HED4809 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) 2026 - DUE April 2026

HED4809 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) 2026 - DUE April 2026.. According to the Functionalist theory, the main role of schooling is to: Challenge dominant power structures Prepare learners for economic, political, and social roles in society Eliminate class differences Promote resistance to authority The hidden curriculum refers to: Official examination content Informal lessons about discipline, obedience, and authority Government education policy Extra-curricular activities only Robert Dreeben’s norm of achievement emphasises that learners are: Rewarded based on background Judged on effort alone Evaluated according to performance compared to others Not compared with peers From a Conflict Theory perspective, schooling mainly Promotes equal opportunity Strengthens social unity Maintains inequality and reproduces class relations Encourages creativity Interpretivism focuses mainly on Economic structures Statistical outcomes Meaning making and interaction in schools Political control of education Read the passage about Milltown High School and the working-class student subculture. Use clear arguments, relevant examples, and, where appropriate, reference sociological concepts or theories to strengthen your response. In Milltown High School, located in an industrial, working-class neighborhood, students from working-class backgrounds form a distinct subculture with its norms, attitudes, and behaviors toward education. This subculture values practicality, resilience, and solidarity among peers but tends to view academic achievement as less immediately relevant to their future goals. Students from working-class families often work part-time to support their families and plan to enter the workforce after high school, aligning with their community’s focus on labor and trade skills. Critically evaluate the claim that schools primarily serve to maintain existing power structures. Use Conflict Theory to support your argument. This contrasts sharply with students from more affluent neighborhoods who tend to prioritise college aspirations and view academic success as central to their social identity. Compare Functionalism and Interpretivism in their approaches to understanding schooling. Your answer should show clear differences in focus, level of analysis, and assumptions about society. Provide a detailed analysis of how economic conditions, family expectations, and local employment opportunities influence students’ attitudes toward education. Examine the social, economic, and cultural factors shaping the working-class student subculture at Milltown High. Discuss the meaning of political socialisation and explain how schooling contributes to political loyalty and social integration in modern democratic societies. Explain the concept of the hidden curriculum and apply it to show how everyday school routines prepare learners for work and citizenship. Evaluate the long-term effects of this subculture on students’ future opportunities, both in education and employment. Support your discussion with relevant examples. Suggest practical strategies that schools can implement to support working-class students academically and socially, ensuring their educational experiences align with their aspirations and needs. Discuss any two of Robert Dreeben’s norms learned in school. Use examples to show how these norms prepare learners for adult life. Define feminism and conflict theory. Provide an example, such as workplace or classroom inequality, to illustrate feminist conflict theory. Explain the concepts of role differentiation and social solidarity and discuss why they are regarded as primary requirements of social life in modern societies. Compare the feminist emphasis on gender with traditional conflict theory’s focus on class, identifying overlaps and differences. Explain how the Conflict (Marxist) Theory interprets the relationship between schooling, power, and social inequality. Assess the strengths and limitations of feminist conflict theory in addressing gendered social issues. Refer to scholars such as Catharine MacKinnon, Nancy Fraser, Carol Gilligan, and Nel Noddings, discuss the key differences between Feminist Theory and Marxist Theory. Provide examples to support your discussion. (Using insights from feminist theory and conflict theory. How can schools challenge the patriarchal, capitalist, and racial hierarchies that contribute to inequality in education? Explain how the Functionalist theory views the role of schooling in society. Your answer should refer to socialisation, stability, and the manifest and latent functions of education. Explain the concepts of role differentiation and social solidarity and discuss why they are regarded as primary requirements of social life in modern societies. Compare the feminist emphasis on gender with traditional conflict theory’s focus on class, identifying overlaps and differences. Explain how the Conflict (Marxist) Theory interprets the relationship between schooling, power, and social inequality. Assess the strengths and limitations of feminist conflict theory in addressing gendered social issues. Refer to scholars such as Catharine MacKinnon, Nancy Fraser, Carol Gilligan, and Nel Noddings, discuss the key differences between Feminist Theory and Marxist Theory. Provide examples to support your discussion. (Using insights from feminist theory and conflict theory. How can schools challenge the patriarchal, capitalist, and racial hierarchies that contribute to inequality in education? Explain how the Functionalist theory views the role of schooling in society. Your answer should refer to socialisation, stability, and the manifest and latent functions of education.