Functionalist View

Overview

• Society is a system of interdependent parts held together by a shared culture

• Each part helps to maintain society

Durkheim: solidarity and skills

• Identified two main functions of education - creating social solidarity + teaching specialist skills ( creates norms and values which equips you for life )

• Society needs a sense of solidarity - individuals must be part of a single ‘body’

• Without social solidarity life would be impossible - people pursue own selfish desires

Education creating social solidarity

• Transmits society’s culture (beliefs and values) from one generation to next

• Durkheim argue teaching of a country’s history instils a sense of shared heritage

• School acts as ‘society in miniature’ - prepares us for life in wider society

• In both school and work we have to interact with eachother - according to set of impersonal rules that apply to everyone

• Education teaches the specialist knowledge and skills needed to play part in social division of labour

Parsons - Meritocracy

• Sees the school as a ‘focal socialising agency’ - acting as a bridge between family and wider society

• In society, same laws apply to everyone - in school, everyone is judged by same standards ( sit same exam)

• In school and wider society, status is achieved - at school we pass or fail depending on our efforts

• Sees school as preparing us to move from family to wider society - both based of meritocratic principles

• Everyone is given an equal opportunity - individuals achieve rewards through their own effort

• School is a bridge between family and wider world

David and Moore: 1945 Role Allocation

• Parsons also argues school selects and allocates pupils to future work roles

• Schools help match them to the job best suited to

• Davis and Moore - see education as a device for selection and role allocation

• Inequality is necessary - ensures most important roles are filled by most talented

• Not everyone is equally talented - society has to offer higher rewards for these jobs

• Encourage everyone to compete for them - society can select most talented people