1.1 Functionalist perspective on Education

Some of the general beliefs of Functionalism

• Society is made of interdependent institutions such as education, politics, family and economy.

• Shared values, social stability and consensus and order

• Social institutions that no longer serve a purpose will die. Institutions adapt to counterbalance dysfunction in the system

The 4 S’s of the purpose of education according to functionalists (and the creators)

• Social solidarity (Durkheim)

• Specialist skills (Durkheim)

• Secondary socialism (Parsons)

• Sifting and sorting/role allocation (Davis and Moore

Social Solidarity

• The idea that educations instils a sense of togetherness and belonging. Gives children a sense of heritage by teaching them norms and values

• Creates a link between the young individual and the wider society

• Examples include assemblies, uniforms and teaching national history

Criticisms of Social Solidarity

• The education system is ethnocentric as the academic calendar is set around Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter

• Durkheim assumes the norms and values promoted by schools and those of society as a whole and not powerful groups

Specialist Skills

• As well as learning shared values, students would learn different things depending on their likely future job

• For example, GCSEs, A levels, apprenticeships

• Durkheim believed that the industrial industry is based on the interdependence of specialised skills

Criticisms of Specialist Skills

• Barriers like money, location and limited resources make education less accessible to groups like the working class

• Around half of university graduates won’t find a job in their chosen industry

Hargreaves’ opinions on education

• Believed schools failed to transmit shared values

• Instead, British education emphasises individual competition through the exam system

Secondary Socialisation

• The idea that school teaches norms, values and attitudes of society after primary socialisation at home

• This includes the teaching of universalistic standards instead of particularistic standards, introducing meritocracy

• Schools teach that status is achieved, not ascribed

Criticism of Secondary Socialisation

• Parsons fails to consider the diversity of values in modern society

• It is believed middle classes have more opportunities and resources to succeed.

• Marxists believe in the “myth of meritocracy”

Sifting and sorting (Role Allocation)

• The idea that education sorts students into their future roles based on ability. The most talented people get the most important jobs

• Everybody has equal opportunity to do well and those who succeed deserve coming out ahead.

• Testing and evaluating sifts and sorts students into a variety of jobs

Criticism of Role Allocation

• Tumin says that class status also affects an individual’s success due to discrimination and bias

Dennis Wrong’s view on functionalism

• Argued that functionalists have an over-socialised view of people as mere puppets of society

• Thought that Functionalists wrongly implied students passively accept all they are taught and never reject the school’s values

Bowles and Gintis’ view on the functionalist view of education

• They reject the idea that capitalist societies are meritocratic

• Believe children of the wealthy obtain high qualifications irrespective of their abilities

• The myth of meritocracy - it is made to seem fair

Criticisms of the functionalist view on education

• Outdated as people can have more than one job

• “Essential skills” are constantly changing as society evolves

• Functionalists assume the same norms and values are shared through all of society

• Britain is now considered multicultural, therefore it is debatable whether there is a single culture for “social solidarity” to be possible

Value consensus

• Society has the same norms and values

Ethnocentric

• School is centered around one ethnicity/culture

Particularistic standards

• Standards set at home through family, depending on their norms and values

• Children’s experiences vary

Universalistic standards

• There is a standard for everyone.

• Meritocracy says that everybody has the opportunity to succeed

• Parsons believed one of the roles of education was to present this to young people

Meritocratic principles

• The idea that success is earned and people who achieve high deserve to succeed because everyone is given the same opportunity

• Functionalists see the school system and the workplace as meritocratic

Primary socialisation vs secondary socialisation

• Socialisation through the institution of home and family

• Socialisation through the institution of education to prepare for the workplace