Functionalism Flashcards
(46 cards)
What are the four core functions in education?
Social solidarity, Specialist skills, Secondary socialisation, Sifting and sorting (role allocation)
Who is the founding father of functionalism?
Durkheim
What did Durkheim develop?
The organic analogy
What is social solidarity?
It is a sense of togetherness where individuals feel that they belong to a community that is bigger than themselves.
What does Durkheim say that school is and why?
He says that school is like a mini society as there is rules to follow and the child has to learn to interact with the other people.
Give any examples of social solidarity? (6)
- shared culture in history lessons
- we all learn about the would wars
- british values
- hyms in assembly
- sports day
- school plays
EVALUATION - What does school fail to pass on?
Fails to pass on shared culture.
EVALUATION- What does rose-tinted mean?
It means to ignore the red flags and some people would argue that functionalism is “rose-tinted”
EVALUATION - What does ethnocentric mean?
Gives priority to white culture over others.
EVALUATION- How can ethnocentrism make EMs feel?
It can make them feel excluded and can divide them from other people.
EVALUATION- What is ethnocentric curriculum?
It is a type of educational curriculum that is based of a certain ethnic group.
EVALUATION - Examples of ethnocentric curriculum? (6)
- only learn about white history
- european languages
- holidays e.g 2 weeks off for Christmas
- food e.g no halal food
- english e.g poems, english authors
- black history month e.g only learnt for 1 week then forgotten
What is specialist skills?
It is when individuals are taught special skills so they can take their place within a highly complex division of labour.
What does division of labour mean?
There are different specialised jobs that involve specific tasks which are performed by specific people.
What skills does education teach? (4)
- communication
- confidence
- critical thinking
- problem solving
Who does the tax go to and what do they do with it?
It goes to the national government and they use the money to keep society going.
EVALUATION - What is the wolf review?
A review of vocational education by the government.
EVALUATION - What did education find that a third of 16-19s do? Which theory supports this view?
They found that they do courses that doesn’t lead to higher education or a good job. The new right would support this view.
EVALUATION- What does NEET mean?
Not in education, employment or training.
What does secondary socialisation mean?
Parson believe that education passes on norms and values of society.
What does meritocracy mean?
We can achieve status based on our own ability and effort.
What does meritocracy do?
It makes sure that each person strives to achieve their full potential e.g beat your target grade.
How might you be encouraged to achieve your full potential at work?
given targets
In what ways could the education system be seen as fair to everyone? (4)
- all students get the opportunity to go as it is free
- qualifications: all can take exams and be rewarded with qualifications
- national curriculum: all have to study the same subjects
- everyone has to meet the same criteria e.g must get an 80% for an A
