main view of functionalism

name all functionalists and there subject

Durkheim - specialist skills, social solidarity

Davis and Moore - role allocation

Parsons - Meritocracy, socialisation

overall view for functionalism

• society is interrelated

• organic analogy

• every institution carry out an important role which helps society run smoothly

• issue in an institution can cause a dysfunctional society

main points for Durkheim - specialist skills

• industrial economies have complex division of labour which need different specialist for production

• ed teaches these skills for the workforce

main points for Durkheim - social solidarity

• where individuals feel a sense of community amongst one another

• without social solidarity each individual will pursue their own social desires

• ed does this by sharing beliefs and values from on gen to the next

• ex. history

parsons - socialising agency and meritocracy

• school prepares students to move from the family to wider society as they are both based on meritocratic principles

• bridge between the family and wider society

• bridge helps differentiate principles to help children cope with society

• particularistic standards and universalistic standards

• ascribed and achieved status

• ex. exams and pass marks are all the same for everyone

main points for Davis & Moore - role allocation

• view education as a ‘device for selection and role allocation’

• schools allocate students to their future work roles

• done through assessing individuals abilities and match them to what they are best suited to

• inequality is necessary to ensure that the most important roles in society are filled by the most capable

• higher rewards of job encourages competition for it

• ‘education acts as a proving ground’

• sifts and sorts according to ability

criticism

• functionalist see ed as an institution which instils shared values of society, Marxist disagree and say that ed transmits ideology of the ruling class

• new right and neoliberals say ed fails to prepare pupils for work

• Wrong - over-socialised view of people, imply that students passively accept they are taught as if they were mere puppets