Functionalism

• secondary socialisation


  how individuals acquire wider norms & values in society through peers/education/media
• examples of secondary socialisation

  obedience to authority - 'miss' or 'sir', putting hand up in class before speaking
• social cohesion


  a sense of togetherness formed through shared norms, values and beliefs (value consensus) through secondary socialisation
• what does Durkheim talk about?

  secondary socialisation, social cohesion, specialist skills
• Evaluation of secondary socialisation

  Norms & values in education are not always accepted by students. Wrong for functionalists to believe that everyone accepts them
• Meritocracy


  Hard work and effort enables all to reach their goals. Everyone is given equal opportunities in education
• Who talks about meritocracy?

  Parsons
• What does Parsons argue ?

  School is a focal point where particularistic values become universalistic. Ascribed status can be developed into achieved status on the basis of meritocracy
• Examples of particularistic values becoming universalistic in education

  particularistic: boys wear blue, girls wear pink. universalistic: everyone wears uniform regardless of sex
• Role Allocation


  The education system sifts and sorts students in terms of their talents and abilities. Its an important mechanism for the selection of individuals for their future roles in society
• Example of Role allocation

  schools test and evaluate students, and put them into sets due to their abilities. This then lets them allocate students to the jobs which they are best suited. Where individuals with high qualifications go on and do jobs which are functionally most important to society
• Evaluation of Meritocracy

  Marxists argue that not everyone is treated equally in education, students may be discriminated in education based on social class
• Value consensus 


  when individuals share the same values in society
• Specialist Skills 


  schools help pupils develop specific skills and knowledge so they can integrate into their future roles
• Human Capital


  the monetary value on the knowledge, skill and attribute of an individual