Functionalist view on Education

Functionalist belief

They beleive that the socialisation and value consensus in schools are essential parts of social order, and therefore the education system is an important part of wider social system.

Social solidarity and specialist skills - Durkheim

• society’s role in society is to create social solidarity by teaching shared history and culture, acting as society in miniture

• Also believes education gives individuals specialist skills that contributes to the different roles that individuals later attain in life, ensuring smooth function of economy

Social solidarity and specialist skills - AO3, Wolf

Argues expansion of vocational courses (career focused educational programs_ haven’t lead to better economic growth, becasue skills don’t lead to hgih quality jobs.

→marxists such as Althusser argue that schools don’t create solidarity but produce ‘false class consciousness’ ( failure to realise exploitation and accepts status quo as normal) by teaching studetns to accept their place in capitalist hierachy - e.g students are taught obedience, respect for authority so don’t challenge system and creates capitalist class relations + in schools those who achieve high grades = harworking/talented, so in society if they do not succeed, blames themselves instead of recognising factors such as wealth, background, connections can affect success.

this suggests that Durhein’s ciew is overly romanticised and ignores conflict between social classes

meritocracy and universalistic standards - Parsons

School is focal socialising agency, a bridge between the Family and society - helps transition from particularistic values (personal ones0 to universalistic values (ones that apply to everyone)

• beleives education is meritocracy where status is achieved through ability rather than ascription, ensuring most talentsed reach top positions

meritocracy and universalistic standards - AO3, Bourdieu

argues Merit is myth becaue system is rigged in favour of middle class who possess cultural capital → data from sutton trust (2023) found studtens form private schools are over represented in top unis, and preofession compared to state -school students with same grades. → ascribed status is more important than achieved status.

Role allocation davis and Moore

Thinks that most importnat jobs must be filled by most talented people - education sifts and sorts students according to abilities → high rewards are offered to most difficult positions to encourgae competition so most capable individual have them

Role allocation Tumin AO3

Davis and more fail to prove some jobs are more important thatn others - nurse saves lives, but paid less than a hedge fund manager. SHown by 2023 UK Nurses and Junior doctors strike → campaigning for chagnes to low pay that did not rise with inflation and long hours → nurses worked, doctors didn’t.If pay is meant to sift and sort talent, then low pay of life - saving medical staff would be based on power rather than true functional importance.