Durkheim, the founder of functionalism, a structuralist macro approach states that 'education prepares you for society'. He also said that withough social solidarity (bringing everybody in society together) a social life would be impossible. Durkheim described this as the glue holding society together. there are several strengths and criticisms to Durkheim's stud. An obvious strength would be that education greatly helps society to come together and teaches the important life skills that are needed in order ro build up society.
Durkheim argues that education system helps to create social solidarity by transmitting society’s culture- its shared belief and culture from one generation to next. He furthermore argues that education teaches individuals the specialist knowledge and skills that they need to play their part in the division of labour. Education is organised on meritocratic principles and rewards pupils’ ability, not their social background. However, functionalist perspective can be criticised as there does not always exist an equal opportunity in education. For example, achievement is greatly influenced by class background rather than ability.
Education is currently one of the most important parts of our lives. It teaches skills needed for work, but also socialises students and passes on values. Education also develops a shared culture by socialising students together. Functionalists agree with the view that education integrates individuals into society’s shared culture, it passes core value onto students. Education functions as a key mechanism which glues children together and helps them by giving them a value consensus through the “hidden curriculum”.
It is a impact on what teacher’s can achieve to improve themselves and therefore improve their students but it must all have an interconnection of validity and results. As identified by Darling-Hammond and McLaughlin (2011), “Habits and cultures inside schools must foster critical
Some think it as promoting value consensus and some see otherwise. Functionalists believe that education transmits society's norms and values and therefore promotes value consensus, with the educational and economic system working hand in hand to develop the skills required for the world of work. Emile Durkheim provides the basic framework of the functionalists view on the education system, agreeing with its function of transmitting norms and values. He believed that for society to operate effectively they have to develop a sense of belonging to something, becoming 'social beings' with a loyalty and commitment to society as a whole. The education system creates this effectively by teaching subjects such as history, which enables children to see the link between themselves and wider society.
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.
P1: Use sociological terminology to explain the principal sociological perspectives In this essay I will be discussing different aspects of sociological perspectives in society. I will be mentioning three main sociological perspective; Functionalism, Marxists , The New Right and Feminism and their views on the family, the education system and gender etc. Functionalists Functionalists are positive about society. They generalise their ideas to the whole of society. For example they look at what education does for society as a whole not just certain people in society.
Therefore it is essential that teachers develop their educational philosophy and their educational goals before making the big step from being a student to being a teacher. It highlights and acknowledges the importance of social interactions between students and teachers as well as the roles that each plays in ensuring a successful educational experience which concludes that their philosophy on education is based on the concept of sharing of
It is through these theories that we will gain more insight into the issues associated with school system-wide leadership (Knapp, et al, 2008, p. 35). This study will use these learning theories to illuminate the reasoning for educational reform, and inform the research obtained from the focus groups and interviews. These theories are vital to the study, because they are the basis for change and adaptability of people within professional environments. Organizational change refers to the learning of a collective, and how students
Many sociologists have given alternate views about the main function of education. Functionalists argue that the main function of education is to maintain a value consensus – agreed social values – whereas Marxists argue that education transmits values that benefit the ruling class. Durkheim (1903), a functionalist, argues that society needs a sense of social solidarity because without it, social life and cooperation would be impossible as individuals would pursue their own selfish desires. The education system helps create social solidarity by transmitting society’s culture from one generation to the next so the main function of education is to maintain a value consensus in society. However, Marxists criticise this and argue that education in capitalist society only transmits the ideology of the ruling class and not the shared values of society.