Functionalism and Education
- Created by: bex77
- Created on: 23-02-21 12:59
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- Functionalism & Education
- Durkheim
- Social Solidarity
- Education system transmits society's culture from 1 generation to the next
- Without this, social life would be impossible as people would follow their own selfish desires
- E.G teaching history gives children a sense of common identity
- Education system transmits society's culture from 1 generation to the next
- Mini Society/ Society in Miniature
- School acts as a small scale version of society as a whole
- This prepares young people for life in the wider adult society
- E.G communication, cooperation, dress code, hierarchy, respecting authority, time keeping
- School acts as a small scale version of society as a whole
- Social Solidarity
- Parsons
- School is the 'bridge' between family and society
- This is needed because family and society operate on different principles, so children need to learn a new way of living in order to cope in the outside world
- Children's status in the family is ascribed and judged on particularistic values
- Society is meritocratic and based on universalistic values
- School prepares us for society as they use universalistic values based on meritocratic principles
- E.G sanctions and rewards apply to everyone, need to put work in to get good grades
- School is the 'bridge' between family and society
- Davis and Moore
- Agree with Parsons but also see education as a device for 'role allocation'
- People are 'sifted and sorted' into the hierarchy in society
- Access to jobs and wealth is based on exam results
- People are 'sifted and sorted' into the hierarchy in society
- There is equality of educational opportunities as everyone has an equal chance for success. Inequalities in society are therefore legitimised
- Inequality is necessary to ensure that the most important roles in society are filled by the most talented people, e.g. not everyone can be a surgeon
- Not everyone is equally talented so society has to offer higher rewards for these jobs. This will encourage everyone to compete for them and society will select the most talented
- Agree with Parsons but also see education as a device for 'role allocation'
- Shultz
- Theory of human capital- the knowledge and skills a workforce has that increases its value and usefulness to employers
- High levels of spending on education and training is justified as it is necessary for a successful economy
- This is developed through education so that people are properly trained for a wide range of jobs required for the specialised division of labour in a modern economy
- Education prepares the labour force and ensures the most qualified people get the jobs with the greatest skills and responsibilities
- This is developed through education so that people are properly trained for a wide range of jobs required for the specialised division of labour in a modern economy
- Durkheim
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