Functionalist and conflict theories are two leading theories on the idea of education and its incorporation into society, as well as the influence of education on employment prospects. Given that the future of contemporary society depends on the successful education of the next generation, this is one of many topics guaranteed to spark intense debate (Sadovnik 2011). Emile Durkheim, a leading functionalist, believed that education played a key role in creating the morals and solidarity needed for social cooperation (Sadovnik 2011), which aligns with the functionalist idea of an underlying consensus within society. Marxist theorists, Bowles and Gintis, by contrast, hold the view that ‘the structure of schooling is based on a ‘correspondence …show more content…
872). Many conflict theorists see structured education as authoritarian, regarding the student-teacher hierarchy as degrading, characterising ‘student non-compliance with school rules as a form of resistance’ (Sadovnik 2011, p. 7), which comes from their idea that there is no underlying consensus within society, but rather an unspoken disagreement. Both theories see the education system as a way of maintaining the social order; however functionalists support this process whilst conflict theorists denounce it. The theories focus on not only the role of education, but are concerned with equality, inequality and gender issues within the education system.
The role of education can be explained using the two contrasting theories. Functionalism focuses on what compulsory education offers greater society; schools sort young people by their abilities, talents and capabilities, and students with these qualities will inarguably achieve more throughout their education than those without them, regardless of their socio-economic background (Holmes 2015). Haralambos also writes of two functionalist ideas: Primary
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According to Parsons, a leading functionalist, ‘schools, like the wider society, operate on a meritocratic basis where children achieve their status according to merit, or worth, rather than the basis of their sex, race, or class’ (Parson & Bales 1956, cited in Giddens & Sutton 2013, p. 871) and this follows the basic functional idea that society should have inequality, but based around a person’s individual worth to the society, and not by their socio-economic background or any other factor outside of their control. Conflict theorists reject this as they say an individual’s worth is consistently heavily influences by their lineage. Functionalists justify the resulting inequality of their meritocratic system as people receive what they deserve; a different kind of equality. Sadovnik (2011) continues to write that schooling provides the opportunity for the development and preservation of modern and democratic societies, particularly in regards to equal opportunities for everyone. Pierre Bordieu contradicts this, arguing that schools are only there for the advancement of middle and upper class families, leaving many working class children alienated from any education (Holmes 2015), and Sadovnik (2011) adds that many conflict theorists suggest functionalists are confusing reality with ideology in terms of education deliverance, with
Juveniles are being taught that in order to have a nice car, branded cloths and the house of their dreams, by getting into an expensive mortgage, they have to be an employee of a huge corporation. In addition, they have to undergo to a prestigious school, study hard, have excellent grades in order to become popular and respectable in the world. However, many people would not become those super leaders, but these majority of people have a great role in the capitalism society of the US. As Gatto says, “We buy televisions, and then we buy the things we see on the television. We buy computers, and then we buy the things we see on the computer. We buy $150 sneakers whether we need them or not, and when they fall apart too soon we buy another pair” (38). Such results are in part of a wrong education that teenagers have received trough many decades. In addition, Gatto highlights that modern educational system has been working in a six basic functions methods that makes the system strong and unbreakable: The adjustable function, indulge students to respect authorities. The integrating function, which builds the personality of the students as similar to each other as possible. The diagnostic and directive function, which allows a school to set permanent scholar grades in order to determinate his or her future role in society. The differentiating function, which gives to the student a good education and after his or her role is diagnosed, they prevent any educational progress. The selective function, function that the system has used to prevent academic growth for the non-selected students. The propaedeutic function, which works in the selection of specific groups of intellectual adults to keep perpetuating the system all over again making it a continuous sequence. (Gatto 34). Gatto’s facts revealed the survival of the educational system for decades,
An example of a functionalism theorist is Durkheim. Durkheim concluded that capital and labor only conflicted when prompted by a temporary condition. An example of a conflict theorist is Marx. Marx claims capital and labor fight for the means of production, causing conflict between classes. (a)
Functional Literacy and the Working Class, technically belong to the social lower classes, and the individuals are just mandated to learn the minimal skills for dayli life survival. In Functional Literacy and Working Classs, the participants are being taught in a rigid way without any type af allowance to try other options or be creative. They are designed to function by followint the directions and play an especific role that has been choosen for them. And we can confifm this argument through the author's words in the article when she said "Work is often evaluated not according to whether it is right or wrong but according to whether the children followed the right steps" (Anyon, 1980, p.3). Continueing to compare Knoblauch defitions with Anyon's types of classes we have the Cultural Literacy and the Middle Class. The Cultural Literacy promotes the awareness of cultural heritage, "citizens must learn to speak and write decorously, as well as functionally, and must also read great books," (Knoblauch, 1990, p.4) and the oportunity to a thinking level above the Functional Literacy. The Middles Class students get thier knowledge from the books, and the are there to support them. They are allowed to think or to
..., and religious societies. One of the primary purposes of schools is to prepare students for the working world, and it makes no sense to prepare them with a faulty model. If the world at large is desegregated, the schools should not be segregated, either” (Watson 4).
Like the functionalists, Marxists agree that education is functional in that it maintains the dominance of certain powerful groups in society. Unlike the functionalists, however, Marxists do not believe that it works for the benefit of all. Instead Marxists argue that the education system sustains one small group’s ideas about appropriate forms of schooling and assumptions about what knowledge is. The system also maintains different levels of access to knowledge for different groups and thereby prohibits the widespread dissemination of knowledge to everyone. Bowles and...
A ridiculous amount of children in the world complain about needing to go to school, but imagine the countless number of kids having to work just so they could get the education that many people take for granted. Every student should be able to have the preparation to succeed as they face the obstacles of the world. These situations are analyzed in the articles “What Will Decrease Educational Inequality” by Adam Gamoran, and “Inequality in the American Education System” by William H. Schmidt. Articles such as these discuss the fact that due to many unfair factors that need to be eradicated, the student's ability to succeed in life hinders, stopping them from reaching their maximum potential. Unfortunately, as long as social injustice still
Davis, S. & Guppy, N. (2006). The Growth of Modern Schooling. In the schooled society: An
Functionalists and conflict theorists have contradictory views on inequalities. Functionalists have a positive outlook on inequalities, whereas the conflict theory believes that any type of inequality leads to a disruption in society.
But, it is also the misconceived ideology: “Education is increasingly the good of individual rather than for the good of society” (203) that prevails in our society, “Therefore, the student pays” (204). I refute this idea and believe the opposite. If a person educates him or herself, and then he/she is a value added to society. For example, if somebody studies to become a doctor, then he/she will serve the community, making sure that everyone is hale and hearty; so, if the services of the doctor are shared in the community, then why not the cost of making one? We can infer that, education not only benefits the individual, but also benefits the
The functionalist perspective argues for education as a means of development from simple, traditional social structures to more complex, modern ones. Drawing heavily from biological theories, functionalism equates society with a living organism composed of various internal systems, asserting that an understanding of these systems, in our case social practices and institutions, requires an examination of the means by which they serve the ‘body’, society (Feinberg and Solitis, ). In assessing the relationship between education and development, it is imperative to note that functionalists associate the advent of formal, compulsory education with the requirements of modern society, with modernity seen as synonymous with industrialization. That
Children around the world are being educated every day but some betters then others. What point in life does one have the incentive to be educated? For many they have the desire to be educated when they are young and in school. Others don’t desire to learn until they are no longer children. The entire purpose of the education system is to obtain knowledge and learn at higher levels. Then why do people not want to learn when they are in school in today’s society? This lack of interest of motivation or emotional support from the teachers, family and School system could be keeping kids from wanting to learn. In his essay “School vs. Education,” Russell Baker seems to believe that our system of education needs great improvement in the way we go about educating are students in today’s society. Schools and parents need more support educating students in each different stage of education throughout their life.
Education is a vital part of society. It serves the beneficial purpose of educating our children and getting them ready to be productive adults in today's society. But, the social institution of education is not without its problems. Continual efforts to modify and improve the system need to be made, if we are to reap the highest benefits that education has to offer to our children and our society as a whole.
From birth, education is what allows for our development. Newborns are already learning after exiting the womb as they start familiarizing themselves with their new environment. Theoretically, education is supposed to be the tool that allows for self-improvement. The modern education system reassures us that one’s background does not define their future. In America, education is one as the factor that gives all its citizens equal opportunity. The idea of anyone being able to create their own path to success regardless of their origin is what has attracted people from overseas and can be why America is commonly known as “the land of immigrants”. Whether it is education in a classroom or from personal experiences, it is what allows us to become knowledgeable of the world we live and people we interact with. Education is supposed to give people the opportunity to better ones self and obtain the skills and the knowledge deemed worthy in obtaining upward mobility. Education reformist Horace Mann once stated: “education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions, -- the balance-wheel of the social machinery.” -------(distinguish education and schooling- somehow) However, has education system only been set in place to meet the needs of industrialism? In this day in age, people students are attending schools in order to someday be employed in order to live a comfortable life. Public schools are teaching students in a manner where creativity and critical thinking are being denounced. Instead, the main goal is producing high standardized test scores. Students are being taught to equate the notion of becoming successful as a product of schooling (Gatto, 150).
In 1971, a philosopher by the name of Ivan Illich published a book called “Deschooling Society” – a critique of education in modern societies which called for the imminent disestablishment of schools. His radical ideas highlighted the institutionalisation of schools and he advocated self-motivated learning that could only occur outside of formal school boundaries. Many dismissed his thoughts as impractical or too radical for his time and while schools did not in fact disappear, Illich put forward ideas that still hold some relevance to this day (Hart, 2000). This essay will discuss what Illich sees as the aims of education, how he thinks these can be achieved and what the outcome would be if these ideas were applied to the present-day education system.
One of the most clearly seen and common aim of schooling is to develop individuals ‘who have skills an...