The role of education : Functionalists Flashcards
Functionalism
Is a structural consensus theory
It deals with the structure of society based on the idea that we have shared values (value consensus)
Three functionalists
August Comte, Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons
What are the three functions that functionalists argue that education has?
Social solidarity, skills provision and role allocation
What do functionalist believe about education
Functionalists believe that education is good and plays a role in creating order within society and that having shared values and beliefs helps society to work together.
What do Marxists believe about education?
Marxists believe that education only serves the interests of upper class minority rather than the whole of society
Social solidarity - Durkheim (1903)
The idea that there are shared beliefs and values in society and education helps transmit society’s culture. Education teaches individuals the specialist knowledge and skills to perform their role and contribute to society through the economy.
Role allocation - Davis and Moore (1945)
Argued that education allocates people to the most
appropriate job for their talents, using examinations and
qualifications.
Parsons (1961)
argued that a person’s status is achieved not ascribed. Based on your own individual efforts you will progress (meritocracy).
Meritocracy
A system where your success or failure is based on merit, your hard works and efforts.
Wrong (1961) Evaluation
Functionalists wrongly imply that pupils passively accept all they are taught and never reject the school’s values.
Marxists - Evaluation
Marxists argue that the education system transmit a ruling class ideology
Equal opportunity - Evaluation
Equal opportunity in education does not exist and achievement is based around class rather than ability. Therefore, it reproduces class-based inequality.
PISA (2012)
produced research which suggests that even if society needs the education to provide skills to the workforce it does not always succeed in doing this. UK is 26th out of 65 countries in terms of the maths ability among 15 year olds and the UK is 23rd for reading and 20th in science.
