PSE4801
ASSIGNMENT 2 2025
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: JUNE 2025
, PSE4801 Assignment 2 (2025)
Chapter 1: Sociological Theories of Schooling
1.1 Functionalism and Schooling
The functionalist perspective views the school as a key institution that contributes to the
smooth functioning and stability of society. According to functionalist thinkers like Émile
Durkheim and Talcott Parsons, education plays the following vital roles:
Socialisation: Schools transmit the shared norms, values, and beliefs of a
society to young individuals, helping them internalise societal expectations.
Skills Development: Learners acquire essential knowledge and competencies—
such as literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving—that prepare them for future
roles in the economy.
Role Allocation: Through a system of assessments and qualifications, education
sorts individuals into different occupational roles based on merit and ability.
Social Integration: Schools help unite diverse groups by promoting a common
national identity, language, and civic values, fostering social cohesion.
Maintaining Social Order: By instilling discipline, responsibility, and respect for
authority, education helps to preserve societal stability and reduce deviance.
1.2 Conflict Theory (Marxist Perspective) and Schooling
From a Marxist standpoint, education is seen not as a neutral or fair system but as a
mechanism that reproduces social inequality. Influenced by the works of Karl Marx and
Louis Althusser, this perspective argues that:
Ideological Control: Schools promote dominant capitalist values—such as
competition, individualism, and obedience—which justify and sustain the power
of the ruling class.
ASSIGNMENT 2 2025
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: JUNE 2025
, PSE4801 Assignment 2 (2025)
Chapter 1: Sociological Theories of Schooling
1.1 Functionalism and Schooling
The functionalist perspective views the school as a key institution that contributes to the
smooth functioning and stability of society. According to functionalist thinkers like Émile
Durkheim and Talcott Parsons, education plays the following vital roles:
Socialisation: Schools transmit the shared norms, values, and beliefs of a
society to young individuals, helping them internalise societal expectations.
Skills Development: Learners acquire essential knowledge and competencies—
such as literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving—that prepare them for future
roles in the economy.
Role Allocation: Through a system of assessments and qualifications, education
sorts individuals into different occupational roles based on merit and ability.
Social Integration: Schools help unite diverse groups by promoting a common
national identity, language, and civic values, fostering social cohesion.
Maintaining Social Order: By instilling discipline, responsibility, and respect for
authority, education helps to preserve societal stability and reduce deviance.
1.2 Conflict Theory (Marxist Perspective) and Schooling
From a Marxist standpoint, education is seen not as a neutral or fair system but as a
mechanism that reproduces social inequality. Influenced by the works of Karl Marx and
Louis Althusser, this perspective argues that:
Ideological Control: Schools promote dominant capitalist values—such as
competition, individualism, and obedience—which justify and sustain the power
of the ruling class.
