HED4809 Assignment 4 Semester 2 2026 – Due August 2026

Description

HED4809 ASSIGNMENT 4 2026
DUE AUGUST 2026

QUESTION 1

1.1 Define social reproduction in your own words.
Social reproduction is the process through which societies pass on their existing social
structures, values, and inequalities from one generation to the next. In education, this
means schools help to maintain the current social order, including class divisions and
power relationships. Unlike the functionalist view that schools give everyone a fair
chance to get ahead, the concept of social reproduction, especially from a Marxist
viewpoint, argues that schools work to protect the interests of the dominant class and
keep things as they are. This happens through both the official curriculum and the
hidden curriculum, which teach learners to accept their place in society. Schools do this
by developing different attitudes and skills in learners from different social backgrounds
preparing working-class learners for lower-level jobs while giving privileged learners
the cultural knowledge they need to stay in top positions (Feinberg & Soltis, 2009, pp.
41-44).

1.2 True or False
a) Functionalism views education as contributing to social stability.
True.
Functionalism sees education as a key institution that helps keep society stable by
teaching learners shared values and skills. Functionalists believe schools play
important roles like bringing people together, sorting people into different jobs, and