EDUCATION - FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE OF EDUCATION

Functionalists believe that society work together like the human body, each institution works together too, what is this called?

Organic analogy

Durkheim sates that, society needs to develop a sense of what?

Social solidarity

What does social solidarity mean?

People need to co-exist so have to learn how to get along along each other (rose tinted view that everyone gets along)

Durkheim states that people in society should be encouraged to follow roles which is known as?

Moral regulation

What does moral regulation stem from?

Primary socialization

What does Durkheim argue would happen without social solidarity?

Each individual would pursue their own selfish desires

How does education create a sense of social solidarity?

Transmits culture, shared beliefs and values down generations

What type of socialization is education?

Secondary socialization

Durkheim argues teaching history instill shared heritage, what is this?

British values

What does school act as?

A miniature society - preparing us for life in wider society

How is school and work the same? What skills do you learn?

Both have to cooperate with people, interact with others, consequences for broken rules, take responsibility for actions, learn how to solve disagreements, shaping identity

How does Durkheim link education and specialist skills?

A complex division of labour promote social solidarity ad it requires each person to have the necessary specialist knowledge and skills to perform their roles

What does Parson say education is a bridge for?

Education acts as the bridge between the family and wider society

Why does a bridge need to be build between family and wider society?

In your family you may be seen as amazing and treated well but in society everyone is the same (not special)

What are some skills people learn in education?

Politeness, time management, meeting deadlines, obeying orders, teamwork, problem solving, communication, punctuality

In family, status is ascribed, how is this different to education?

School judges by the same standards (all students sit the same exams with the same pass mark)

Why would a "child's status being ascribed" be an unreliable argument?

Argues that this guy is outdated as there are less stereotypes in society (no longer based on age or gender)

So in school and wider society, how is status gained?

Status is achieved and not ascribed

Parsons believes in meritocracy, what does this mean?

If you try hard, you will achieve and you will be rewarded (everyone has the same equal chance)

How can meritocracy be argued against in terms of different professions?

Salaries (HR manager - £50K whereas Paramedic - £28K)

What is a real world example of how education does not determine success?

Some very successful people leave school at 16 with no qualifications, such as Jeremy Clarkson, Lord Sugar, Cameron Diaz (this goes against the idea of meritocracy)

Functionalists argue schools select pupils to their future roles, how do they do this?

Assessing individuals attitudes and abilities, to match them to they job they are best suited to

What does Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore argue is necessary in society?

Inequality - this ensure that the most important roles in society are filled by the most important people (it would be dangerous for some unskilled to be a pilot or a doctor)

Not everyone is equally talented, so what does this create for the most talented people?

Competition for the most talented people to fill these jobs

What is human capital?

The skills and knowledge gained by a worker through education

How does a meritocratic system help the economy?

It best enables each person to be allocated to the best job suited to their abilities, which makes the most effective use of their talents and maximizes productivity

What is human capital?

The workers skills

So in terms of role allocation, what does this mean for higher grade students?

The higher grad qualifications the better your job will be

For an evaluation the functionalists perspective, what does the education system not teach?

Not teach specialist skills as well as Durkheim claims

What does specialist skill class as?

Life skills - taxes, mortgages, how to manage a family, interview skills

What is Tumin’s criticism of role allocation (Davis and Moore)?

It is circular argument - why is a job important? As it highly rewarded? Why are they highly rewarded? Because there are important?

Why do functionalists see education is compared to Marxist?

Functionalists - a process that instills shared values of society

Marxists - transmits the ideology of the ruling class

Do functionalists believe everyone follows the schools rules?

Yes - this is not the case as students have free will (rose tinted glasses)

What do the new right believe education does?

Prepares people for work