Functionalism

What are the three central roles of the education system, according to key theoretical perspectives?

• Formal socialisation

• Social Selection

• Skills

What is Formal Socialisation?

Refers to the way the education system is an official agent that teaches pupils the norms and values of society. This can be done explicitly, through the formal curriculum or implicitly through the informal or hidden curriculum

What is Social Selection?

Refers to the way a person is chosen to perform a particular social role or job in society, through their performance in the education system. A persons capability to perform a particular role is indicated through their qualifications

What are Skills?

Refers to the passing of particular talents and abilities which enable the younger generation to fit into the employment sector

Introduction - What is Functionalism based on?

The view that society is a system of interdependent parts

Introduction - What are the interdependent parts held together by?

A shared culture or value consensus

Introduction - What is a value consensus?

An agreement among society’s members about what values are important

Introduction - What do parts of society, such as the family and education system perform?

Particular functions

Introduction - What do these particular functions do?

Help to maintain society as a whole

Introduction - Parts of society perform vital functions to maintain society, what is this similar to?

The way each of our different organs have specific tasks to perform to maintain the overall health of the body

Introduction - When comparing the functions of parts of our society to the body, what do Functionalists call this?

The organic body analogy

Introduction - When studying education, what do Functionalists seek to discover?

• What functions it performs

• How it benefits society

What do Functionalists argue there are in the education system?

3 central roles

What are the 3 central roles of the education system, according to Functionalists?

• Formal Socialisation

• Social Selection

• Skills

Formal Socialisation - What is Formal Socialisation?

Refers to the way the education system is an official agent that teaches pupils the norms and values of society. Functionalists argue the norms and values which get passed on are those that are shared within society, reflecting a value consensus

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - Who is associated with the idea of Social Solidarity?

Durkheim

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - What is Durkheim the founder of?

The Functionalist sociology

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - What does Durkheim argue the main function of education is, through socialisation?

The creation of social solidarity

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - What do we learn in education that creates a sense of togetherness?

• Working in groups - collaboration

• Shared norms and values

• Assemblies - silence

• Wearing the same uniform

• Exam season / stress - meritocracy and equal opportunities

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - What does Durkheim argue that society needs?

A sense of solidarity, or togetherness

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - What is a sense of solidarity, or togetherness?

Individuals must feel they are part of a single body or community

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - What does Durkheim argue would happen without social solidarity?

Cooperation would be impossible

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - Why would cooperation be impossible?

Because each individual would pursue his or her own self desires, with little regard for wider society

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - What does the education system help to create?

Social solidarity

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - How does the education system help to create social solidarity?

By transmitting society’s culture from one generation to the next

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - What is society’s culture?

It’s shared beliefs and values

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - How does the education system transmit society’s culture?

In 2 ways

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - What are the 2 ways the education system transmits society’s culture?

• Through the formal curriculum

• Through the informal curriculum

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - How does the formal curriculum transmit society’s culture?

• History - shared sense of identity and nationality. Understanding of national culture

• Basic communication skills through group work, new seating plans with different people

• Respect - when doing group work

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - How does the informal curriculum transmit society’s culture?

• Singing a national anthem - value consensus

• Wearing a uniform

• Preparation for working life - acceptance of authority from someone higher up than you, being punctual and obedient

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - To summarise, what does Durkheim argue schools teach students?

To be good citizens

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - What does being a good citizen entail?

Healthy respect for authority, patriotic values and a set of appropriate social skills

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - Therefore, what do schools act as?

Society in miniature, preparing us for life in wider society

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - Schools act as society in miniature, what else is this known as?

Microcosm

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - Evaluation - Marxist Althusser - Why does Althusser criticise Durkheim?

He states that education does not transmit societies culture for the good of people, but for the benefit of capitalism

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - Evaluation - Marxist Althusser - What is the education system an important part of?

The ISA

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - Evaluation - Marxist Althusser - With the education system being an important part of the ISA, what is the role of the education system?

To ideologically control or brainwash students into capitalist norms and values

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - Evaluation - Marxist Althusser - By controlling and brainwashing students into capitalist norms and values, what does this make the conform to?

Inequality in society

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - Evaluation - Feminist Heaton and Lawson - What do Heaton and Lawson argue about what is taught at schools?

That it reinforces gender inequalities of society

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - Evaluation - Feminist Heaton and Lawson - Is reinforcing gender inequalities a good or bad thing?

A bad thing

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - Evaluation - Feminist Heaton and Lawson - What is an example of the things being taught at schools that reinforce gender inequalities?

Teaching boys and girls different things through the patriarchal curriculum : girls doing food tech while boys do engineering.

Formal Socialisation - Social Solidarity - Evaluation - Feminist Heaton and Lawson - By teaching boys and girls different things, what does this reinforce?

Gender bias norms and ideas, not shared ones

FORMAL SOCIALISATION DURKHEIM FINISHED

FORMAL SOCIALISATION DURKHEIM FINISHED

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - What does Parsons draw on?

Many of Durkeheim’s ideas

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - How does Parsons see the school?

As the focal socialising agency in modern society

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - What does the school act as?

A bridge between the family and wider society

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Why is the bridge needed?

Because family and society operate on different principles, so children need to learn s new way of living

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Why do children need to learn a new way of living?

If they are to cope with the wider world

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Along the bridge, what do children learn?

The social skills of punctuality and friendship

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - What do children learn about success in education, and in life?

Success comes from applying one’s talents

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - How are social skills taught?

Through what Parsons regards as the hidden curriculum

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - What is the Hidden Curriculum?

Refers to the norms, values and ideas a student is taught indirectly. For example, students don’t have a timetabled lesson / exam in punctuality or cooperation, but they’re taught these values through their time in education

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - In the family, what is a child judged by?

Particularistic values

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - How do particularistic values differ?

From one family to another, setting different standards of behaviour

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - How are particularistic values constructed?

Socially via place and family

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Examples of particularistic values

They are of personal preference

• Shoes off in the home

• Boys curfew in comparison to girls

• What you wear

• What you eat

• Bed time /screen time

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - By contrast, what are wider society and the school judged by?

Universalistic values

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Who do universalistic values apply to?

Everyone within society

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - What do universalistic values set?

Standards of behaviour for all

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Examples of universalistic values

• Manners - thanking the bus driver

• Same sanctions and rewards for all

• Silence in assemblies

• Waiting for your turn to speak

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Within the family, what status do you have?

Ascribed

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - What is an ascribed status?

Given, fixed at birth

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Example of ascribed status

• Mum

• Dad

• Sister

• Brother

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Although people have ascribed status, what is a persons status largely?

Achieved

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - What idea is crucial that members of society are socialised into?

That status is largely achieved not ascribed

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Example of achieved status

• Your job

• Being a graduate

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - How does Parsons see schools?

As preparing us to move from the family to wider society

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Why does society prepare us from moving from the family to wider society?

Because school and society are both based on meritocratic principles

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - In a meritocracy, what is everyone given?

An equal opportunity

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - In a meritocracy, how do individuals achieve rewards?

Through their own effort and ability

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - In a meritocracy, what is success based on?

A person’s merit alone, rather than other social factors

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - In a meritocracy, what is achievement?

A result of the individuals talent, hard work and effort

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Evaluation - Marxist Bowles And Gintis - Why do Bowles and Gintis criticise Parsons?

They believe the hidden curriculum’s role is to socialise students into capitalist values of society

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Evaluation - Marxist Bowles And Gintis - How does the hidden curriculum socialise students into capitalist values?

Students learn to be submissive to hierarchy, to do hard work, accept low pay and to be obedient workers

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Evaluation - Marxist Bowles And Gintis - What do Bowles and Gintis believe school’s have?

Specific parallels to the workplace

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Evaluation - Marxist Bowles And Gintis - If schools have parallels to the workplace, what does this contrast?

The idea that the school acts as a bridge

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Evaluation - Feminist - What do feminists not believe?

Schools are meritocratic

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Evaluation - Marxist / Radical Feminist - How do they believe the organisation of an education system and daily school life is?

Structured to favour men

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Evaluation - Marxist / Radical Feminist - With the education system and daily school life structured to favour men, what does this reinforce?

Patriarchal control

Focal Socialising Agency - Parsons - Evaluation - Marxist / Radical Feminist - How is the organisation of the education system and daily school life structured to favour men?

Indirectly through the informal curriculum. In a number of ways including space, power and attitudes

FOCAL SOCIALISING AGENCY PARSONS FINISHED

FOCAL SOCIALISING AGENCY PARSONS FINISHED

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - What is social selection?

Refers to the way a person is chosen to perform a particular social role or job in society, through their performance in the education system. Functionalists argue individuals are selected for a role based upon personal talent, effort and success

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - What determines what job you get?

Meritocracy

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - How do Davis and Moore see education?

As a device for selection and role allocation

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - What do Davis and Moore focus on?

The relationships between education and social inequality

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - What do Davis and Moore argue is necessary?

Inequality

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - What job shows that inequality is necessary?

Binmen. It is a low skilled job, however it is necessary for society

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - Why is inequality necessary?

To ensure that the most important roles in society are filled by the most talented people

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - What is an example that shows the most important roles in society need to be filed by the most talented?

It would be inefficient and dangerous to have less able people performing a role such as a surgeon or airline pilot

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - What is everyone not?

Equally talented

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - Because there is an inequality of talent, what does society have to offer?

Higher rewards for these jobs

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - With higher rewards for jobs, what does this encourage?

Everyone to compete for them and society can select the most talented individuals to fill these positions

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - What do education and wider society reflect?

Values around competition and a survival of the fittest approach

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - How does education play a key part in this process?

It is where individuals show what they can do

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - What does education do?

Sifts and sorts us according to our ability

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - What do the most able students gain?

Highest qualifications

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - What do the highest qualifications give entry to?

The most important positions. But first the best universities

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - When people who gain low or no qualifications, what can they enter?

Less important and unrewarded positions

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - How does the education system sift and sort pupils today?

• Setting - A group different according to ability - entry into higher papers which determine your A levels and the Univeristy you go to

• Stream - the same group for all subjects

Social Selection - Role Allocation And The Neutral Filter Davis And Moore - What is the filter?

Neutral