Functionalist Analysis of Education

Question 1

Which people do Functionalists believe the education system benefits?

Answer 1

The individual and society

Question 2

What does Durkheim say school teaches students? (2 ways)

Answer 2

Sense of belonging, Belief in the importance of cooperation

Question 3

What does Parsons say school teaches students? (2 ways)

Answer 3

The belief of meritocracy, Schools acting as a bridge

Question 4

What does Parsons say schools act as a bridge for?

Answer 4

The transition from childhood to adulthood

Question 5

Which 2 Functionalists argued the education plays an important role in allocating people to appropriate jobs?

Answer 5

Davis and Moore

Question 6

What are the hidden messages of the education system? (Name 2)

Answer 6

Meritocracy, Bridge for transition

Question 7

What is the overall view of Functionalists on Education?

Answer 7

Positive view

Question 8

What would Functionalists say about how Michaela Community School meets the needs of individual and society?

Answer 8

Meets the needs of individuals as it allows them to have fun
Meets the needs of society as it teaches them to be time-efficient

Question 9

What form of rewards would Functionalists say Michaela Community School provides? Why?

Answer 9

Internal and External Rewards. Because they can be happy and also have good exam success.

Question 10

What does the Education system socialise people in to?

Answer 10

The Value Consensus

Question 11

How does Education act as a bridge?

Answer 11

A bridge between the family and wider society

Question 12

What is role allocation?

Answer 12

The Education system putting people in to the right jobs

Question 13

How does role allocation take place over education?

Answer 13

You’re sorted and sifted by exams in to your ability level

Question 14

What 2 types of gratification are there?

Answer 14

Immediate Gratification, Deferred Gratification

Question 15

What do Functionalists believe about people who defer gratification?

Answer 15

They should be rewarded higher due to their dedication

Question 16

Who makes the gratification argument?

Answer 16

Davis and Moore

Question 17

What type of structure do Functionalists believe Society and Education take?

Answer 17

Meritocracy

Question 18

What does it mean if Society is Meritocratic?

Answer 18

If you work hard enough, you can achieve what you dream of

Question 19

What did Parsons say about Meritocracy in Schools?

Answer 19

The school system allocates roles to students based on merit

Question 20

What may lead to underperformance in education?

Answer 20

Cultural Deprivation

Question 21

What is the Cultural Deprivation?

Answer 21

The idea that working class children fail as they are not able to have any previous sophisticated experiences to understand what teachers are teaching

Question 22

What does Feinstein say about working class culture compared to middle class culture?

Answer 22

It is considered to be inferior

Question 23

What did Feinstein say about how parents resulted in working class children failing?

Answer 23

Their parents were not able to socialise them in to the value of hard work

Question 24

What did Feinstein say about how parents resulted in middle class children succeeding?

Answer 24

They properly socialised them in to the value of hard work, and possibly took them to more cultural events and talked about more sophisticated concepts

Question 25

Who believes Education socialises children in to the value consensus?

Answer 25

Durkheim

Question 26

Who created the microcosm of society concept?

Answer 26

Durkheim

Question 27

What is the microcosm of society concept?

Answer 27

The idea that the Education system is a miniature representation of overall society so children learn how society works in this way

Question 28

Which analogy does Durkheim say the Education system is essential to?

Answer 28

The organic analogy

Question 29

What does Education act as a bridge for?

Answer 29

A bridge from the family in to wider society

Question 30

What standards do Parents give their children compared to schools?

Answer 30

Parents give particularistic standards, Schools give universalistic standards

Question 31

What are Particularistic standards?

Answer 31

Treating someone as if they are special and unique

Question 32

What are Universalistic standards?

Answer 32

Treating someone as if they are like everyone else and not special

Question 33

Who argues Education acts as a bridge?

Answer 33

Parsons