Durkheim - The Role of Education Flashcards
What type of theorist was Durkheim?
Functionalist.
What are the two functions of education?
Education fulfils positive functions for society:
1) Promoting Social Solidarity
- subjects like history + literature = gain a shared heritage which creates strong social bonds.
2) Teaching Specialist Skills
- modern era + complex division of labour = need for specialist skills which can be fulfilled by education.
What is the definition of Social Solidarity?
The ties that bind people together in society.
What are the two forms of Social Solidarity?
1) Mechanical Solidarity (Pre-Industrial era)
- small communities + belief in religion = strong bonds. These bonds were then threatened (e.g secularisation) -> Organic Solidarity replaced this.
2) Organic Solidarity
- new bonds were made through work and new religious movements -> this threatened traditional bonds.
Religion promoted Social Solidarity to promote moral education.
How does education achieve Social Solidarity?
1) Teaching students a shared heritage gives them their place in society + common identity.
- achievement by teaching subjects such as history + religion + literature = focuses on achievements of one’s own culture. EXAMPLE: UK students study Shakespeare + Christian values.
2) Communal gatherings
- assemblies to celebrate achievements promote values of belonging to a community + being accepted into wider society.
3) Social cohesion
- house systems + sporting activities provide a sense of unity + belonging to something bigger than themselves.
Social Solidarity in contemporary applications:
1) Gove reform to curriculum in 2013 began with history.
- represent an ‘Island Story’ of Britain from the Magna Carta to internet.
-> evidence of educational performing Social Solidarity.
2) Coalition Gov. compulsory teaching of British values.
- democracy + The rule of law = reinforces British culture/identity within schools.
-> fulfil function of Social Solidarity.
Criticisms
- Marxists suggest students are learning the history of the ruling class compared to the masses.
- Bull suggested an Ethnocentric curriculum that focused on ‘little Englandism’ failing to teach history and literature from other cultures despite diversity of contemporary society.
- Teaching of British values can marginalise minority ethnic groups in society, implying that non-Christian faiths are inferior.