Education-functionalism Flashcards
What type of sociologist is Durkheim?
Functionalist
What were Durkheim’s theories?
-Social solidarity
-specialist skills
What is meant by specialist skills?
School acts as a society in miniature as it prepares us for life in wider society by teaching us key social and work based skills.
Education teaches individuals the specialist knowledge and skills that they need to play their part in the specialised division of Labour
What is meant by social solidarity within education?
Education creates this by transmitting society’s culture - shared beliefs and values to young people via the subjects they study
What is the specialised division of Labour?
The economy
What was parsons theories about education?
-school bridges the gap between family and society
-school also prepares young people for the competitive nature of the world.
How does school bridge the gap between the family and society?
by judging children with universalistic standards which socialises their children as at home they are treated with particularistic standards
How does school prepare young people for the competitive nature of the world?
-pupils have to compete for exam grades
-at work employees have to compete for pay rises or promotions
-provides students with their first taste of meritocracy
What are some evaluations for Durkheim’s theories?
Social solidarity = Durkheim is assuming that there is a shared culture that can be transmitted through education and the hidden curriculum.
Specialised skills = the education system may not adequately teach specialised skills used in the workplace.
-Marxists would argue that culture being transmitted through the education system benefits the ruling class rather than society as a whole.
What are Davis and Moore’s theories on education ?
-Role allocation
-sitting and sorting
What is role allocation?
-When inequality is deemed necessary to ensure that most societal roles are filled by the right talent.
-encourages everyone to compete for roles/recognition.
What are some evaluations for parsons theory’s of education?
-Social class has a massive impact on wether or not someone can achieve. Setting and streaming means not everyone has equal opportunity
-myth of meritocracy
What is Sifting and sorting?
-Education sifts and sorts people according to ability.
-helps to identify human capital
What is human capital?
Th amount of valuable knowledge and skills a person has that will be useful in roles that will boost the economy
What is an example of sifting and sorting?
Grades needed for A-level’s and degrees
