FUNCTIONALISM

Question 1

functionalism introduction

Answer 1

• concered with links between education and other social institutions (family workplace)
• education is important agency of socialisation in two ways - social cohesion and social mobility

Question 2

What two functions did durkheim identify

Answer 2

1. Social solidarity: feeling party of community, without it social life would be impossible as everyone would pursue own selfish desires.
2. Specialist skills: developing specialist skills/knowledge needed for the complex divisons of labour in modern industrial economies

Question 3

Which two ways does durkheim say edu promotes social solidarity

Answer 3

1. TEACHING HISTORY
   - transmits societys culture (shared beliefs and values) from one generation to the next
   - gives children sense of shared heritage and commitment to wider social group
2. SCHOOL AS MICROCOSM:
   - school prepares children for life in wider society
   example: cooperating with people who arent friends or family

Question 4

what evidence is there to support durkheims function of specalist skills

Answer 4

-citizenship and PSHE being compulsory - pupils apricate shared values by learning about democracy and voting

Question 5

who supports durkheim

Answer 5

SCHULTZ: human capital
- high levels of spending on education is justified as it develops peoples knowledge and skills and its an important investment for a successful economy

Question 6

Criticisms of Durkheim (2)

Answer 6

1)individual competition:education is aimed at pupils competing for qualifications therefore the education favord by Durkheim may not seem the best prep for working life
2) history as ethnocentric: history only focuses on white British history, could alienate non white students which doesn’t help with social solidarity

Question 7

What 3 functions did parsons put forward

Answer 7

1. education is bridge between the family and wider society
2. education helps socialise young people into the basic value of society particularly achievement and equality of opportunity
3. it selects people for their future role in society as pupils are abilities are assessed - can be matched to the job their best suited

Question 8

how does parsons explain the function of education being a bridge between the family and wider society

Answer 8

• schools = agency for secondary socialisation
• bridge between particularistic values and ascribed status of family and the universalistic values of meritocracy

Question 9

A criticism of parsons

Answer 9

MARXISM:
meritocracy is a myth and the upper class inherit wealth and these are many jobs when ascribed statuses such as social class play a bigger role than ability

Question 10

What function did Davis and Moore identify

Answer 10

ROLE ALLOCATION:
- inequality is necessary - ensures most important roles are filled with the most capable

done in edu through sifting sorting and inequal rewards:
- higher rewards offered for most important jobs
- everyone competes for them and society can pick the most talented
- edu sifts and sorts us according to our ability, most able gain the highest qualifications - can get highest rewarding jobs

Question 11

Two criticisms of davis and moore

Answer 11

1) weak link of qualifications and income as gender, ethnicity and social class have a bigger influence than ability
2)content of education has very little to do with their job as most occupational sobs are learnt on the job or through training schemes