Sociological Explanations of Education and Training.

Functionalist Explanations.

• Positive terms, benefit everyone in society and the economy.

1. Socialisation:

• Form of social control.
• Parsons (1959) agency of secondary socialisation after primary socialisation in the family.
• Integrates individuals.
• Regulates behaviour by socialising into norms and values.
• Good 'social citizens'.
• Social solidarity, social order and stability is achieved.

2. Role Allocation:

• Davis and Moore (1945) allocation/selection role by matching student on talents and abilites to jobs they suit best.
• Meritocratic as based mainly on exam results.
• Opportunities for social mobility where inequality is thought to be inevitable but functional.

3. Vocational Training:

• Schultz (1961) transferring of vocational skills.
• Provide highly trained, flexible and skilled workers with ability to use modern production technology in a globalised economy.
• Facilitates economic growth.
• Stress benefits of new vocational education trainig initiatives, students learn job specific knowledge/skills.
• e.g. Apprenticeships, offer paid employment and training with an employer to gain recognised qualifications.
• Apprencticeships and BTECs offer opportunities for non-academics.

Evaluation - Weaknesses.

1. Functionalist views on socialisation can be questioned, too readily assume value consensus. Marxists argue the norms and values are ruling class ideologies.

2. Functionalist views on role allocation open to doubt, questionable whether educational succes and occupational selection is based on meritocracy. Social class should be important, e.g. 'Old School Tie' Network.

3. Functionalist views on vocational training can be challenged, ignore the problem of deskilling as work skills quickly become out of date. The Wolf Review (2011) questions VTR as it claims high quality apprenticeships are rare.

4. Vital to contrast with other explanations, e.g. Marxists dispute the claim that education has a major training role, rather they stress the way in which vocational trainingserves to reproduce the class structure.

5. Contrast one function against another, e.g. Functionalists argue that the education system not only functions for the good of society by performing socialisation role but also a role allocation role.

Marxist Explanations.

• Negative terms, benefit ruling minority and a…