Functionalist Theories of Education Flashcards
What are the 5 functions of education according to functionalists?
-Secondary Socialisation
-Social Solidarity
-Focal Socialising Agency
Specialist Skills
-Role Allocation
Secondary Socialisation: Define
Children learning norms and values outside of the family
Secondary Socialisation: Give an example of norms and values that children learn
Norm: Queuing up for dinner
Value: Working hard and respect
Secondary Socialisation: What does this help maintain? and how?
Value consensus, by teaching children the norms and values of society so that it runs smoothly
Social Solidarity (Durkheim): Define
Students feel part of society, sharing the same goals and values
Social Solidarity: How does this affect students and society?
Ensures they are fully integrated into society, creating value consensus
Social Solidarity: Give and example
-In the USA children pledge allegiance to the American Flag every morning, feeling part of American society
-School assemblies and sports teams create a sense of solidarity
Focal Socialising Agency (Parsons): Define
School acts as a bridge between the family and wider society
Focal Socialising Agency: What standards are children judged by at home? explain
Particularistic standards - treated as special individuals and judged differently from everyone else outside the family
Focal Socialising Agency: What standards are children judged by in wider society? explain
Universalistic standards - the same standards apply equally to everyone
Focal Socialising Agency: How do schools bridge the gap? give an example and explain it
By teaching children the universalistic standards of society e.g meritocracy - teachers mark all work to the same standards so students learn it is up to their own effort to pass or fail
Specialist Skills (Durkheim): Define
Education prepares children for paid employment by providing a range of skills that gradually become more specialised
Specialist Skills: How do students in England gain this range of knowledge and skills?
GSCES at secondary and then post-16 study fewer courses gaining more specialised knowledge
Specialist Skills: What did the introduction of vocational education allow
Students can learn job specific knowledge and skills e.g BTEC Hairdresssing
Specialist Skills: Why is this good for the economy?
Because there are so many jobs requiring different specialists
Role Allocation (Davis and Moore): Define
Education helps to fit children into the economy (workplace)
Role Allocation: How do schools do this?
They sift and sort children into their future roles through assessments and exams
Role Allocation: Give an example
A student who does well in BTEC Hairdressing will go on to be a hairdresser
Role Allocation: How does this benefit society?
Ensures the right people get the right jobs so society runs smoothly
Role Allocation: Explain how meritocracy means role allocation is fair
Society is meritocratic - access to jobs depends on a individual’s educational qualifications.
If you are talented and work hard you will achieve a top job - inequality in outcome is a result of individuals having different attitudes to work
Secondary Socialisation AO3: Feminism
-Argue schools pass on patriarchal values which disadvantage girls
-Rad Fem - girls face the male gaze where male teachers look girls up and down and make judgments about their appearance
Social Solidarity AO3: Marxism (Bourdieu)
-Argues schools are middle class institutions teaching middle class culture
-Working class children are not interested because their culture is devalued and ignored
Focal Socialising Agency AO3: Marxism
-Meritocracy is a myth, social class determines educational success not effort
-WC do less well because they lack cultural capital and parents can’t help with homework or support them
Specialist Skills AO3: Marxism
-Vocational courses are often seen as lower skilled in school
-WC children are channeled into them ending up in low paid/status jobs
