Functionalist Theories of Education

Question 1

What are the 5 functions of education according to functionalists?

Answer 1

-Secondary Socialisation
-Social Solidarity
-Focal Socialising Agency
Specialist Skills
-Role Allocation

Question 2

Secondary Socialisation: Define

Answer 2

Children learning norms and values outside of the family

Question 3

Secondary Socialisation: Give an example of norms and values that children learn

Answer 3

Norm: Queuing up for dinner
Value: Working hard and respect

Question 4

Secondary Socialisation: What does this help maintain? and how?

Answer 4

Value consensus, by teaching children the norms and values of society so that it runs smoothly

Question 5

Social Solidarity (Durkheim): Define

Answer 5

Students feel part of society, sharing the same goals and values

Question 6

Social Solidarity: How does this affect students and society?

Answer 6

Ensures they are fully integrated into society, creating value consensus

Question 7

Social Solidarity: Give and example

Answer 7

-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

Question 8

Focal Socialising Agency (Parsons): Define

Answer 8

School acts as a bridge between the family and wider society

Question 9

Focal Socialising Agency: What standards are children judged by at home? explain

Answer 9

Particularistic standards - treated as special individuals and judged differently from everyone else outside the family

Question 10

Focal Socialising Agency: What standards are children judged by in wider society? explain

Answer 10

Universalistic standards - the same standards apply equally to everyone

Question 11

Focal Socialising Agency: How do schools bridge the gap? give an example and explain it

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Specialist Skills (Durkheim): Define

Answer 12

Education prepares children for paid employment by providing a range of skills that gradually become more specialised

Question 13

Specialist Skills: How do students in England gain this range of knowledge and skills?

Answer 13

GSCES at secondary and then post-16 study fewer courses gaining more specialised knowledge

Question 14

Specialist Skills: What did the introduction of vocational education allow

Answer 14

Students can learn job specific knowledge and skills e.g BTEC Hairdresssing

Question 15

Specialist Skills: Why is this good for the economy?

Answer 15

Because there are so many jobs requiring different specialists

Question 16

Role Allocation (Davis and Moore): Define

Answer 16

Education helps to fit children into the economy (workplace)

Question 17

Role Allocation: How do schools do this?

Answer 17

They sift and sort children into their future roles through assessments and exams

Question 18

Role Allocation: Give an example

Answer 18

A student who does well in BTEC Hairdressing will go on to be a hairdresser

Question 19

Role Allocation: How does this benefit society?

Answer 19

Ensures the right people get the right jobs so society runs smoothly

Question 20

Role Allocation: Explain how meritocracy means role allocation is fair

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Secondary Socialisation AO3: Feminism

Answer 21

-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

Question 22

Social Solidarity AO3: Marxism (Bourdieu)

Answer 22

-Argues schools are middle class institutions teaching middle class culture
-Working class children are not interested because their culture is devalued and ignored

Question 23

Focal Socialising Agency AO3: Marxism

Answer 23

-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

Question 24

Specialist Skills AO3: Marxism

Answer 24

-Vocational courses are often seen as lower skilled in school
-WC children are channeled into them ending up in low paid/status jobs

Question 25

Role Allocation AO3: Marxism

Answer 25

-Argue there is no equality of opportunity
-Everyone doesn’t start at the same point and not everyone has the same chance of success even with the same ability