Functionalist Perspective on Education

The functionalist perspective, as presented by key sociologists like Durkheim and Parsons, views education as serving essential functions for society's stability and progress.

Durkheim's View: Solidarity and Skills

Durkheim emphasizes two main functions of education:

1. Solidarity: Education transmits shared beliefs and values, creating a sense of community.

Example: Teaching national history fosters a shared heritage and commitment to wider social groups.

2. Specialist Skills: Education equips pupils with knowledge and skills needed for work in complex economies.

Vocabulary: Particularistic standards are rules that apply within the family, while universalistic standards apply to everyone in school and wider society.

Parsons on Meritocracy

Parsons argues that school bridges the gap between family and wider society by introducing meritocratic principles.

Definition: Meritocracy is a system where everyone is given equal opportunities and rewarded based on their efforts and abilities.

Davis & Moore on Role Allocation

Davis and Moore focus on how education allocates pupils to suitable future job roles based on their abilities.

Highlight: They argue that important roles in society should be filled by the most skilled and talented individuals.

Evaluation of Functionalist Perspective

The functionalist view is critiqued on several grounds:

• Wolf (2011) questions the effectiveness of education in teaching specialist skills.
• Critics argue that equal opportunities don't truly exist in education.
• Marxists contend that education transmits ruling class ideas rather than shared societal values.

Quote: Tumin (1953) critiques Davis and Moore's argument as circular: "We know a job is important because it's highly rewarded, and a job is highly rewarded because it's important."

This comprehensive overview of the functionalist perspective provides essential content for A Level Sociology Education Knowledge Organisers and GCSE Sociology revision notes pdf.

New Right Perspective on Education

The New Right perspective shares some similarities with functionalism but critiques state-run education systems.

Similarities to Functionalism

• Belief in natural talent differences
• Support for meritocracy and competition
• Emphasis on education's role in socializing shared values

Critique of State Education

The New Right argues that state-run education:

• Has a "one size fits all" approach
• Ignores local needs
• Is unresponsive to consumers (parents, pupils, employers)
• Results in lower achievement standards

Solution: Marketisation of Education

The New Right proposes creating an "education market" to address these issues.

Example: Chubb & Moe suggest a voucher system where parents can "shop" for schools, forcing institutions to compete and raise standards.

Vocabulary: Parentocracy refers to an education system run or heavily influenced by parents.

Evaluation of New Right Perspective

Critics of the New Right approach argue:

• Competition benefits middle-class families more (Ball, 1994)
• Lack of funding, not state control, causes lower standards
• There's a contradiction in supporting parental choice while advocating for a national curriculum

This analysis of the New Right perspective is crucial for Sociology Education revision GCSE and A Level sociology Education studies, providing a balanced view of different approaches to educational policy and theory.