Asses The Contribution Of Functionalism On The Rol

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Asses the contribution of functionalism, to the understanding of the role of education. In order for us to assess the contribution of functionalism to the understanding of the role of education we must first define what is meant by education. The term education is the process of gaining knowledge and judgement as part of the process of intellectual maturity. All children up until the age of 16 are legally required to participate in a form of full time education; this has recently changed to compulsory education up until the age of 18 in the form of school or college. In this essay I will critically analyse the functionalist position on the role of education and compare it with that of Marxists and new right thinkers. Functionalists compare society to an analogy of the human body each institution of society (organ) has a vital role or function to play in the well-being of the society (human body). Functionalists hold a non-conflict view of society and believe that it is based on consensus and agreement. When functionalists analyse a particular part of society the questions often asks are what are its functions and how does it meets society’s basic needs. In the case of education factionalists Talcott Parsons and Emile Durkheim have identified 4 main functions. The first is the transmission of cultural values; Parsons sees the educational system as the main agency of secondary socialisation to teach the shared values and norm a society shares preparing young people for the adult work life. Durkheim agrees with this and elaborates saying that the shared values of a society binds its members together. She further suggests that a particular curriculum must be taught in order to do this for example the teaching of history give people a sense of pride and belonging to a country. A good example of this is the large variety of nationality’s and ethnic groups in the
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