functionalist views on education

Question 1

bridge

Answer 1

Parsons and Durkehim argue that school acts as a bridge between life within the family and society as a whole.

Question 2

universalistic standards

Answer 2

standards that apply to everyone

how an individual is judged in life, correlating to their achieved status

Question 3

particularistic standards

Answer 3

standards which apply to particular people

how an individual is judged within the family, correlating to their ascribed status.

Question 4

norms

Answer 4

what is considered normal by a certain culture, unwritten rules

Question 5

values

Answer 5

a culture’s way of discerning right from wrong

Question 6

ascribed status

Answer 6

the status given at birth or assumed involuntary later in life

Question 7

achieved status

Answer 7

a status which is obtained through one’s hard work

Question 8

socialisation funtion

Answer 8

functionalists such as Durkheim saw schools’ function of secondary socialisation is a way of creating social solidarity.

Question 9

meritocracy

Answer 9

• A system in which people are rewarded proportionally for the amount of work they do
• Functionalists argue schools are meritocratic as they offer everyone an equal opportunity and instill the value of achievement
• Parsons argues that meritocracy instills the two main values and prepares children for the transition into universalistic standards.

Question 10

economic function

Answer 10

the economic function of schools is to create a workforce with specialised skills and ensure people are allocated to the correct roles, according to Durkheim and Davis and Moore

Question 11

society in miniature

Answer 11

Durkheim saw schools as a model of the social system as individuals interact in terms of a fixed set of rules

Question 12

equality of opportunity

Answer 12

• A system in which everyone’s chance of success is equal
• Parsons argues that this is one of two main values that are taught in schools

Question 13

integration

Answer 13

when different cultures come together to form one

Question 14

social solidarity

Answer 14

• Durkheim believed that the main function of schools was to create social solidarity, instilling a sense of commitment to the social group through learning history
• learning history creates a link between the individual and society by bringing the history of their society to life.

Question 15

role allocation

Answer 15

• A system of allocating roles which best suit people’s attitudes and capabilities
• School is seen by functionalists as the major role-allocating system as it is based on meritocracy and exam grades prove an individual’s capability

Question 16

value consensus

Answer 16

an agreement on the main values of society

Question 17

hierarchy

Answer 17

an unfair system in which a ruling minority have the advantage

Question 18

proselytising

Answer 18

attempts to religiously convert an individual

Question 19

multicultural society

Answer 19

a society which contains many individuals from different cultures to each other

Question 20

social stratification (Davis and Moore)

Answer 20

• Davis and Moore argue that social stratification ensures that the most talented rise to the positions that are most functionally important to society.
• they argue school is important as it is the proving ground for ability
• they also argue that people are incentivised to work towards this through high rewards.

Question 21

specialised division of labour

Answer 21

a labour force with a large number of specialised occupations

this relies on schools in industrial societies, while in pre-industrial society, it relies on parents pasing down skills to children

Question 22

criticisms of Durkheim’s views:

Answer 22

• assumes societies have a shared culture that can be passed on (in multicultural societies this is prominent)
• marxists argue that the education system beneifts the ruling class more than society as a whole.
• some researchers argue school encourages individual competition rather than solidarity and co operation.

Question 23

criticisms of Parsons:

Answer 23

• fails to consider that the values passed on by the education system might benefit a ruling minority
• his view that schools operate on meritocracy is debatable

Question 24

criticisms of Davis and Moore:

Answer 24

• the relationship between occupational reward and academic achievement isn’t very close
• the claim that the education system grades people in terms of ability is doubtable.
• there is evidence that suggests social stratification prevents the education system from grading people according to ability.

Question 25

Blau and Duncan: human capital

Answer 25

• our modern life and economy depends on ‘human capital’ for prosperity.
• human capital = the skills of a worker.
• in a meritocratic system, national prosperity can only be achieved when people’s talents are used effectively.
• the education system enables this, benefitting the economy and the individual. (because it sorts people’s strengths meritocratically through assessment)