Functionalist Perspective Flashcards
functionalism - main concern
link between social institutions and education being an agency of socialisation - maintain social stability through value consensus, social harmony and social cohesion
functionalism - value consensus
a general agreement around the main values of a society
functionalism - social solidarity
shared values/understanding, common culture and social ties that bind people together in society
functionalism - social cohesion
the bonds that bring people together to a united society
functionalism - Emelie Durkheim and Talcott Parsons functions of education
- passing on society’s culture and building social solidarity
- providing a bridge between particularistic values and ascribed states and universalistic values and achieved status
- developing human capital
- selecting and allocating people for roles in a meritocratic society and legitimising social inequality
functionalism - passing on society’s culture and building social solidarity
passes culture of society through hidden curriculum
builds social solidarity by giving shared values/consensus
functionalism - providing a bridge
prepare children for wider adult society
secondary socialisation
e.g. particularistic values - at home you can eat whenever you want but at school you only eat at the set times the school has chosen
functionalism - secondary socialisation
takes place beyond the family
functionalism - ascribed status
status given from the family at birth
functionalism - achieved status
status earned through effort and ability
functionalism - developing human capital
develops knowledge/skill for successful economy
provides trained, qualified labour force
functionalism - human capital
knowledge and skills possessed by workforce to increase value and usefulness to employers
functionalism - david & moore
method of role allocation creating meritocratic society
equality of educational opportunity
put in effort = equal chance of success
legitimising inequalities
functionalism - meritocratic society
occupation and status is achieved on individual merit than who you know/family
functionalism criticism - marxists
no value consensus
cultures/values passed by the school is of the dominant class
functionalism criticism - feminist
school passes on patriarchal values
disadvantaged females
functionalism criticism - meritocracy myth
elite jobs are still ascribed upper class still inherit wealth
functionalism criticism - human capital myth
what people learn in school has little to do with what they actual do
educational qualifications is an attempt to raise occupations status
calculating pie squared isn’t relevant
government is pushing for apprenticeships/vocational education as qualifications doesn’t fill in all of the gaps
functionalism criticism - equality of role allocation myth
education system isn’t a natural sieve
social class, ethnicity, gender influence success/failure
functionalism criticism - equality of opportunity myth
everyone doesn’t start at the same point
