Functionalism and Education

• Functionalism views education as crucial for societal stability and smooth operation.
• Functionalist theories highlight how education caters to society's overall needs.
• Functionalists identify key functions of education:
  • Socialization
  • Skills provision
  • Role allocation
  • Social cohesion

Socialization

• Education serves as a vital agent of secondary socialization, imparting societal norms and values.
• Education fosters a value consensus, a shared set of norms and values essential for social cohesion.
• Schools communicate core values like achievement, competition, and equal opportunity.
• This equips students for broader society and the workplace.
• Émile Durkheim likened schools to a 'society in miniature,' mirroring the workplace to prepare children for adult life.
• Students learn to interact based on universalistic standards, contrasting with the particularistic standards of family.
• Education transmits a society's culture, bolstering social solidarity.

Skills Provision

• Education furnishes individuals with skills and knowledge necessary for the modern economy.
• Modern industrial economies need a skilled workforce.
• Schools offer specific vocational skills, like those in technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
• Education also imparts general skills, including literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving.
• Education ensures individuals are ready for specialized roles, contributing to the division of labor.
• Preparing students for future careers is beneficial for the economy.

Role Allocation

• Education sorts individuals, assigning them to suitable jobs based on talents and skills.
• Education is meritocratic, where individuals attain positions through their efforts and abilities.
• Those with greater ability and work ethic gain qualifications leading to higher-status, better-paid jobs.
• Education ensures the most talented individuals occupy the most vital jobs in society.
• Schools evaluate pupil abilities via exams and coursework, establishing a hierarchy of qualifications.

Social Cohesion

• Education enhances social cohesion by uniting individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Shared school experiences can strengthen societal bonds.
• Education teaches a common language and shared values, especially crucial in multicultural societies.
• Schools often observe national events and teach national history, reinforcing national identity.
• Education can lessen social divisions by opening doors for social mobility.

Talcott Parsons

• Talcott Parsons viewed school as a bridge connecting family and wider society.
• Within families, children are judged by particularistic standards, treated as unique individuals.
• In broader society, individuals are judged by universalistic standards, with uniform standards for all.
• School prepares children for this shift by instilling acceptance of universalistic standards and impersonal rules.
• Schools also assign students to varied roles based on aptitude.

Davis and Moore

• Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore argued that education is key in role allocation.
• They believed society is meritocratic, and education offers a level playing field.
• Education sifts individuals, matching them with suitable jobs based on talents and skills.
• They considered inequality inevitable and functional, motivating individuals to strive for success.
• Higher abilities and hard work result in qualifications for higher-status, better-paid jobs.
• This allocation is fair, as the most qualified people fill society's most important roles.

Evaluation of Functionalist Perspectives

• Critics argue that functionalist perspectives:
  • Overlook education's negative aspects like bullying, inequality, and alienation.
  • Assume education is meritocratic, while social class, gender, and ethnicity can affect achievement.
  • Ignore how education can reproduce social inequalities.
  • Are overly deterministic in viewing socialization, assuming passive acceptance of societal norms.
• Functionalism fails to address education's dysfunctional aspects, such as inadequate workforce preparation.
• Functionalism sees education as serving societal needs, but critics contend it primarily benefits the ruling class.
• Alternative perspectives like Marxism and feminism offer different views on education's role.