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Functionalism - the role and purpose of education - Coggle Diagram
Functionalism - the role and purpose of education
Organic analogy
The organic analogy compares the
different parts of a society to the organs of a living organism.
The organism is able to
live
,
reproduce
and
function
through the organised system of its several parts and organs.
Education
- Vitally important. School teaches children what different organ they will be, and teaches what role they will have in the future (for eg the jobs they will best be suited for). They all work together as a school community -> like all the organs working together for the body to function.
Emile DURKHEIM
Identified two main functions of education:
Social Solidarity
Education transmits society’s culture
shared beliefs and values are passed from one generation to the next.
Education helps build social cohesion, and links people to their culture e.g. learning welsh in school.
Education reinforces social solidarity -> teaches us how to behave and not be selfish (secondary socialisation)
Critics
such as Gorard argue that schools are no longer concerned with social solidarity. Each school is pursuing its’ own individual success – exam results.
Specialist Skills
Education teaches you skills necessary for work -> Modern industrial economies have a complex division of labour. Durkheim argues that education teaches individuals the specialist knowledge and skills helping them play their part in the social division of labour.
Society depends upon a successful workforce who can support the growth of the economy.
In contrast,
marxists
argue that not everyone gains the same kind of skills, and that members of the proletariat are socialised to perform low paid work.
MERITOCRACY
A meritocracy is a system based on fair competition, where talent and effort decide who succeeds.
e.g. school is meritocratic because everyone is given the same opportunities to succeed – students who get the best exam grades must be the smartest and the most hard working.
Those at the bottom of education are less well suited – not as smart and potentially lazy.
functionalist questions
What is functionalism?
functionalism is a macro structural theory that believes that society works better when people have a role in what they do for the needs of society. It is based on a consensus or agreement between members.
What are the 4 A.G.I.L. schema? Please describe each.
The A.G.I.L scheme consists of four main dimensions: adaptation, goal attainment, integration, and latency. These dimensions represent the key functions that a social system must fulfill in order to maintain stability and achieve its objectives
How do internationalists criticise Parsons?
not everyone can be in a nuclear family - divorce, death, domestic violence, sexuality, medical situations, etc
According to functionalists, what governs society's actions?
In the functionalist perspective, societies are thought to function like organisms, with various social institutions working together like organs to maintain and reproduce them.
To Parsons, how is social order achieved?
Parsons argues that social order is achieved through the existence of a shared culture, a set or norms and values that are shaped by the members of a society. This provides a framework that allows individuals to cooperate by following rules that they should behave and defining the goals that they should pursue.
What analogy do functionalists use to describe society?
Organic analogy
What was Durkheim concerned with?
Rapid social change that went from a traditional, simple society to a complex modern one.
A cluster of social norms are?
Concepts such as "conventions", "customs", "morals", "mores", "rules", and "laws" have been characterized as equivalent to norms. Institutions can be considered collections or clusters of multiple norms.
How do postmodernists criticise functionalism?
postmodernists critique functionalism (as well as other structural theories like Marxism and feminism) by arguing that they can no longer explain human behaviour.
PARSONS
Parsons sees school as preparing us to move from the family to wider society because school and society are both based on meritocratic principles.
Education is a bridge-
Family is particularistic
exclusive attachment to the interests of one group, class, sect, etc, esp at the expense of the community as a whole
Society is universalistic
a person who has a wide range of interests, knowledge,
Other sociologists argue that education does not prepare us to accept societal values - many children do not conform to the expectations of school, choosing instead to join anti-school subcultures.
There can also be clashes between parents and school (link self fulfilling prophecy).
DAVIS AND MOORE
Education helps to allocate people to appropriate
job and career roles.
education helps to sift and sort
- By accessing individuals’ talents and abilities, schools help to match them to the job they are best suited to. The most talented and brightest students are encouraged to pursue jobs that are highly rewarded in society.
Role allocation requires inequality for it to be successful, not everyone can be the best.
Labelling theorists such as Becker suggest that not all students get a fair chance to prove themselves in education.
ARE FUNCTIONALISTS RIGHT?
There are some weaknesses in the functionalist views of education:
Their belief in meritocracy suggests that children who fail are not talented or do not work hard. This ignores structural inequalities that hold back certain students. This doesn't give everyone an equal opportunity in life. Plus people can do the same job in the future they may just have a different way of learning or understanding.
If education exists to pass on norms and values, who decides what these are? Do we have a choice in whether we accept this value consensus? The government creates a national curriculum that they believe is what needs to be taught and then the teachers subconsciously teach the hidden curriculum.
The belief about role allocation is a circular argument, ignoring many of the vital jobs in society done by those in low paid work.