functionalist theories

• education benefits individuals and wider society
• Education helps maintain value consensus - everyone agrees and shares same values by teaching children societys values
• education is meritocratic - fair and equal system and chance
• 5 functions of education

  secondary socialisation

  social solidarity

  bridge theory

  specialist skills

  role allocation
• Feminists are critical of the Functionalist claim that schools teach norms and values that benefit everyone. Feminists argue that schools pass on patriarchal values, which disadvantages girls and women. Radical Feminists claim that girls face the male gaze – male teachers

  and boys ‘look girls up and down’, making judgements about their appearance – girls feel pressure to conform to gender stereotypes e.g. look pretty and be quiet, keeping them subordinate to men.
• Marxist, Bourdieu, disagrees with the functionalist view that schools promote social solidarity among all students. Bourdieu argues that schools are middle class institutions, teaching middle class culture.

  Working class children do not feel a part of the school community because their culture is devalued and ignored by the education system.
• Functionalist claim that schools promote universalistic standards is false, as not all students are judged in the same way in education. For example, Afro Caribbean students are often treated more harshly by teachers
• Vocational courses such as BTECs are often seen as lower skilled courses in schools. Marxists argue that working class children are channelled into vocational courses, ending up in low paid, low status jobs.
• Marxists argue that meritocracy is a myth (it does not exist). A student’s social class background determines their educational success, not their effort or ability. Working class children do less well than middle class children because they lack cultural capital – a particular set of tastes, values, interests and knowledge which lead to material rewards and success. Working class parents can’t help their children with homework and don’t know how to support their children.