The Functionalist Perspective on Education

Question 1

Outline functionalist core beliefs

Answer 1

• Organic analogy: Society is similar to the human body. All institutions (organs) are needed to ensure a healthy society
• It is a macro approach, as we respond to the agencies of socialisation
• It is a consensus approach, as society is in agreement

Question 2

Outline the functionalist view on education’s role

Answer 2

• The major function of education is that it transmits society’s norms and values
• Without a shared system of norms and values, cooperation and social solidarity would be impossible as everyone would pursue their own selfish desires

Question 3

Describe how education provides social solidarity

Answer 3

• Durkheim argues education creates social solidarity by transmitting society’s culture:
• Teaching of history implants a sense of shared heritage. Transmits the idea that everyone should be treated equally with punishments/rewards, the same uniforms and subjects create shared knowledge
• School is a microcosm of society that prepares us for wider society. In schools, a child interacts with others according to a set of rules. In society, individuals interact with others according to society’s rules

Question 4

Describe how education provides specialist skills

Answer 4

• Modern economies have a complex division of labour where specialist skills are required and education provides subjects that give specific skill sets
• In an industrial society e.g. manufacture of a product may require a combination of specialists. This need to combine skills, produces cooperation and social solidarity, which schools provide.

Question 5

Outline criticisms of Durkheim’s view

Answer 5

• Marxists argues that the norms that are taught don’t benefit the WC
• There isn’t a fair chance at learning specialists skills

Question 6

Outline Parson’s view on the role of education

Answer 6

He sees the school as the ‘focal socialising agency’ in modern society, acting as a bridge between the family and wider society. This is needed as family and society operate on different principles so children need to learn a new way of living to cope with the wider world

Question 7

Compare how children are treated within the family and then in wider society

Answer 7

• In the family, children are judged by particularistic standards (rules that apply to a particular child) while in wider society, we’re all judged by the universalistic standards
• And in the family a child’s status is ascribed, fixed at birth, while a person’s status is achieved,

Question 8

Describe Parson’s view on how school acts as a bridge

Answer 8

• School establish universalistic standards as conduct is assessed against schools rules and achievement is measured in exams, which applies to all students.
• Schools operate on meritocratic principles so status is achieved

Question 9

Define meritocracy

Answer 9

Ability to rise and fall based on merit when given equal opportunity

Question 10

Outline Parson’s view on role allocation

Answer 10

• He saw education as important for selecting individuals in their future role in society
• Schools test students and match their students, skills and capacities to the jobs they suit best

Question 11

Describe Davis and Moore’s view on role allocation as a function of education

Answer 11

They argue that role allocation and inequality is necessary to ensure the most important roles in society are filled by the most talented people. Schools encourage competition so society can select the most talented for specific positions.

Question 12

Describe Davis and Moore’s view on how education provides role allocation

Answer 12

• High rewards are attached to important positions. This means that students will compete for them and the most talented will succeed.
• So education ‘sifts and sorts’ people according to ability

Question 13

Describe Blau and Duncan’s view on how education provides role allocation

Answer 13

• Argue a modern economy depends on ‘human capital’ (workers’ skills)
• So a meritocratic education provides this through role allocation, enabling each person to be allocated to a job suited to their abilities, which maximises their productivity

Question 14

Give evaluation for the functionalist perspective (Marxists)

Answer 14

• Functionalists see education as a process that instils the shared values of society
• Marxists argue that education in a capitalist society only transmits the ideology of the ruling class

Question 15

Give evaluation for the functionalist perspective (no specialist skills)

Answer 15

• The education system doesn’t adequately teach specialist skills, as Durkheim claims.
• The Wolf review of vocational education (2011) claims that up to a third of 16-19 year olds are on courses that do not lead to higher education or good jobs

Question 16

Give evaluation for the functionalist perspective (interactionist)

Answer 16

• The interactionist Wong argues that functionalists have an ‘over-socialised view’ of people as mere puppets of society
• Functionalists wrongly imply that pupils passively accept all they are taught and never reject the school’s values. (anti-school subculture)