Functionalist View of Education

Functionalism sees society as a system of interdependent sections, including family, economy, and education, bound by a shared culture known as value consensus.

Key Concepts

• Value Consensus: Agreed-upon values important to society from members' perspectives.
• Interdependent Parts: Each part performs essential functions for societal cohesion.

Emile Durkheim's Contribution

• Social Solidarity: Education fosters social solidarity by transmitting culture's beliefs and values across generations.
• Society in Miniature: Schools prepare individuals for larger society by teaching cooperation and adherence to societal rules.
• Specialist Skills: Education is necessary for the division of labor, requiring specialists with adequate skills.

Key Study: Ousley Report (2001)

• Highlighted failures in teaching multicultural coexistence in faith schools, leading to social segregation and tensions.

Talcott Parsons' Perspective

• Meritocracy: Schools act as a bridge between family and society.
• Impartial Standards: Schools apply uniform standards, unlike particularistic family standards.
• Transition: Prepares individuals for meritocratic society where success is based on effort and skills.

Davis and Moore on Role Allocation

• Role Selection: Education selects and allocates future roles based on skills and aptitudes.
• Inequality: Seen as essential for placing the most qualified individuals in important roles.

Peter Blau and Otis Duncan's Human Capital

• Modern Economy: Views education as a means to develop human capital and match individuals to suitable careers.

Methods in Context: Researching Meritocracy

• Challenges: Schools uphold images of equal opportunities; research may struggle to disclose inequalities.
• Data: State systems provide valuable but sometimes non-correlated data.

Evaluation of Functionalist Views

• Critiques:
  • Specialized Skills: System often fails to teach specialized skills effectively.
  • Circular Argument: Melvin Tumin critiques Davis and Moore's arguments on job importance and rewards.
  • Individualism: David Hargreaves argues schools focus more on competition than cooperation.
  • State System: Neo-liberals and the New Right argue it fails to prepare students for work.

Summary

• Functionalists see education as a tool for socialization into a shared culture and for training individuals for specialized roles.
• Education is based on meritocracy, with an emphasis on equal opportunities for achieving success.