functionalism view of educaiton Flashcards
What is the General Outlook of the Functionalist Approach on Education?
> Consensus approach and focuses on positive functions of education
Secondary Socialisation - Acting as a bridge bet skl and home
> e.g. creating social solidarity, teaching core values and work skills, and role allocation/meritocracy.
Outline 4 Key Functionalist Thinkers and what they advocate?
> Durkheim (Socialisation and Social Solidarity)
Parsons (US and PS and Meritocracy)
Davis & Moore (Role Allocation)
Blau and Duncan (Human Capital)
Explain Durkheim’s Ideas of Socialisation through Education?
- Education - secondary agent of socialisation that promotes value consensus and collective
- skl promotes a sense of collective identity
- This promotes social solidarity through organising and regulating behaviour into ordered and encourages collective mentality rather than individual mentality.
Explain Durkheim’s Ideas of Social Solidarity through Education?
- Notion ppl feel they belong to society, they feel part of a group.
- e.g. teaching countries histories instills in children a sense of shared heritage and commitment to a wider social group.
Explain Parsons Ideas of Meritocracy in Education?
ducation fair as it’s meritocratic, all have same chance & personal talent or merit decides social status, if we work hard enough.
Explain Davies and Moore’s Ideas of Role Allocation in Education?
- Education allows meritocratic selection for jobs.
- Acting as a sieve
- Schools identify most capable students, allocating them to jobs based on talent and qualifications.
- Inequality is needed, so people are motivated to work hard.
Explain Blau and Duncans Ideas of Human Capital in Education?
> Defined as stock of skills, talents, creativity, making someone an economic asset to society.
> Education provides trained, and flexible workforce.
> Enables person to be allocated to job, best suited to abilities
> Making most of their talents, maximising productivity.
Why is Parsons idea of Meritocracy a Myth?
Class, Gender & Ethnicity all influence educational achievement
How do Marxists criticise Durkheim’s view of Social Solidarity?
Not shared values, but values of ruling class
What is the General Outlook of the Marxist Approach on Education?
- Reproduces class inequality.
- Legitimates class inequality.
- Works in the interests of capitalist employers
PARA 1 AO2 =
marxist/fem response to functionalist view of sociolastiona nd social solidarity?
Marxist – doesn’t provide shared values for the gd of society – indoctrinates w/c idea of r/c + accept life of exploited.
Fem edu instils patriachal values
PARA 2 AO2
Marxist/ postmodernism response to Functionalist view - role allocation and Meritocracy?
Marxist dismiss this idea
Meritocracy = myth
App of merit of opp = essential ideology = produces false consciousness – or they weren’t learn the skills to be exploited as proletarians in capitalist workplaces
Post modernism would question both
Workplace doesn’t resemble either meritocratic or exploitative .
Society is complex and diverse.
PARA 3 AO2 -
skilled workforce
HOWEVER
Skl curriculum not useful for most jobs.
Apart from vocational qualification and appren
Little work skills training with education system
Shakespeare aint making my scientist
CRITICISMS OF FUNCTIONALISM THEORISTS
Many areas of society dominated by wealthy elites who went to the private skls and unis
They not there cause they clever but connections and network and daddy and mummy
Differential achievement in education – social class. Ethnicity = ed sys = not meritocratic but rigged against some groups in society
GLBALISATION
If education system supposed to be training ppl to perform roles that the economy requires them = fail
Workers taught and trained in other countries.
E.g Due to Brexit = shortage of lorry drivers = shows how uk education system not producing enough
This undermines the idea the education system provided the function of creating skilled workforce
Feature of globalisation instead of failing education system .
