Functionalism Theories Of Edcation

Question 1

What are the four functions of education

Answer 1

Social solidarity
Specialist skills
Secondary socialisations
Sifting and sorting

Question 2

Social solidarity

Answer 2

• This is where individual members of
society feel that they belong to a
community that is much bigger than
themselves
• Durkheim argues that the school is a
society in miniature
• In school, the child learns to interact with
other members of the school community
and to follow a fixed set of rules
• This experience prepares the child for
interacting with members of society as
an adult and accepting social rules
• For example, learning about their shared
culture in history lessons gives pupils a
sense of social solidarity and commitment
to the group – education unites
individuals
• This is important because without it,
people would pursue selfish aims and
wouldn’t cooperat Fff

Question 3

Social solidarity ao3

Answer 3

A conflict approach would argue that the
school fails to pass on a shared culture –
it actually passes on the dominant culture
which may exclude minorities.
• The school system can be seen as
ethnocentric- it gives priority to white
culture over others, which makes ethnic
minorities (EMs) feel excluded. This means
it is more likely to divide people than unite them