Functionalism and Education

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  • 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
      • 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
    • 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
    • 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
      • 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
    • 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

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MSeibert09

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The term Functionalism was first introduced by the early 20th century philosopher, Karl Menger. Menger argued that capitalism is itself a system, governed by its own principles. You can check https://www.essaymama.com/ and get to solve your education problems. He also argued that Capitalism and the purpose of commerce, both at the micro and macro level, is to provide people with goods and services that they need and want.

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