Functionalism
Functionalist - see society as made up of interrelated parts working together to maintain
society
→ organic analogy (family = heart)
Functionalist are positive about education
Emile Durkeim (1858 - 1917)
Saw the function of ed as the transmission of society's norms and values
“Society can survive only if there exists among its members a sufficient degree of
homogeneity (sameness). Education perpetuates and reinforces this homogeneity by fixing
the child from the being the essential similarities which collective life demands”
Without this homogeneity life would be impossible - a vital task of societies is the welding of
mass individuals into a society providing social solidarity.
Social solidarity - sense of belonging
“To become attached to society, the child must feel in it”
Learning history - see that they are apart of something much bigger than themselves
Fixed set of rules in school - preps for societies rules
Education teachers the skills needed for an efficient workforce
Specialised division of labour - specialisation of people into jobs that suit them due to their
education
Evaluation of Durkheim
+ -
+ Basis of functionalist views - Suggest society has shared culiutre
+ Multicultural society - shared norms but what about multicultural
+ values needed to hold society societies
together - Marxist argues that education
system only serves the ruling class
- Schools emphasis competition -
social solidarity?
Tallcott Parsons (1951)
Primary socialisation is taken over by secondary socialisation by schools.
Functionalist - see society as made up of interrelated parts working together to maintain
society
→ organic analogy (family = heart)
Functionalist are positive about education
Emile Durkeim (1858 - 1917)
Saw the function of ed as the transmission of society's norms and values
“Society can survive only if there exists among its members a sufficient degree of
homogeneity (sameness). Education perpetuates and reinforces this homogeneity by fixing
the child from the being the essential similarities which collective life demands”
Without this homogeneity life would be impossible - a vital task of societies is the welding of
mass individuals into a society providing social solidarity.
Social solidarity - sense of belonging
“To become attached to society, the child must feel in it”
Learning history - see that they are apart of something much bigger than themselves
Fixed set of rules in school - preps for societies rules
Education teachers the skills needed for an efficient workforce
Specialised division of labour - specialisation of people into jobs that suit them due to their
education
Evaluation of Durkheim
+ -
+ Basis of functionalist views - Suggest society has shared culiutre
+ Multicultural society - shared norms but what about multicultural
+ values needed to hold society societies
together - Marxist argues that education
system only serves the ruling class
- Schools emphasis competition -
social solidarity?
Tallcott Parsons (1951)
Primary socialisation is taken over by secondary socialisation by schools.
