Functionalist perspective on education

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  • Functionalist Perspective on education
    • overview:
      • See society as a system made up of interrelated parts, working together to maintain society as a whole.
      • Their view of education tends to be on the positive contributions it makes to the maintenance of the social system.
    • Durkheim (1858 - 1917)
      • provides social solidarity
      • prepares young people to act in terms of society's rules
      • teaches the skills and roles needed for occupational roles
        • The division of labour: specialised jobs which require specific skills and knowledge
      • saw school as society in miniature, interaction with others under a set of rules that are fixed
    • Parsons (1951)
      • after primary socialisation, school takes over as the main socialising agency. preparing children for their adult role (secondary socialisation)
      • establishes universalistic standards in terms of which all students achieve their statues, measured through exams for all students regardless of gender, age or class of origin.
        • Schools operate on meritocratic principles.
      • Role of allocation through testing and examination, to allocate people to roles which best suit their aptitudes and capabilities
    • Davis and Moore
      • the education system is a way of sifting and selecting people for different levels of the job market.
      • the talented and gifted get the most important jobs and that education is a race for success.

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