The role of education : Functionalist Flashcards
What does Durkheim state about education ?
Social solidarity - he argues that society needs a sense of solidarity, without it social life and cooperation would be impossible, education supports social solidarity by transmitting society’s culture.
Specialist skills - modern industrial economies have a complex division of labour, where the production of even a single product involves certain skills, education provides these specialist skills.
What does Parsons state ?
Sees education as a focal socialising agency acting as a bridge between the family and wider society. School and wider society judge us all by the same universalistic and impersonal standards. For example, in wider society we are all judged by the same laws like in school pupils are under the same rules. Likewise, a person’s status is achieved not ascribed, which is meritocracy. He says school prepares us for wider society since they are both based off meritocratic principles.
What did Davis and Moore state ?
They talked about the fact of role allocation. They argue that education allocates specific future work roles. By matching individuals’ aptitudes and abilities, schools help to match them to the jobs they are best suited to. They believe it is device for selection and role allocation. They argue that inequality is necessary so that the most important roles are filled by the most talented people.
What is the evaluation of the functionalist approach ?
Critics argue that the system does not teach specialised skills adequately. There is evidence that equal opportunity in education does not exist e.g. class backgrounds influences achievement more than ability. Marxists argue that education in a capitalist society only transmits the ideology of a minority - the ruling class. New right argue that the state does not prepare students enough for the world of work explaining why people have benefits from the state.
