functionalist theories

functionalists

believe that education equips people to perform different functional roles in society

Durkheim

beginning in preschool and kindergarten, students are taught to practice different societal roles

Durkheim said schools are socialisation agencies that teach children how to get along with others and prepare them for adult economic roles

socialisation

involves learning the rules and norms of society as a whole. schools teach students the diverse skills needed for a diverse workforce by letting students specialise e.g. for GCSE

social placement

education provides one of the major methods for upward social mobility. this function is called social placement. schools and universities help students progress towards the careers they want

secondary functions

unintended functions. you learn lots at school outside of your formal education e.g. you might notice a student you find attractive in your class that you fancy. speaking to that student and building a relationship with them teaches you the principles of courting

it can also introduce you to social networks that last after school and the ability to work with others in small groups

allocation function

to sort of classify students based on academic merit or potential. schools identify the most capable students through testing and classroom achievements. the most capable students are allocated to the most important or challenging jobs

allocation functions - functionalists

functionalists think this is fair because they think education is a meritocracy. a meritocracy is where everyone has equal opportunity and personal effort or merit determines social standing

Marxists

believe that education only benefits the ruling classes

feminism

sees education as only benefiting men

determining values

functionalists, including Durkheim and Parsons argue that education promotes the norms and values of society as a whole. Marxists claim that education only promotes the values of powerful groups

Hargreaves

argues that education promotes competition and individualism and not shared values

divisions

according to Durkheim, education promotes social solidarity. however, education can also be divisive because of the hierarchy of schools and universities, which can separate social classes

Davis and Moore

argue that education selects the most appropriate people to do particular jobs, yet other factors aside from qualifications, such as social contacts also influence the labour market