Functionalism Flashcards
Organic analogy…
Spencer argued that society was like a human body (the organic analogy). Society was made up of various institutions that acted like the organs of the body: they all needed to be functioning properly for the body to function. Problems in one area of society (such as high levels of crime, for example) could be a symptom of dysfunctions somewhere else (just as a headache is not always caused by banging your head). For society to run smoothly there has to be the correct balance of social cohesion and social control.
Key ideas of functionalism…
1) Organic change (rather than radical change)
2) Meritocracy (people achieve their position in society through effort and ability, rather than through inheritance)
3) Social institutions have positive functions
Durkheim
Argues that society needs a sense of solidarity, as without this social cooperation it would be impossible to form a society as individuals would become selfish.
The education system helps create social solidarity by transmitting the society’s culture to the younger generation. School prepares children for wider society as these interpersonal rules in school apply to wider society.
Parsons
Draws on many of Durkheim’s ideas and sees school as the social socialising agency as it acts as a bridge between family and wider society.
Within a family, the child is judged by particularistic standards, i.e. the rules for each child. Similarly, child’s status within the family is ascribed, i.e. fixed from birth. In contrast, school and society judges us by universalistic standards, i.e. the same law applies to everyone. In society and school one’s status is achieved not ascribed i.e. you have to work hard to gain some status.
Parsons meritocratic principles…
Parsons sees school and society as based on meritocratic principles, so everyone is given an equal opportunity and individuals achieve rewards through their own effort and ability. Parsons argues schools also allocate pupils to their future work roles by assessing their abilities.
Schultz
Schultz argues that another function of education is to teach specialist skills. These are skills that each person is good at. The production of a single item involves the cooperation of many specialists. This cooperation promotes social solidarity.
Schultz’ human capital…
Education teaches individuals the specialist knowledge and skills that they need to play their part in the social division of labour. For instance to build a home specialist architects, plumbers, builders etc are all needed. Schultz refers to this as the development of Human Capital, which then benefits the wider economy and helps to maintain society. He believed that the education system ensures that the most talented and qualified people end up in jobs that match their skills. This is referred to as a meritocracy.
Davis and Moore
Education as a device for selection and role allocation. They argue inequality is necessary to ensure that the most important roles of society are filled by the most talented people this encourages people to compete for the most talented jobs and improve the workforce.
New Vocationalism aims to provide society with a skilled workforce by creating schemes within the education system that prepare students for work i.e. GNVQ and NVQ.
Evaluation
Marxists argue that such schemes (NVQ and vocationalism) only benefit capitalist companies who benefit from cheap labour and also lower the aspirations of young children by giving them low skilled jobs.
Functionalist perspective has been criticised for idealising education as in reality the system is not equal instead influenced by class, gender, and ethnicity.
Marxists also argue that schools only transmit the ideology of the ruling class and further suppress the working class. This can be seen by the increase of university fees making it impossible for lower classes to afford higher education and raising its availability only to the elite class.
Finally, new right perspective argues that education fails to prepare young people for work as the state control of education discourages efficiency, competition and choice.
