Education and role allocation: How education prepares individuals for different roles in society.

Marxist views: How education contributes to the maintenance of the capitalist economic system.

Education as an instrument of ideological control and cultural reproduction: How education perpetuates existing power structures and social inequalities.

New Right and social democratic views: The relationship between education and the economy.

5.2 Education and social mobility

Equal opportunity and the idea of meritocracy: Whether education provides a level playing field for individuals to achieve based on their abilities.

The extent to which education systems are meritocratic today: Evaluating the reality of meritocratic principles in contemporary education systems.

The importance of education in influencing life chances: How education impacts an individual's opportunities and outcomes in life.

The consequences of educational underachievement for the individual and for society: The negative impact of low educational attainment on individuals and society as a whole.

Evidence and arguments about the links between education and social mobility: Exploring the relationship between education and social class mobility.

5.3 Influences on the curriculum

The social construction of knowledge: How knowledge is shaped by social factors and power dynamics.