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The Contribution of Functionalist Sociology to an Understanding of the Role of Education in Society
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''Schools serve a function in a complex industrial society that family
and peer groups cannot'' ( Durkheim,1956)

Education is important in society. The structure and processes of
education systems are related to the general process of socialisation.
All sociologists agree with this, but sociologists have many different
views about how societies are structured. They have many different
views about the role of education in society. The following research
will focus on the role of education from a Functionalist, Marxist and
an Interactionalist's perspective.

Functionalists think of education as a positive function for all
individuals in society, which has a powerful influence over it. The
aims of education in functionalism are to maintain social stability,
keep society in consensus and resolve any conflict. Durkheim and
Parsons saw education as an essential agency of socialisation whose
function is to transmit common values to the next generation. Parsons
argued that schools act as a bridge between the family and a wide
society within the role of education being to promote universal values
such as achievement, individuation, competition and equal
opportunities. Education is the mainsecondary agent of socialisation,
family being the primary agent. In advanced industrial society we are
judged in terms of achieved status and universalistic values. That is
to say we are judged in terms of what we achieve and schools prepare
us for this. At school, our conduct is measured against the universal
school rules and our status is achieved through examination. Parsons
claims that education reinforces norms and values, such as...