Functionalist view

• Functionalists have traditionally stressed the

  positive role of education in society
• 4 functions of education

  • creating social solidarity
  • teaching specialist skills
  • enabling meritocracy
  • role allocation
• Social solidarity


  -Durkheim

  • education binds people together teaching the same norms and values
  • rules enforced through sanctions
  • school is 'society in miniature'
• specialist skills


  -Durkheim

  • different skills are needed for labour within modern industrial economies
  • cooperation of different skills are needed for these jobs, school teaches this through setting for example
• Meritocracy

  Parsons

  • this is a system where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed through achieving status
  • school is a bridge between family & society
  • socialised children into universalistic standards
• Role allocation

  Davis and Moore

  • most skilled and talented people allocated most complex jobs
  • these jobs have higher rewards so people will strive for these
  • schools have a set system which could motivate students to work for this
• Education instills..

  the shared values of society and thus promoting social solidarity and sustaining a value consensus