Education Topic 10 - The functionalist Approach to education

The functionalist view:

1. Education builds social solidarity

Education passes on key values (this is called the functional prerequisite)

Happens through the:

• Hidden Curriculum

• The actual curriculum - This acts as glue to bind people as one - Builds social solidarity (keeps people as one in society)

2. Developing a Qualified Labour Force

• £88bn is spent on education every year. Schultz (1971) said that this is huge investment in human capital (skills of humans in the future) is worth it because it creates a solid workforce for later

• Allows for lots of skills to be learned fr a wide range of jobs; this is the division of labour.

• Prepares for later society

3. Providing a bridge between the family and society

• Schools are like mini societies (e.g. people responsibilities in schools in training for ones in life)

• School provides "secondary socialisation"

• School is the bridge between the…