Reproducationally, they will make the next generation. Economically the ideal is that the man will go out to work and provide food and shelter whilst the women will look after the house, cook and clean whilst looking after the children. The last function Murdock believes that the family should fulfil is education of socialisation; the children will learn the culture norms and values of society. However, Parsons a functionalist also focused on American families but argues that the family has two key functions. Primary socialisation, the children
He argues that without social solidarity, social life would be impossible as everyone would pursue their own selfish desires and not work together to get what they want out of life. The education system helps to create this social solidarity by transmitting society's ideas from one generation to the next. For example, Durkheim argues that teaching of a countries history instil a sense of a shared heritage and commitment to the wider social group. However Marxists argue this social solidarity is just brainwashing students into thinking that everyone in society today is equal and that we are all part of society, while we are really just getting exploited by the bourgeoisie. People are just being led into a sense of false class consciousness and are being persuaded into thinking they have the same values of everyone else when they actually haven't.
Assess the view that the function of the education system is to select and prepare individuals for their future work roles. Both Marxists and Functionalists agree that education is an institution of socialization to prepare individuals for future work roles, however they both have very different views on the extent to how well it works. This essay will explore those ideas. Functionalists say education is like training for working life, it is based on universalistic standards that will prepare children for their future by channeling norms and values to them through schooling. Parsons used the metaphor of education as a ‘bridge’ to work based on meritocratic principles.
James banks defines it as a “process of restructuring the culture and the organization of a school to bring about education equality and empowerment” (Banks, 40-41). The influence of environments in achieving a greater outcome in students’ well-being was a challenge to reconstruct social structures. Gender bias does not only start at home or accepted but it also takes place in the school environment. Wellesley was founded on traditions and morals, which eventually effects the view of the institution. Within the movie, student’s former traditions and generations that are passed down creates obstacles.
On top of this, the child’s status within the family is ascribed because it’s what they’re born in to. However, in society there are universalistic standards which mean the child is judged against standards which apply to all of society. These are essentially the laws of the country. Furthermore, the child’s status in wider society is achieved through merit. Parsons argues therefore that the role of education eases the transition between the family and wider society.
Working-class children don’t believe they can improve their position through their own individual efforts. The final aspect is low value on education – Hyman argues that the working class don’t value education, so they don’t try.
The cultural capital that is acquired from birth can be used in the structuralised education system and it is seen in these institutes that the more cultural capital that is accumulated will create better achievements and outcomes for them later in life (Bowles and Jensen 2001). Children from the dominate(upper) class are seen to be at more of an advantaged in schools than the children coming from low socio-economical backgrounds, as they are exposed to an elite culture at home(Tzanakis 2011). With this brings in to question whether education does promote social change and give opportunities to the less privileged or does the education institutes tend to keep in place existing social separation and maintain the disadvantages relating to certain people? The education system can promote social change by initiating a change in outlook and attitude (sociology guide 2011) for example if a child was growing up in a household that believed that an education is not important, as there is government benefits that are in place to support the unemployed, may begin to change their outlook on education and their attitude towards the government
The formal curriculum plays a major role in this too, with those who are taught Latin or Classics will have a different understanding of the world and society than those who are taught subjects lower in cultural capital, like vocational courses such as Health and Social Care. Power et. al. found a link between middle-class children, achievement at public schools and gaining places at the elite universities. She found that these schools encouraged more applications to elite universities, as such applications are a measure of their success.
For example, someone who does traditional manual labour, especially things such as factory work, building and mining would most likely be classified as someone who is in working class. On the other hand someone who is a professional such as s doctor or lawyer, a manager or self employed will be classified as someone in middle class. A second element of what makes up your social class identity is your education. People part of the upper class are likely to have gone through and elite expensive education at a private school, or public school such as Eton, Oxford or Cambridge. These kinds of school help to shape their views so that they quickly pick up upper class like interests.
The theory is concerned with the basic needs and the desire for social order and stability in society. Functionalist theorists have differing views on the exact functions that a family performs but they all agree that family is important for the function of society. Family is responsible for areas such as reproduction, protection and providing, education and sexual behavior. Sociologists working in functionalism see family as contributing to society’s basic needs and obtaining specialized roles in society. The introduction of industrialization led to family being less important in economic roles and moved the focus to reproduction, child-rearing and socialization (Giddens, 2008, p. 238).