Education in society
FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION
DURKHEIM : SOLIDARITY AND SKILLS
Durkheim identified two main functions of education; creating
social solidarity and teaching specialist skills.
• Durkheim argues society needs a sense of social solidarity- individual
members must feel to be a part of a single community. Without this,
social life and cooperation would be impossible because everyone would
pursue their own selfish desires. The education system does this by
transmitting society’s culture from one generation to the next. i.e.
teaching of a country’s history instils a sense of shared heritage. School
acts as a ‘society in miniature’, preparing us for wider life in society.
• Durkheim argues education teaches individuals the specialist knowledge
and skills they need to play their part in the social division of labour.
PARSONS : MERITOCRACY
Parsons sees school as preparing us to move from the family to
wider society as school and society are both based on meritocratic principles.
In meritocracy, everyone has equal opportunity and individuals achieve
rewards through their own effort and ability.
DAVIS AND MOORE : ROLE ALLOCATION
Inequality is necessary to ensure the most important
roles in society are filled by the most talented people. Education acts as a
proving ground for ability, it ‘sifts and sorts’ us according to ability. The most
able gain the highest qualifications, which then gives them entry to the most
important and highly rewarded positions.
EVALUATION
• Education does not adequately teach specialist skills
- Wolf review of vocational education claims that high-quality
apprenticeships are rare and up to a third of 16-19 year olds are on
courses that do not lead to high education or good jobs.
• Marxists say education does not instil the shared values of society as a
whole but of the ruling class.
• Neoliberal and New Right sociologists argue that the education system
fails to prepare young people adequately for work.
• Wrong argues that functionalists wrongly assume that pupils passively
accept what they are taught and do not reject the school’s values.
, Education in society
MARXIST PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION
ALTHUSSER : IDEOLOGICAL STATE APPARATUS
According to Althusser the state consists of two elements or,
‘apparatuses’, both of which serve to keep the bourgeoisie in power.
• The repressive state apparatuses, which maintain the rule of the
bourgeoisie by force of the threat of it. RSAs include police, courts and
the army. When needed, they use physical force to repress the working
class.
• The ideological state apparatuses, which maintain the rule of the
bourgeoisie by controlling people’s ideas. ISAs include religion, the
media and education system.
Althessur see’s education as an important ISA as it performs two functions;
1. Education reproduces class inequality by transmitting it from
generation to generation, by failing each successive generation of
working class pupils in turn.
2. Education legitimates class inequality by producing ideologies that
disguise its true cause. The function of ideology is to persuade workers
to accept that inequality is inevitable and they deserve their subordinate
position in society. If they accept these ideas, they are less likely to
threaten capitalism.
BOWLES AND GINTIS : SCHOOLING IN CAPITALIST AMERICA
They argue that capitalism requires a workforce with
the kind of attitudes, behavior and personality type suited to their role as
exploited workers willing to accept hard work, low pay and orders from
above. Bowles and Gintis see this as the role of the education system in
capitalist society – to reproduce obedient workers that will accept
inequality as inevitable.
Conducted a study of 237 New York high school pupil, Bowles and Gintis conclude
that schools reward the kind of personality trait that makes a submissive,
compliant worker and not an independent and creative individual. Schooling
helps to produce the obedient workers that capitalism needs.
• The correspondence principle and hidden curriculum.
Bowles and Gintis refer to the parallels between school and the
workplace as the ‘correspondence principle’. They argue the
correspondence principle operated through the hidden curriculum
which are all of the ‘lessons’ learnt in school that are not directly
taught. For example, pupils become accustomed to accepting
hierarchy and competition.
FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION
DURKHEIM : SOLIDARITY AND SKILLS
Durkheim identified two main functions of education; creating
social solidarity and teaching specialist skills.
• Durkheim argues society needs a sense of social solidarity- individual
members must feel to be a part of a single community. Without this,
social life and cooperation would be impossible because everyone would
pursue their own selfish desires. The education system does this by
transmitting society’s culture from one generation to the next. i.e.
teaching of a country’s history instils a sense of shared heritage. School
acts as a ‘society in miniature’, preparing us for wider life in society.
• Durkheim argues education teaches individuals the specialist knowledge
and skills they need to play their part in the social division of labour.
PARSONS : MERITOCRACY
Parsons sees school as preparing us to move from the family to
wider society as school and society are both based on meritocratic principles.
In meritocracy, everyone has equal opportunity and individuals achieve
rewards through their own effort and ability.
DAVIS AND MOORE : ROLE ALLOCATION
Inequality is necessary to ensure the most important
roles in society are filled by the most talented people. Education acts as a
proving ground for ability, it ‘sifts and sorts’ us according to ability. The most
able gain the highest qualifications, which then gives them entry to the most
important and highly rewarded positions.
EVALUATION
• Education does not adequately teach specialist skills
- Wolf review of vocational education claims that high-quality
apprenticeships are rare and up to a third of 16-19 year olds are on
courses that do not lead to high education or good jobs.
• Marxists say education does not instil the shared values of society as a
whole but of the ruling class.
• Neoliberal and New Right sociologists argue that the education system
fails to prepare young people adequately for work.
• Wrong argues that functionalists wrongly assume that pupils passively
accept what they are taught and do not reject the school’s values.
, Education in society
MARXIST PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION
ALTHUSSER : IDEOLOGICAL STATE APPARATUS
According to Althusser the state consists of two elements or,
‘apparatuses’, both of which serve to keep the bourgeoisie in power.
• The repressive state apparatuses, which maintain the rule of the
bourgeoisie by force of the threat of it. RSAs include police, courts and
the army. When needed, they use physical force to repress the working
class.
• The ideological state apparatuses, which maintain the rule of the
bourgeoisie by controlling people’s ideas. ISAs include religion, the
media and education system.
Althessur see’s education as an important ISA as it performs two functions;
1. Education reproduces class inequality by transmitting it from
generation to generation, by failing each successive generation of
working class pupils in turn.
2. Education legitimates class inequality by producing ideologies that
disguise its true cause. The function of ideology is to persuade workers
to accept that inequality is inevitable and they deserve their subordinate
position in society. If they accept these ideas, they are less likely to
threaten capitalism.
BOWLES AND GINTIS : SCHOOLING IN CAPITALIST AMERICA
They argue that capitalism requires a workforce with
the kind of attitudes, behavior and personality type suited to their role as
exploited workers willing to accept hard work, low pay and orders from
above. Bowles and Gintis see this as the role of the education system in
capitalist society – to reproduce obedient workers that will accept
inequality as inevitable.
Conducted a study of 237 New York high school pupil, Bowles and Gintis conclude
that schools reward the kind of personality trait that makes a submissive,
compliant worker and not an independent and creative individual. Schooling
helps to produce the obedient workers that capitalism needs.
• The correspondence principle and hidden curriculum.
Bowles and Gintis refer to the parallels between school and the
workplace as the ‘correspondence principle’. They argue the
correspondence principle operated through the hidden curriculum
which are all of the ‘lessons’ learnt in school that are not directly
taught. For example, pupils become accustomed to accepting
hierarchy and competition.
