Functionalist perspective on education

• Durkheim's two main functions of education


  1- social solidarity

  2- specialist skills
• Parson's function of education


  acts as a bridge between family and wider society - from ascribed status and particular standards to achieved status and universalistic standards
• Davis and Moore's function of education


  role allocation - selecting pupils to future roles based on abilities.

  'sift and sort
• Blau and Duncan's function of education


  human capital - modern economy depends on prosperity of its workers skills so education allocates pupils to jobs best suited to their abilities to maximise productivity