Functionalism and Education Cartes | Quizlet

AO1 Social Solidarity - Durkheim

Durkheim believes that education socialises people to teach them shared norms and values to maintain social solidarity.

AO2 Social Solidarity - Durkheim

School helps to maintain social solidarity through;

1. Assemblies,

2. Homework,

3. Uniform,

4. Attendance,

and more!

APPLICATION Social Solidarity - Durkheim

Assemblies are in a shared space in which community is promoted through its topic choice (e.g. remembrance ceremonies, sports awards, celebration assemblies, star of the week etc). Different age/year groups come together.

AO2 The Bridge Theory/Meritocracy - Parsons

The family helps to fix status at birth = ascribed status. Education helps students to achieve status; their future roles are determined by how hard they work at school. Education is meritocratic.

AO3 The Bridge Theory/Meritocracy - Parsons

Not all students have an equal chance of succeeding at school, consider: parental involvement, disability, social class, gender, catchment areas, etc.

AO3 Specialised Skills - Parsons

Skills are still required beyond GCSEs to 'do' these jobs. E.g. training courses, degrees.

AO2 Role Allocation - Davis and Moore

School allocates students via:

1. Awards and certificates,

2. The exam system - designed to encourage competition, individual achievement and hard work.

Strengths of the Functionalist Approach

1. New Right support their ideas and believe that meritocracy makes people responsible for their own achievement.

2. It helps people to work hard reducing the burden on the state and unemployment benefit.

AO1 The Bridge Theory/Meritocracy - Parsons

Parsons believes that school is the bridge between the family and wider society.

- Home teaches individuals particularistic standards; but school teaches universalistic standards to prepare individuals to enter the world of work.

Define Meritocracy

A system where social advancement is based on individual talent, effort, and achievements, rather than social class, wealth, or other external factors.

AO3 Meritocracy

Marxists would argue meritocracy is a myth.

AO1 Specialised Skills - Parsons

Schools teach us skills which are required for a specific future occupation so that we can play our specific role in society to maintain consensus.

AO2 Specialised Skills - Parsons

E.g. to become a nurse in school there are subjects like:

1. Maths = Reading diagnoses,

2. English = Communication skills,

3. Health and Social Care = Employee required knowledge / characteristics.

AO1 Role Allocation - Davis and Moore

Education shows us who are the best people for the best jobs and roles in society by 'sifting and sieving' those higher achievers to the top.

AO3 MARXISTS AND FEMINISTS Role Allocation - Davis and Moore

1. We aren't all given the same opportunity to succeed.

- E.g. middle/upper, white, middle aged men dominate powerful jobs/ roles in society.

2. Who determines which jobs are 'better' than others?

Criticisms of the Functionalist Approach

1. Rose tinted arguments ignore the inequalities which happen in education which can be negative for some groups with racism, sexism and m/c bias.

2. We don't always have shared norms and values as we are a multicultural society. Some cultures don't have the same views as others.

3. Education doesn't always teach us the specialised skills which we need for work.