Education - Functionalist Perspectives

Question 1

SOCIOLOGIST: What 2 functions did Durkheim say education provides?

Answer 1

Social solidarity
Specialist skills

Question 2

What is social solidarity & how does education help create it?

Answer 2

A sense of community
Education adopts society’s culture (e.g. teaching British values instils a shared sense of heritage & commitment to British society)
School acts as a ‘society in miniature’ - prepares for wider society

Question 3

What are specialist skills & why does this make it important that schools teach them?

Answer 3

There is a complex division of labour in society which means each person needs to have specialist knowledge & skills to effectively perform their role
Schools teach this specialist knowledge which helps us play our part in society (VERY IMPORTANT)

Question 4

SOCIOLOGIST: What did Parsons say the function of education was?

Answer 4

Meritocracy
Drew on Durkheim’s idea & suggested that education performs an important role in terms of establishing value consensus
Said school helps society be meritocratic

Question 5

What is Meritocracy?

Answer 5

A society whereby jobs & pay are allocated based on an individual’s talent & achievements rather than social status
E.g. being intelligent & working hard in school =good results & high paid job

Question 6

SOCIOLOGIST: What did Davis & Moore speak about regarding education?

Answer 6

Argues schools perform the function of selecting & allocating pupils to their future work roles by assessing their attitudes & abilities & matching them to the job they are best suited to

Question 7

What did Davis & Moore say about inequality in schools?

Answer 7

Necessary to ensure the most important roles in society are filled by the most talented people e.g. doctors

Question 8

What are the limitations of the functionalist perspective on education?

Answer 8

Myth of meritocracy - Marxists criticise the view of role allocation & say meritocracy is nothing but ideology
Education doesnt teach specialised skills adequately - wolf review of education 2011 found high quality apprenticeships & 1/3 of 16-19 yr old are on courses that dont lead to good jobs
Interactionalists -> argue functionalists assume pupils are passive puppets (not all accept school rules & some rebel)
Neoliberals/New right sociologists argue the state education system fails to prepare young people adequately for work