was found to be concurrent with higher rungs in the social class ladder; the utility value of social capital for education was not clearly related to class status. A possible exception to this tendency could be the collective influence of middle-class parents’ ideas on beneficially changing school policies and practices. It is important to investigate whether the economic and sociological reasons for inequality can promote â€Å"educationally useful social exchange among parents across social boundaries†. This discussion explores that social justice and equity in connection with higher education is an important area of research towards policy formulation. These concepts help to create a more impartial, courteous, and just society for everyone. This conceptualization focuses on society as a whole; however â€Å"higher education research literature looks inward towards higher education itself†. In the social composition of higher education’s staff and student populations, it is found that equity and social justice agendas are imported from the wider society. This approach considers the rules of the competition as unfair if particular social groups are excluded or placed in a disadvantageous position in the competition for higher education. Functionalism is characterised as a set of three interrelatedd theses about the social world.