So the main function of education is to maintain a value consensus in society. Consequently Parsons (1961) sees schools as a bridge between family and wider society. This bridge is needed as they both operate on different principles. Within the family, the child is judged by particularistic standards and status is ascribed. Whereas in education and wider society, status is achieved and we are all judged by the same universalistic standards e.g.
Althusser, sees education as an ideological state apparatus that reproduces and legitimates class inequality, ensuring working-class pupils end up in working-class jobs, and that they accept their exploited role. According to Bowles and Gintis, this is achieved through correspondence principle which refers to the tendency of schools to promote the values expected of individuals in each social class so as to prepare students for the types of jobs typically held by
Functionalists believe education is a key component in the construction of society, they also believe that it is one of the most important institutions and plays a major role during secondary socialisation. They also believe that without education, society would not be able to continue functioning. This links to the idea of the ‘human body analogy’ which suggests that society is like a living organism, the institutions are like organs in a body and must work together in order to function. Parsons came up with the idea of role allocation. This is where young people are sifted and sorted in terms of their talents and abilities and then allocated a particular role in society.
Examine the ways in which educational policy can help reproduce and legitimise social inequalities. Industrialisation increased the need for an educated work force, during this time the education the pupils received depended on their social background. Middle class children were given education to prepare them for work in a professional career where as working class education consisted of basic literary and numerical skill to prepare them for factory work. Schooling did little to provide social mobility In 1880 state schooling was made compulsory from the age 5-13, later rose to 16 by 1973 In 1994 education was shaped my meritocracy, the idea that individuals should be able achieve a status reflective of their capabilities. Rather than that is ascribed at birth.
Sociology is the study of society and the different social structures within it. Sociology examines the role of the individual within society; it is viewed as the scientific study of society P1: An introduction to sociological perspectives. Functionalism: According to the functionalist perspective of sociology, each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to society's stability and functioning as a whole. For example, the government provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends to keep itself running. The family is dependent upon the school to help children grow up to have good jobs so that they can raise and support their own families.
The education system creates this effectively by teaching subjects such as history, which enables children to see the link between themselves and wider society. Durkheim argued that school serves a function that cannot be provided the family or peer groups and that individuals must learn to cooperate with those who are neither family nor friends, and he says the school is a place where these skills can be learned. Sticking with the functionalist view of the education system, Durkheim believed that school rules should be strictly enforced and that punishments be carried out to the full so it is made clear to the offenders that their actions were wrong. He believes that it is this way that pupils will learn what is wrong in society as a whole. Functionalist Talcott Parsons developed Durkheim’s ideas, and argued that
2) Bridging the Gap between home and society’s values Parsons said at home we have an ascribed status and therefore children are treated individually and differently from adults. However at school everyone has an achieved status under the same universalistic values. Children aren’t treated differently but as a collective group, as they would be in would be in the workplace. This helps Durkheim’s “society in miniature” as school replicates and prepares children for the workplace and society. Criticism: Many of the most powerful people had an advantage getting the best jobs due to their higher social class.
This is known as the cognitive development theory, as children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and explore their world. Piaget found that elementary classroom educators must plan and develop curriculum that enhances their students’ stage of growth. For example, McClenden (2011) stated that students in the Preoperational Stage should have curriculum centered on concrete physical situations because they are not yet able to conceptualize abstractly. Likewise, teachers need to expose students to a great deal of hands-on-practice and a wide range of experiences in order to build a foundation for learning and language. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of education also transmits to an elementary classroom and teaching strategies.
The policy that is in place to keep the students and teachers safe at schools needs to be fixed, so that people are not being wrong fully expelled, and wrong fully accused of something. Kids make mistakes, and it is ok to be punished for a crime, but to what extent is okay? This policy is a good thing, it is good to try to keep everyone safe. We need to change the extent of punishment these students face when committing a very minor
To start with, the main aim of educational system is to provide the basis for the individuals’ integration into society. Minister of Education, Daniel Filmus, said: “The education is not just a role for the individual but for a social role”. According to this quotation, by the time we leave secondary school, we should have learned about how we can fit into the larger society as well as how our abilities and skills can be used in our community. But are we prepared enough to deal with everyday life? Do we have the available tools needed to face difficulties?