functionalism

• Durkheim - social solidarity


  society needs a sense of solidarity - individuals must fee that they're part of a wider whole, we have a value consensus
• why do we need social solidarity

  without it we all just do what we want
• social solidarity - school

  school transmits the values of society through both the formal and the hidden curriculum - fulfils a key functional prerequisite of integration

  school also acts as society in miniature - preparing us for a life after school
• how do school and work operate in the same way

  fixed schedule by a superior (hierarchy)

  professional expectation - attendance

  dress code

  similar language

  rewards and sanctions

  feedback
• value consensus

  agreement
• british values

  democracy

  rule of law

  respect and tolerance

  individual liberty
• rule of law promotion within schools

  sanctions

  elections for student leadership

  hierarchy

  key responsibilities
• democracy promotion within school

  elections for student leaderships

  drop down days

  PSHCE
• respect and tolerance promotion within schools

  school values and rules
• individual liberty promotion within schools

  student voice

  certain subjects

  student lead activities

  PSHCE
• evaluation of social solidarity

  existence of anti school subcultures - attendance data, parental meetings, refusal of school

  doesn't meet multicultural societal needs - ethnocentric curriculum

  labelling - doesn't align with respect and tolerance

  patriarchal - feminist approach

  marxists - school doesn't lead to social solidarity, only transmitting the values and habitus of the ruling class
• Schultz - human capital


  investing in education means that those skills can then be used in the workforce, contributing to a successful economy

  for people to effectively take part in the social division of labour they need the specialist knowledge and skills learnt at school
• evaluation of human capital

  different environments - may not full prepare us, school is more rigid, can afford to be more passive, vocational and college based prepare us better, non vocational education ignores practical skills

  may not be teaching specialist skills accurately - Wolf review of vocational education (2011) high quality apprenticeships are rare, up to 1/3 of 16-19 year olds are on courses that don't need higher education

  unemployment rates
• Parsons - meritocracy

  school is the 'focal socialising agency' - bridge between the family and society, school is a microcosm of society and acts as a form of secondary socialisation

  in the family, the child is judged by particularistic standards, status is ascribed

  in wider society (and school) we are judged by universalistic standards, status is achieved

  school prepares us to move into society because they're both meritocratic
• particularistic standards


  rules only apply to that one particular child
• universalistic standards


  the same laws and tests apply to everyone
• meritocratic


  people get equal opportunity and achievement is based on individual effort and talent
• evaluation of meritocracy

  labelling, ethnicity, material deprivation, language, subcultures all affect attainment rather than just effort

  marxist - myth of meritocracy, not everyone gets equal opportunities, talent and hardwork aren't always rewarded

  Hargreaves (1982) - focus on meritocracy puts too much emphasis on individual success and not on community, prevents modern schools from fulfilling Durkheim's functions
• Davis and Moore - role allocation


  schools help us to allocate people to their role in society b assessing ability

  the most important role in society are filled by the most talented people - it would be inefficient and dangerous to have important jobs being done by those with low ability

  education 'sifts and sorts' based on talent, the most talented get the highest qualifications and can compete for the most important and highest paid jobs
• role allocation evaluation

  only works if our education is truly meritocratic

  in 2018 more than 1 in 10 young people were NEST (not in education, employment or training)

  feminists - role allocation is based on patriarchal values
• general positive evaluations

  link between education and economic growth - all countries in western europe have good education systems while poorer countries have problems with their education system

  value meritocracy in education, aim to enhance it through compensatory education policies

  vocational qualifications - support idea that school is focused on equipping skills for people to fulfill specialised division of labour
• general negative evaluation

  myth of meritocracy - class plays a large role in attainment

  ignores negatives of school - bullying

  Wong (1961) - over socialised views, believe children aren't passive when they are