Education - Role and functions

Who are some key functionalist in education?

Who are some key functionalist in education?

• Durkheim

• Parsons

• Davis and Moore

What did Durkheim say the role of education was (functionalist)

• Creates social solidarity

• Teaches specialist skills

What did Parsons say the role of education was (functionalist)

Socialising agency between family and wider society.

What did Davis and Moore say the role of education was (functionalist)

Role allocation - education allocates pupils to their future work.

What are functionalists view on education?

Education has a positive role on society.

What are some positive evaluations of the functionalist view on education?

• Education passes on society’s shared values and culture.

• Provides a bridge between particularistic values ascribed status of the family to the universal rules and achieved status of society.

• Creates a trained, qualified work force.

• Education is meritocratic.

What are some negative evaluations of the functionalist view on education?

• Ignores inequalities of power in society. The ruling class imposes their culture onto everyone else.

• Weak link between education and pay/ job status, many occupational skills are learnt on the job.

• Meritocracy is a myth. Middle class people work less hard and still do better.

What is the new right?

a conservative political view that incorporates neoliberal economic ideas.

Tell me about the New rights idea for education

The new right believes an unregulated free market encourages competition and choice which drives standards up. They argue the state should privatise state run businesses like: education, health and welfare.

Name 3 similarities between functionalism and New right?

1. Both believe schools should be run on open competition and meritocracy.

2. Both think education should meet the needs of the economy by preping pupils for work.

3. Both argue some people are naturally more talented than others.

State two differences new right has to functionalism.

1. New right believes education is not meeting the needs of the economy by prepping pupils for work.

2. New right doesn’t believe students are successfully socialised into shared “british” values.

New right believes education is failing to meet certain goals - How and why?

a) State education uses a ‘one size fits all approach’, disregarding local needs.

b) Consumers (parents, pupils) have little say. Therefore state school is unresponsive and inefficient.

c) schools waste money or get poor results and aren’t answerable to consumers.

When education fails to meet certain goals the new right believe what?

There is a lower standard of achievement, a less qualified workforce and a less prosperous economy.

What do the new right think the solution is to education failing to meet certain goals?

Marketisation - we should create an education market. competition between schools empowers consumers, brining a greater standard of choice, diversity and efficiency.

Who were Chubb and Moe (1990)

Chubb and Moe were sociologists who believed that the education system (U.S) had failed.

How did Chubb and Moe believe the U.S education system had failed?

They argued it did not adequately serve disadvantaged groups, failed to equip students with necessary skills for the economy, and that private schools perform better due to consumer accountability.