3ED

Question 1

What is the function on education in society?

Answer 1

• creates a value consensus and social solidarity as children are taught specialist knowledge that they need to play their part in society

Question 2

What is meritocracy?

Answer 2

People fill the positions they gain from ability and achievement

Question 3

What did Parsons believe about education?

Answer 3

• School acts as a bridge between family and society and it prepares children for their adult roles
• Eases the transition from particularistic norms and ascribed status in the family to universalistic norms and achieved status of society
• Status is achieved through meritocracy
• Without school, society would be dysfunctional as the transition would be too harsh

Question 4

What did Davis and Moore believe about education?

Answer 4

• Education is a mechanism that ensures the most able children are put into the best jobs
• Education uses role allocation to allocate jobs based on ability

Question 5

Positives of the functionalism explanation of education

Answer 5

• Links schools to the needs of wider society and the economy
• Helps to understand how the socialisation process continues outside the home

Question 6

Negatives of the functionalists explanation of education

Answer 6

• Assumes education is meritocratic. Evidence suggests that background plays a huge part in educational achievement
• Durkheim and Parsons used armchair theorising
• Does not investigate why different social classes, races, genders and religions achieve differently in schools