functionalism

• Durkheim (1853-1917) identified two main functions of education: creating social solidarity and teaching specialist skills.
• Education promotes social solidarity by transmitting culture and makes a mini society.
• An example of education promoting social solidarity is a school in Wales teaching students Welsh.
• Social division in labour is a reason for many types of jobs, and education helps sort out different ones' differences.
• Education acts as a mini society.
• Social/institutional hierarchy, sanctions, dictation, uniform, norms, specific hours are parts of education.
• Parsons (1902-79) stated that education is a key social institution that enables society to function harmoniously.
• Without education, there would be no consensus.
• Education socialises children into the values and skills needed for their adult life.
• Family and society are two different levels of education.
• Schools do the second function of education, which is selecting and allocating pupils for future work.
• Education is meritocratic.
• Meritocracy suggests that in family status is given, while in school status is achieved, making it universalistic.
• Jobs are allocated based on talent not social status.
• Davis and Moore (1945) suggest that all societies have hierarchies and that inequalities are necessary to make people work harder.
• Education enables society to select talented members and is a sifting and sorting process into jobs.
• Highest qualifications lead to highest paid jobs and regards.
• Evaluations of education often ignore negative aspects, such as the possibility that it may benefit certain groups more than others and that social division affects educational achievement.
• Not all pupils conform to the values promoted by the school, as highlighted by Paul Willis.
• British education may not teach the right skills for the globalised workforce.