Role of functions of education: Functionalism (included New Right)

Question 1

What are the four functions of education

Answer 1

1. Divison of labour
2. Social solidarity
3. Secondary socialisation
4. Role allocation

Question 2

Division of labour

Answer 2

DURKHIEM
Schools need to teach students the diverse skills needed for a diverse workforce by letting students specialise.

Education can provide properly train, qualified and flexible work force

Question 3

Social solidarity

Answer 3

DURKHIEM
Education gives membership of society: somewhere to belong
–> improved bonds of attachment (creates a better and safer society)

Question 4

Secondary Socialisation (Bridge between family and society)

Answer 4

PARSONS
Argues that schools provide a link between the family and wider society which allows students to move from the abscribed status and particularistic values of the home to the meritoric and universalistic values of wider society

–> Assessments
–> Norms and values of school
–> competetion between students
–> Uniform

Question 5

Role Allocation

Answer 5

DAVIS AND MOORE
The education system provides a means to selecting and sifting people into the social hierachy, In a meritocratic society access to jobs and power, wealth and status are directly linked to educational achievement

–> the most capable students are allocated the most important roles (assessed through testes)

Question 6

Evaluation: Durkhiem

Answer 6

POSTMODERNISTS: Shared values. Britian has become multicultured, no longer ethnocentric

MARXISTS: Bowles and Gintis. Correspondence principle–> Marxists believe that this causes children to be passive

LIBERALS: question the view that we need schools to transmit complex skills

Ignores aspects of edcuation which are dsyfunctional, such as negative conflict (institutional racism and negative labelling)

Question 7

Evaluation: Parsons

Answer 7

MARXISTS: hidden curriculum prepares students for exploitation. It reinforces social inequality and maintains ruling class ideology

POSTMODERNISTS: Fragmented nature of society means that socialisation comes from various agents

WONG: Functionalists see children as passive puppets of socialisation when the process is much more complex and involves teacher-pupil relationships

CLASH OF W/C: and m/c values in education leads to education leads to underachievement.

Myth of Meritocracy: M/C students will always have an advantage eg. private schools

Question 8

New Right view of education

Answer 8

Simular beliefs to the functionalists but believe that the state takes too much of a role and the free market policies (marketisation) would raise standards

Schools should compete with one another and parents and pupils should be seen as consumers

CHUBB AND MOORE: education vouchers and Parentocracy, increase competition

Question 9

New right influence on education policy

Answer 9

1980’s Vocational Education
1988: Education Reform Act (Funding Formula and League tables)
New labour- Academies
Coalition Goverment: Free schools, Privatisation of Education