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Functionalist perspective on education

            Functionalist perspective on education.
             Critically evaluate the functionalist perspective on education.
             The key ideas of the functionalist perspective is that society is made up of parts which support the system as a whole and that changes in one part of society (such as the family) changes other parts of society (such as education). For instance if we start having less children then the education system will be effected.
             The focus of the functionalist perspective is on how a part contributes to the survival of the whole. The key to functionalist thought is that society is characterised by order and stability. Functionalist tends to be conservative in their outlook arguing that widespread social change can be very destructive for social systems. For instance in the industrial revolution in Western countries urbanisation and demographic movements led to high crime levels, increased suicide, and changing social relationships based on relations between strangers.
             Functionalism emerged through the work of Comte, Durkheim, and Spencer. These early social theorists experienced the social changes in the 1800s. .
             The functionalist perspective has often been termed the sunshine perspective. This is because it takes a pro-society stance. It can assume that because something exists it is functional for society. Poverty creates jobs for some workers and assists society to use all of its products. It is of course dysfunctional. It costs society much more. This level of theorising is useless. Functionalism does give us a perspective on society that we can use in daily life. In education meritocracy is used in order for individuals to obtain higher paid jobs with more credibility and social status. Education operates in a similar principle to the way in which the poverty creates jobs for some workers. This is because if everyone attended higher education it would no longer have the same value in our society, as it would not differentiate one individual from another.


Essays Related to Functionalist perspective on education

1. Education from a Functionalist Perspective

This essay argues the usefulness of education to the entire Australian society, as seen from a functional sociologist's perspective. After an outline of the functionalist world-view, the functional role of education will be examined. ... The functionalist view of education is school takes on the responsibility of teaching people to be more socially accepted. ... Functionalists see the third function of education closely tied to the needs of the economy (O'Donnell, 1992:82). ... Sargent (1994:184) disagrees with this view of the functionalist perspective. ...

  • Word Count: 1216
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. A Sociological Perspective on Education

One of these conclusions, which comes from a functionalist point of view, is the idea that the primary function of education is to help socialize children and prepare them for their eventual entrance into society as adults. ... By using the above sociological perspectives of functionalism and conflict theory, we will look at how education's primary role – that of a functionalist perspective of promoting a functional society, is at the same time accompanied by a juxtaposed conflict theory perspective where a "by-product" of education is one that perpetuates social inequalit...

  • Word Count: 2568
  • Approx Pages: 10

3. Compare Marxist and Functionalist Perspectives

Compare and Contrast Functionalist and Marxist Perspectives Sociology is a systematic way of studying the social world. ... Both perspectives of Marx and Durkheim, aspired for a Utopian society. ... From a functionalist perspective, the main parts of society (its institutions such as education, religion and the family) are the foundations for social structure. ... Government/Education, Adaptation- development of material world, e.g. ... Functionalists assume that everyone in society is in agreement and shares norms. ...

  • Word Count: 1151
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. functionalist and marxist appr

However Religion is a major part of the National curriculum in education. ... Also both sociological perspectives pursue a functionalist logic. ... The Functionalist perspective takes Religion at face value according to the Marxist perspective and does not recognise its underlying features whereas the Marxists uses Religion to explain social order. ... In the functionalist perspective Now we must evaluate to what extent Religion controls members of society and how it implements into agencies of social control and socialisation. ... This perspective is coherent with the Marx interpret...

  • Word Count: 1784
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

5. Aspects of Theoretical Perspectives

These three views, the ones mostly used by sociologists, are the functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist perspectives. ... To start with is the functionalist theory. ... These are macrosociology –a level of analysis that focuses on relationships between social structures without reference to the interaction of people involved, in the case of the conflict and functionalist perspectives and microsociology –a level of analysis that is concerned with the study of people within social structures as they interact in daily life (Hughes and Kroehler, 2008). ... Take a social ...

  • Word Count: 2388
  • Approx Pages: 10
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

6. Power Perspectives

Perspectives on Power In today's society there are often power struggles about almost everything. ... In this perspective every person has a role on society. ... Conflict theory is the third perspective in sociology. ... People struggle for power, wealth, education, housing, prestige, and any other benefits society has to offer. ... Functionalists scrutinize society as a whole unit. ...

  • Word Count: 1290
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Sociology and the Fuctionalist View on Education

The leading authority of functionalist ideology is Emile Durkheim and he identifies two main functions of education which are social solidarity and teaching specialist skills. Other Functionalists argue that the role of education is to draw the bridge between family and the wider society, and also to serve as a device for selection and allocation.The aim of this essay is to assess the contribution of functionalists views to our understanding of the role of education. ... On another hand, there is the New Right perspective on education that has the belief that the state cannot meet people...

  • Word Count: 1442
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. Social class effects on education and socialization

In the first part of the paper, the two major perspectives of sociology, functionalist and conflict, are compared to show how they approach this issue. ... Functionalists argue that the inequalities that exist within the education system do so for positive reasons. ... The functionalists view has been accused of painting a too optimistic picture. ... Like functionalists, they think there is a belief in the link between education and the economy. ... Other than Marxists who opposes the current system as a whole, moderate conflict theorists who analyses the contemporary education system, disag...

  • Word Count: 1880
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. Marxist Theory on Education and the Workforce

On the other hand, the Functionalists perspective challenges the Marxist theory of education. Functionalists believe that the education system is primarily based on a meritocracy. Durkheim and Parsons, Functionalist sociologists, explain that people in society who are the most talented and hardworking will be recognized by the education system and will be qualified to access high positions in the labour market. Functionalists presume this will occur despite your social status or position. In addition, Functionalists see education as a vehicle that is used to pass on society's cultural bel...

  • Word Count: 1463
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

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