functionalism:Functionalists take the view that society must be divided into separate groups, each of which performs a task that is necessary to the survival of society as a whole

Education: All efforts to impart knowledge and shape values; more specific meaning: the deliberate process, outside the family, by which societies transmit knowledge, values, and norms to prepare young people for adult roles (and, to a lesser extent, prepare adults for new roles).

Education

Functionalism

functionalists’ point of view:

• Functionalism looks at schooling from the 'outside'.

• consensus perspective: examine society in terms of how it is maintained for the common good.

• emphasis on positive aspects of schools.• assume that educational institutions

serve some societal need.

Functions of education:

Socialisation:• Bridge between family and society• a way of socialising new members• enhances social mobility by providing for social

selection based on achieved rather than ascribed characteristics of individuals.

• Schools are a miniature society: cooperation, interaction, rules – universalistic standards.

Skills provision: It teaches skills from literacy and numeracy to more

job-specific skills like IT for particular occupations.

Role allocation Davis and Moore

•Examinations and qualifications are said to allocate people for their most suited job.

•The equality of opportunity took place and so higher talented people are given the most functionally important jobs for the society.

Education is as an entity creating Social solidarity :

community, cooperation.

It forms a more-cohesive social structure by bringing together people from diverse backgrounds.

Durkheim

Social solidarity:

Social placement:(sorting)

Society's needs demand that the most capable people get channeled into the most important occupations.

Schools identify the most capable students early. Those who score highest on classroom and standardized tests enter accelerated programs and college-preparation courses.

Meritocracy:

• “Education is the proving ground for ability and hence the selective agency for placing people in different statuses according to their capacities”

• In a meritocracy everyone is given equality of opportunity.

• Achievements and rewards are based on effort and ability. • A modern economy depends for its prosperity on using

human capital – its workers and skills. A meritocratic education system does this best.

• People come to fill particular positions on the basis of achievement, rather than their ascribed characteristics.

Matchmaking:

sorting and networking lead couples together of similar backgrounds, interests, education, and income potential. some parents limit their children's options for college to insure that they attend schools where they can meet the “right” person to marry.

Networking: People in high school and college network with those in similar classes and majors.

• children in schools receive rewards for following schedules, following directions, meeting deadlines, and obeying authority.

Rewards transmission of core values

• Education socializes young people into key cultural values:equality of opportunity, competition and religious morality.

Education emphasizes moral responsibilities in society that people should have towards each other.

If the norms are not passed through generations

tendency for individualism (people believe that they are more important than social groups).

transmitting culture and values:

Transforming cultures:

while the primary role of education is to preserve and pass on knowledge and skills, education is also in the business of transforming them.

As students progress through college and beyond, they usually become increasingly liberal as they encounter a variety of perspectives.

more educated more liberalless educated conservatism

replacement of the family:

Many issues of career development, discipline, and human sexuality, now play a routine part in school curriculum.

Parents who reject this function of education often choose to home-school their children or place them in private schools that support their values.

Good points

Good points:• Structural perspective enables analysis to

move beyond the level of the classroom or individual school.

• Links schools to systemic needs of the wider society.

• Identifies schools as transmitters of knowledge, norms and values and as a selecting mechanism.

criticism:

• Interactionists note-education is a two-way process-choice- negotiate meaning.

• Is there a shared agreement on a shared set of values being supported by school?

• Many school subjects are irrelevant & do not teach work skills.

• Why do class inequalities persist if schools are really meritocratic?

• Schools ‘crush indivisuals’ into conformity.

Overall- education is beneficial:

• Unifies people

• Maintains social order

• Teaches work skills

• Role allocation

• Meritocracy

• Bridges home and outside world