SECTION B: Functionalist perspective on Education:

Question 1

What are the two approaches to this approach:

Answer 1

Consensus Theorists and Conflict Theorists.

Question 2

Three key thinkers:

Answer 2

• Emile Durkheim.
• Talcott Parsons.
• Davis and Moore.

Question 3

Functionalism and education:

Answer 3

• Helps to develop the human resource if an industrialisation through its selection process to allocate individuals to the various levels of occupations.
• Also contributes to social cohesion by transmitting to new generations the central values of society.

Question 4

Emile Durkheim: Socialisation:

Answer 4

• Concerned that education should emphasise the moral responsibilities that members of society have towards each other and the wider society.

Question 5

Durkheim: Education and social solidarity:

Answer 5

• All societies needed to create some kind of social solidarity.
• In pre-industrial societies, social solidarity was created by people sharing common experience as part of families and through shared religious rituals.
• Education plays a role in instilling a sense of shared culture and identity in the younger generation.

Question 6

Durkheim: Division of Labour:

Answer 6

• Education was also preparing young people for the world of work, in the industrial societies where there is more competitive labour.
• Individuals can choose from a range of specialist jobs.
• Schools can therefore provide the specialist skills and knowledge requites of an industrial workforce which families themselves may it be able to deliver.

Question 7

AO3: Evaluation on Durkheim: Strength:

Answer 7

• Durkheim’s vision of socialisation has successfully reinforced this idea that schools have a duty to prepare the young people for both the economy and the wider society.
• Durkheim’s vision of education and social solidarity creates a sense of unity for the young people.
• Durkheim vision division of labour offers an equal opportunity for everyone and aims to support the least privilege families by offering a free education.

Question 8

AO3: Evaluation on Durkheim: Weakness:

Answer 8

• Durkheim’s vision of socialisation creates this oppressive system in which makes schooling unwelcoming for young people.
• Durkheim’s vision of education and social solidarity reinforces cultural homogenisation in a diverse community.
• Durkheim’s vision of education and social solidarity normalises the class division for the lower-class, ensuring that they accept the upper-class ideology.
• Durkheim division of labour doesn’t seem to accompany any other family type that isn’t a nuclear family such as single-parent family.

Question 9

Social solidarity:

Answer 9

A feelings of unity and belonging based on shared beliefs and value.

Question 10

Schools presenting unity and belonging:

Answer 10

• Students being allocated uniforms symbolises unity and belonging.
• British values.
• Equality and diversity.
• Citizenship.

Question 11

Talcott Parsons: Skills Provision:

Answer 11

• Agrees with Durkheim.
• Education forms a bridge between the family and the wider society. By socialising children to adapt to the meritocratic view of achievement.

Question 12

Conclusions drawn from Talcott Parsons:

Answer 12

• Education should socialise young people into a Conesus agreement.
• Key concepts include particularistic and universalistic values.
• Particularistic standards = children are treated as particular individuals. Socialised within the family.
• Universalistic standards = people are judged according to standards that people apply equally to everybody. Found in society as a whole.
• Schools should be meritocratic and based upon equality of opportunity.

Question 13

Meritocratic:

Answer 13

Relating to or characteristic of a society in which power is held by people selected according to merit.

Question 14

AO3: EVALUATION: Talcott Parsons: Strength:

Answer 14

• Argues that education should be an equal opportunity for everyone regardless of their class status.

Question 15

AO3: EVALUATION: Talcott Parsons: Weakness:

Answer 15

• State schools will never have the same opportunity as privates school.
• The meritocratic system doesn’t accompany everyone’s future.

Question 16

Davis and Moore: Role allocation:

Answer 16

• Education allocates people to the most appropriate job for their talents, using examination and qualification.
• Their argument is based on the principle of meritocracy.
• Heart of economy = education.

Question 17

AO3: EVALUATION: Davis and Moore: Strength:

Answer 17

• Role allocation is appropriate for the industrial society because the right employees with the right talents are allocated to a specific job.
• The principle of meritocracy helps individuals to strengthen their talents by challenging it.

Question 18

AO3: EVALUATION: Davis and Moore: Weakness:

Answer 18

• Role allocation creates this ideology that success is only achievable through the education system.
• Peoples talents are being used as a tool in order to enter the economic industry by being challenged and
  given a qualification to certify the talent.

Question 19

Blau and Duncan (1978):

Supports Davis and Moore.

Answer 19

Argue that a modern economy depends for its prosperity on using ‘human capital’.

Question 20

Labour Government (2002):

Answer 20

• Introduced the citizenship of education which was designed to transmit the shared values of UK working society.

Question 21

Al Madinah:

Answer 21

• An Islamic primary school in Derby raised concerns as it appeared to be following very strict Islamic approach to education the school was closed in 2014 by Ofsted.

Question 22

AO3: Evaluation: Strengths:

Answer 22

• Functionalists see education as a process that insists the shared values of society.

Question 23

AO3: Evaluation: Weakness:

Answer 23

• Marxists argue that education in a capitalist society only transmits the ideology of a minority, the ruling class.
• Neo-Liberals and the new rights argue that the state education system fails to prepare young people.
• Ofsted closing down the Al-Madinah school demonstrates the view that the education system isn’t as accepting to the diverse societies norms and values.