Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
The Functionalist perspective on education - Coggle Diagram
The Functionalist perspective on education
Durkheim (1903)
Social Solidarity
Individuals in a society need to feel a part of a community
The education system helps create solidarity as it transmits societies culture (beliefs and values)
School acts as 'society in miniature' - preparing children for life in wider society
Specialist skills
Durkheim argues that education teaches individuals the specialist knowledge and skills for their part in the social division of labour
Parsons (1961) : meritocracy
sees school as the 'focal socialising agency' which acts as a bridge between family and the wider world
this bridge is needed because families and societies work on different principles
This preparation is needed because schools and the wider world operate on meritocratic principles whereas the family doesn't
In a meritocracy everyone is given equal opportunity and individuals achieve rewards through their own effort and ability
Davis and Moore (1945): role allocation
They see education as a device for role allocation. Education acts as a proving ground for ability.
They argue that inequality is necessary to ensure that the most important roles are filled by the most talented people
Human Capital ( Blau and Duncan 1978) - argue that a modern economy depends on 'human capital' - its workers' skills.
They argue that a meritocratic education system does this best as it allows each person to be allocated the job best suited to them and this makes the most effective use of their talent.
Tumin (1953) - criticse Davis and Moore for their circular argument ' hoe do we know a job is important? because it is highly rewarded. why are some jobs highly rewarded? because they are important
Evaluation
The education system does not teach specialised skills as Durkheim claims
The Wolf view of vocational education (2011) claims that hi8gh quality apprenticeships are rare and a third of 16-19 year old's are on courses that do not lead to good jobs
equal opportunity does not exist in education- achievement is influenced greatly by class
Marxists criticse that education does not instill shared values of society, but instead it transmits the idea of a minority- the working class
Wrong (1961) - argues that functionalists have an 'over socialized' view and imply that all students passively accept what they are taught