functionalist views on education Flashcards

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1
Q

bridge

A

Parsons and Durkehim argue that school acts as a bridge between life within the family and society as a whole.

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2
Q

universalistic standards

A

standards that apply to everyone

how an individual is judged in life, correlating to their achieved status

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3
Q

particularistic standards

A

standards which apply to particular people

how an individual is judged within the family, correlating to their ascribed status.

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4
Q

norms

A

what is considered normal by a certain culture, unwritten rules

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5
Q

values

A

a culture’s way of discerning right from wrong

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6
Q

ascribed status

A

the status given at birth or assumed involuntary later in life

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7
Q

achieved status

A

a status which is obtained through one’s hard work

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8
Q

socialisation funtion

A

functionalists such as Durkheim saw schools’ function of secondary socialisation is a way of creating social solidarity.

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9
Q

meritocracy

A
  • A system in which people are rewarded proportionally for the amount of work they do
  • Functionalists argue schools are meritocratic as they offer everyone an equal opportunity and instill the value of achievement
  • Parsons argues that meritocracy instills the two main values and prepares children for the transition into universalistic standards.
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10
Q

economic function

A

the economic function of schools is to create a workforce with specialised skills and ensure people are allocated to the correct roles, according to Durkheim and Davis and Moore

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11
Q

society in miniature

A

Durkheim saw schools as a model of the social system as individuals interact in terms of a fixed set of rules

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12
Q

equality of opportunity

A
  • A system in which everyone’s chance of success is equal
  • Parsons argues that this is one of two main values that are taught in schools
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13
Q

integration

A

when different cultures come together to form one

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14
Q

social solidarity

A
  • Durkheim believed that the main function of schools was to create social solidarity, instilling a sense of commitment to the social group through learning history
  • learning history creates a link between the individual and society by bringing the history of their society to life.
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15
Q

role allocation

A
  • A system of allocating roles which best suit people’s attitudes and capabilities
  • School is seen by functionalists as the major role-allocating system as it is based on meritocracy and exam grades prove an individual’s capability
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16
Q

value consensus

A

an agreement on the main values of society

17
Q

hierarchy

A

an unfair system in which a ruling minority have the advantage

18
Q

proselytising

A

attempts to religiously convert an individual

19
Q

multicultural society

A

a society which contains many individuals from different cultures to each other

20
Q

social stratification (Davis and Moore)

A
  • Davis and Moore argue that social stratification ensures that the most talented rise to the positions that are most functionally important to society.
  • they argue school is important as it is the proving ground for ability
  • they also argue that people are incentivised to work towards this through high rewards.
21
Q

specialised division of labour

A

a labour force with a large number of specialised occupations

this relies on schools in industrial societies, while in pre-industrial society, it relies on parents pasing down skills to children

22
Q

criticisms of Durkheim’s views:

A
  • assumes societies have a shared culture that can be passed on (in multicultural societies this is prominent)
  • marxists argue that the education system beneifts the ruling class more than society as a whole.
  • some researchers argue school encourages individual competition rather than solidarity and co operation.
23
Q

criticisms of Parsons:

A
  • fails to consider that the values passed on by the education system might benefit a ruling minority
  • his view that schools operate on meritocracy is debatable
24
Q

criticisms of Davis and Moore:

A
  • the relationship between occupational reward and academic achievement isn’t very close
  • the claim that the education system grades people in terms of ability is doubtable.
  • there is evidence that suggests social stratification prevents the education system from grading people according to ability.
25
Q

Blau and Duncan: human capital

A
  • our modern life and economy depends on ‘human capital’ for prosperity.
  • human capital = the skills of a worker.
  • in a meritocratic system, national prosperity can only be achieved when people’s talents are used effectively.
  • the education system enables this, benefitting the economy and the individual. (because it sorts people’s strengths meritocratically through assessment)