Functionalist perspective on education

• functionalist view of education 


  • argue that the education system is beneficial for the smooth running of society
  • does this by socialising new members of society and by helping to create and sustain social solidarity
• durkheim (1902)

  • since society has transformed it is crucial the nation is educated
  • promotes social solidarity by transmitting society's shared culture (norms and values)
  • schools also acts as a 'society in miniature by preparing young people for wider society
  • argues that education teachers individuals the specialist knowledge and skills that they need to play their part in the social division of labour
• social solidarity 


  the independence between individuals in society
• parsons 


  • argued that both the education system and society are based on meritocratic principles
  • sees the school as the 'focal socialising agency' in modern society acting as a bridge between the family and wider society
  • this bridge is needed because the family and society operate on different principles so children need to learn a new way of living if they are to cope with the wider world
  • in the family the childs status is ascribed meaning it is fixed at birth
  • in school and wider society status is achieved
• primary socialisation (family)

  • particularistic values - particular values of close members
  • ascribed status - inherited status
• society

  • universalistic values - the universal values of wider society
  • achieved status - effort/ability based
• meritocracy 


  everyone has an equal chance to succeed if they are motivated enough and have the ability
• value consensus


  sharing the same norms and values
• role allocation (Davis and Moore)


  • argue that education allows for individuals to be 'sifted and sorted' into appropriate roles based on talent and skill
  • seee education as a device for selection and role allocation
  • they focus on the relationship between education and social inequality
  • they argue that inequality is a necessity to ensure that the most talented important roles in society are filled by the most talented people
  • since not everyone is equally talented higher rewards are offered for more complex jobs to motivate everyone to strive for them
  • education plays a key part in this progress as it acts as the proving ground for ability
• human capital - Blau and Duncan 1978

  • the workers skills
  • argue that a meritocratic education system is the best way to develop a sufficiently skilled workforce as it enables each person to be allocated to the job best suited to their abilities
  • make most effective use of their talents and maximise their productivity
• criticisms of functionalist perspective

  • the education system does not teach specialised skillls adequately as Durkheim claims
  • A person's ascribed characteristics (class, gender, ethnicity) are more important in determining their income than their school achievement
  • Interactionists argue the functionalist view of socialisation is too deterministic as not all pupils passively accept the school's values
  • Marxists argue that the education system in capitalist society only transmits the ideology of a minority (the ruling class) not society's shared values