Functionalist view of education

Question 1

Durkheim

Answer 1

1) society in miniature
. set routine - timetables
. socialisation - lots of different people
. rules + rewards
2) specialist skills - subject and career specific skills, certain subjects teach skills that transfer to the workplace, e.g. engineering, childcare
3) meritocracy - you get out what you put in - good grades, higher sets, rewards. Fair and equal opportunities. Can link to ed reform act: league tables, national curriculum

Question 2

A03 Durkhiem

Answer 2

1) mini society: moral education - value consensus, collective conscience. PSHE, sex ed, finance education, safety skills.
3) meritocracy: push you to work harder, ignores natural ability, individuals who succeed in different areas. Ignores class, age, gender, ethnicity.

Question 3

Parsons

Answer 3

Education is a bridge to wider society.
Family (particularistic values, primary socialisation)
->
Education (universalistic values, secondary socialisation, informal social control e.g. peers + teachers)
->
Wider society (formal social control e.g. CJS, prisons, police)

Question 4

Davis + Moore

Answer 4

Role allocation - sifts and sorts you into your future roles.
higher sets = professional, lower sets = retail labour
Some careers post 16, others nurtured more in secondary.

Question 5

Merton

Answer 5

Strain theory
American dream to get good grades
RRRIC

Question 6

A03 Merton

Answer 6

Internal critique:
. no such things as universal functionalism
. not all structures work for everyone
. structure don’t always function correctly
Education manifest (intended/meant) - educate, prepare for work, socialise
Education latent (unintended/later) - value on certain subjects, bullying + social hierarchy, mental health