However, other perspectives (such as Marxism and the New Right) would have different-not necessarily opposing- views. To begin with, one view on the role of education is that it acts as a ‘bridge between the family and wider society’ which is shown in Item A. This is because Education helps ease transitions between family life and society. For example, Talcott Parsons argues that this is the case because in the family there are particularistic standards, which means the child is judged on standards that apply only to them. On top of this, the child’s status within the family is ascribed because it’s what they’re born in to.
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 and the type of school we attend. Parsons believes that education reinforces norms and values, such as individual achievement is rewarded with praise, good grades and a good job. Durkeheim agrees with the idea that shared norms and values create social solidarity. This involves a commitment to society, a sense of belonging and a feeling that the social unit is more important to the individual.
According to Durkheim, one of the main functions of education is to develop these similarities to bind members of society together. Durkheim sees a common history as vital for uniting members of society. With a shared history, people feel part of a wider social group – it is their country, made up of people like themselves. In this way, education contributes to the development of social solidarity. Industrial society has a specialised division of labour – people have specialised jobs with specific skill and knowledge requirements.
Outline and explain the Functionalists view of education Functionalism is based on the view that society is a system of independent groups held together by a shared culture or value consensus. This is an agreement in society among its members about what values are important. Each part of society such as the family and education system performs functions that help to maintain society as a whole. Functionalists see the education system as acting in a more positive way to keep society running in the way it should. Many sociologists have studied the role of education and argued that the education helps its members in ways such as language and academic skills.
Education is in the middle of the bridge. Education is an agency of secondary socialisation, it teaches us the norms and values within wider society and it also teaches us the skills we need for future occupational roles as well as providing us with qualifications. Functionalists argue that society is an organic analogy, meaning that society works like a human body and that everything is in consensus with each other. For example, the human organs work together to achieve consensus, just like society does with citizens, authority, norms, values etc. Durkheim argues that there are two main functions of education, these are social solidarity and specialised skills.
'Assess the view that the education system serves to maintain consensus in society?' Functionalists believe in a consensus. A consensus in society is the idea that everyone shares the same norms and values. Functionalists believe that maintaining the shared norms and values is the job of education. Education acts as a bridge between primary socialisation and secondary socialisation, therefore teaching us to adopt the same norms and values and socialising young people into the basic values of society.
I have chosen to compare and contrast John Dewey and Nel Noddings views on their educational goals, a social justice curriculum, liberation education, issues of standardized testing and the effects on students and teachers. Dewey’s main educational goal is that education should have two sides: social and psychological. His evaluations are based on how the child interacts with society and how he/she contributes to the good of society. Dewey was the first one to say we need to look at the students to decide how to teach, a modern-day form of ‘differentiation’. He believed that all students should have the opportunity to take part in their own learning.
This is what King seeks to explain to the reader in his essay. King believes that both education and knowledge are important; however the procedure is integrated it into their lives makes a difference. Education must teach students the means of right and wrong as well as be able to distinguish between propaganda and reality. King warns us an individual with critical thinking and knowledge is not enough. Without morals and personality, the individual won’t have a purpose in life.
Parsons used the metaphor of education as a ‘bridge’ to work based on meritocratic principles. The education system takes children away from intimate relationships with family and puts them into a social institution where they are expected to follow instructions from an authority figure socializing them into obeying authority. School children also have a strict timetable which they must adhere to, this emphasis on punctuality and organization will prepare them for working life. Davis and Moore said that the education system was there for ‘sifting and sorting’ so that the best jobs go to the hardest working, more intelligent people. They argued that the education is meritocratic and is there to soft sort and select individuals on the basis of ability, motivation, talent and allocates them appropriate roles when they reach adulthood.
Most people might agree that education exists to impart knowledge to the students that they will need to function in everyday life. Functionalism acknowledges this aspect of education, but it also recognizes another purpose of education. Functionalism is a social paradigm that views society as a system of interdependent parts. For society to work, all parts of the whole must have a general consensus. For example, they must have shared values to provide societal expectations of individuals.