The Functonalist Perspective One Education

Question 1

What is functionalism?

Answer 1

• functionalism is based on the view that society is a system of independent parts held together by a shared culture or value consensus - an agreement among societies members about what is important.
• each part of society, such as rage family, economy or education system, performs functions that help maintain society as a whole.

Question 2

Durkheim - social solidarity and skills

Answer 2

• sociologist Durkheim (1903), the founder of functionalist sociology, identified two main functions of education: creating social solidarity and teaching specialist skills

Question 3

Social solidarity

Answer 3

• Durkheim argues that society needs a sense of solidarity - its individual members must feel themsleves to be part of s single ‘body’ or community.he argues that without social solidarity, social life and cooperation would be impossible because each individual would pursue their own selfish desires
• the education system helps to create social solidarity by transmitting societies culture - its shared beliefs and values from one generation to the next. E.g, Durkheim argues that the teaching to a country’s history instills in children a sense of a shared heritage and a commitment to the wider social group
• school also acts as a ‘society in miniature’, preparing us for life in wider society. E.g, both in school and at work we have to cooperate with people who are neither family nor friends - teachers and pupils at school, colleagues and customers at work. Similarly, both in school and at work we have to interact with others according to a set of impersonal rules that apply to everyone

Question 4

Specialist skills

Answer 4

• modern institutional economies have a complex division of labour, where the production of even a single item usually involves the cooperation of many different specialists. This cooperation promotes social solidarity but, for it to be successful, each person must have the necessary specialist knowledge and skills to perform their role. Durkheim argues that education teachers individuals the specialist knowledge and skills that they need to play their part in the social division of labour

Question 5

Parsons: meritocracy

Answer 5

• parsons draws on many of Durkheims ideas. Parsons sees the school as the ‘focal socialising agency’ in modern society, acting as a bridge between the family and wider society. Thus bridge is needed because family and society operate on different principles, so children need to learn a new way of living if they are to cope in the wider world
• within the family, the child is judge by particularistic standards; rules that apply only to that particular child. Similarly, in the family, the child’s status is ascribed, that is fixed by birth. E.g, an elder son and a younger daughter my be given different rights or duties because of different ages and sex
• In contrast, both school and wider society judge us all by the same universalistic and impersonal standards. E.g, in society, the same laws apply to everyone. Similarly in school each pupil is judged against the same standards e.g, they all sit the same exam and pass mark is the same for everyone.
• likewise, in both school and wider society, a persons status is largely achieved, not ascribed. E.g, at work we gain promotion or get sacked on the strength of how good we are at our job, while at school we pass or fail through our own individual efforts

Question 6

How does parsons see school

Answer 6

• parsons sees school as preparing us to move from the family to wider society because school and society are both based on meritocratic principles. In a meritocracy, everyone is given an equal opportunity, and individuals achieve rewards through their own effort and ability

Question 7

Davis and Moore: role allocation

Answer 7

• functionalists argue that schools also perform the function of selecting and allocating pupils to their future work roles. By assessing individuals aptitudes and abilities, schools help to match them to the job they are best suited to
• Davis and Moore see education as a device for selection and role allocation. They focus on the relationship between education and social inequality.
• they argue that inequality is necessary to ensure that the most important roles in society are filled by the most talented people. E.g, it would be inefficient and dangerous to have less able people performing roles such as surgeon or airline pilot. Not everyone is equally as talented, so society has to offer higher rewards for these jobs. This will encourage everyone to compete for them and society can then select the most talented individuals to fill these positions
• education plays a key part in this process, since it acts as a proving ground for ability. Education is where individuals show they can do it. It ‘shifts and sorts’ us according to our ability. The most able gain and highest qualifications, which then gives them entry to the most important and highly rewarded positions

Question 8

Human capital and role allocation

Answer 8

• human capital as Blau and Duncan argue that a modern economy depends for its prosperity on using its ‘human capital’ - its workers skills. They argue that a meritocratic education system does this best, since it enables each person to be allocated to the job best suited to their abilities. This will make most effective use of their talents and maximise their productivity

Question 9

Evaluation of the functionalist perspective

Answer 9

• the education system does not teach specialised skills adequately, as Durkheim claims.
• there is ample evidence that equal opportunity in education does not exist. E.g, achievement is greatly influenced by class background rather than ability
• Tumin criticises Davis and Moore for putting forward a circular argument.
• functionalists see education as a process that instils the shared values of society as a whole, but Marxist argue that education in capitalist society only transmits the ideology of a minority - the ruling class
• interactionists wrong 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 schools values
• neoliberals and the new right argue that the state education system fails to prepare young people adequately for work