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Functionalism on education - Coggle Diagram
Functionalism on education
Davis and Moore (1945)
Role allocation
principle of stratification
sifts and sorts people into occupations according to their abilities/talents
through exams and tiered qualifications
They believe that there has to be a system of unequal rewards (more money & status) to motivate people to train for the top position
Meritocracy
Education is meritocratic - provides an equal chance for all to achieve good qualifications
The most talented and hardworking gains high qualifications
In most cases, the degree of skill required for a job determines that job's importance
jobs such as banker, doctor
Increases competitions
With highest salaries & power
Parsons (1961)
Bridge between home and school
Home - children are judged by particularistic standards
Standards differ between children
ascribed status
School - children are judged by universalistic standards
The same standards are applied equally to all
achieved status -
views education as a focal socialising agency that provides transition between primary & secondary socialisation
Meritocracy - the status of an individual is achieved through effort
Durkheim (1903)
social solidarity
Education transmits the society's norms and values from older generations to the younger generation
History & English links children with the cultural identity of their social group
Children see themselves as part of a bigger picture and learn to cooperate with tother
"society in miniature"
children interact with each other on basis of a fixed set of rules
e.g. punctuality, respect, order
teaching specialist skills for work
graduates earns human capital
graduates are sorted into the correct job within the complex division of labour
Learn to cooperate to produce items
Overall Criticisms
Durkheim
only transmits the dominant culture of the ruling class, rather than the interests of the society
Ignores that some pupils openly reject school values
Teach proletariat children to be passive and submit to authority, making them easier to exploit later in life
Parsons
Over socialised view of people as puppet - pupils passively accept what they are taught and never resists
Assumes that education is meritocratic, ignoring inequalities tied to social class, gender and ethnicity that leads to unequal opportunities
Ignores the diversity of family forms - assumes the family works in isolation ignoring the role of other institutions in allowing primary socialisation to occur in the first place
Davis and Moore
Ignores research that achievement is closely tied to class, gender and race
Weak connection between educational qualifications and income
Stratification actually undermines stability within societies because of unequal opportunities, disproportionate power conferred on elites, and the institutionalisation of social distance between different members of society
Intro
Tend to emphasis the positive functions of education
e.g. maintain social solidarity
wants to keep the education system as it is
Consensus theory - harmonious society
Social solidarity - society requires shared norms and values in order for it function properly
conservative view - wants to keep
Positive evaluations
Schools reinforce the norms of the society, trying to create solidarity
Education routinely teaches universalistic values (allowing time for pupils to digest these values)
Educational qualifications provides support for future work experiences (more work focused education system)
those with degrees earn 85% more than those without