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Changes In The Education System And Their Impact On Gender And Class Inequalities



CHANGES IN THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION
AND THE
IMPACT ON CLASS AND GENDER INEQUALITIES

Social structures are constructed frameworks of institutions within a social group that shape their members’ behaviours and identities. The social context of our lives is not just a series of random events but is patterned in distinct ways and regulates the way we behave and how we develop relationships with one another.

Knowledge of social structures and processes, whether they are economic, political, educational, military or religious, makes us aware of the forces that shape our lives and enable us to resist them or set about changes. The organisations and activities of these structures become the norms for our society.

Every structure of society will have a relationship between that structure and social divisions and inequalities within society. Social divisions are defined as “substantial social differences between two or more categories of people” (Payne, G, 2006, p. 3). Divisions can overlap and interrelate and can consist of material and cultural differences. Since World War II reforms and political strategies have been put in place to attempt to provide more equality in our society but have they succeeded or simply heightened social inequality?

Education is an important issue as it is through education that children learn the common values in their society, religious and moral beliefs and the social rules. It plays an important part in the socialisation of children as well as providing them with skills and knowledge for occupations and the British education system has developed to fill various specialised roles in the workplace economy.

The relationship between education and social inequalities, particularly class and gender, is one of the main sociological issues in Britain today. State educational provision had its origin in the desire of one class to control the attitudes and beliefs of another class, “The habit of obedience to...