...Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess functionalist views of the role of education in modern society (20 marks) The consensus functionalist approach is just one of many that attempt to explain the role of education in modern society. Functionalism is based on the view that society is a system of interdependent parts held together by a shared culture or value consensus. Each part of society such as the family, economy and education system performs functions that help to maintain society. Functionalists such as Durkheim and Parsons seek to discover what functions that educations performs and what is does to meet society’s needs. Marxists such as Althusser and Bowle & Gintis disagree with functionalists and argues that education in modern society continues to uphold the capitalist system. The French sociologist, Durkheim (1903) argued that education provided two main functions. Firstly, social solidarity; some of the subjects taught as part of the national curriculum such as History and Citizenship helps students to understand the complexity of British culture. This sense of shared culture between children creates a strong sense of unity and commitment to a wider social group. Without social solidarity, society would fall apart as there would be no cooperation as each individual would pursue their own selfish desires making education a vital role for modern society. The second function that education has is that it prepares young people for work. Industrial societies...
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...Assess the functionalist view of education (20 marks) In this essay, one will be testing out the functionalist view of education. Functionalism is a macro, consensus theory that has the idea that society is functioning well and efficiently. Functionalists believe education provides universalistic norms i.e they see it promotes the norms and values of wider society. One would suggest that Functionalists are bit naive in their view of the education system, as it could be argued that education doesn't benefit everyone, especially the working class. The first functionalist concept, one will be testing out is the Equality of Opportunity. This means that all students regardless of class, gender and ethnicity are seen as equally important by the school and are all given equal chance to succeed. The functionalist Durkheim says schools stress the importance of equal opportunities. In juxtaposition Marxists would say that this is a form of brainwashing. Working class children are told they have the same chances to succeed as everyone else so when they do badly they have no-one else to blame but themselves. Material deprivation means they have little chance of competing fairly. One would suggest that the Marxist view is a little more accurate in its argument as it's very optimistic to say that everyone has equal chance to succeed. The second functionalist concept, one will testing out is Meritocracy. This is the belief that individuals achieve according to their ability and effort...
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...In this essay I will assess the functionalist views of the role on education. Functionalists agree that education in the form of institutions, such as schools, is the best way to pass on the skills required in society. They argue that school provides secondary socialisation which is when a child is influenced by the surroundings when they are not with their family. The term 'meritocracy' means that the highest social positions are given to the most able people. This provides equal opportunities and allows schools to recognise individual potential. Emile Durkheim is a functionalist who states that 'school is a vehicle for transmitting norms and values.' He sees the major function of education as the transmission of this. By this he means that education prepares children for life in the real world. He says that school serves a function which cannot be provided either by the family or peer group. This supports the idea of secondary socialisation. The term 'miniature society' was used by Durkheim to describe the education system. This refers to the way the students are being taught in preparation for the world of work. Discipline, sanctions and fear of exclusion are matters that take place in the employment sector as well as in the education system. Also, authority, hierarchy, conflict and friendship count for this. Durkheim was particularly concerned with social solidarity where the social unit is more important than the individual. In school, children must show commitment...
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...* Assess functionalist views of the role of education (20 marks) There are multiple views in society of the education system. The first view is functionalist – they believe that the education system is positive. The second view is Marxism – they believe that education in negative. The final perspective is feminism and they believe that again education is a negative thing. Functionalists such as Durkheim believe that the education system is positive because it gives us a shared sense of belonging, he also believes that due to history in education we are all bonded together because we all share the same past. Moreover, he also said that education gives us social solidarity because we’re all functioning together in society due to education giving us specialised skills for the workforce and later life. Additionally, functionalists such as Parsons believe that education is vital because it’s a bridge from the family to society. He also believes that there is equality of opportunity in society and in education this means there is a meritocracy and social mobility. Moreover, he said that education encourages individual achievement and this achievement is measured by role allocation and setting. This means that those who do well in school (those in the top sets) will be pushed to go for the highest jobs. He also said that education develops a value consensus in society this means that society has a shared set of norms and values. Davis and Moore examined role allocation. They believe...
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...Assess the contribution of functionalism to our understanding of the role of education (20 marks) Functionalists have a fairly positive view of education, however they do say that if one institution fails then the others do aswell. It is a common belief amongst functionalists that all institutions such as education help to maintain social order by performing main functions. Education in an institution that is considered an agency of social control which makes sure that norms and values are followed as they believe that by following these will prevent social issues. Functionalists Davis and Moore said that the education system was potentially involved with social inequality. They believed that education is used for selection and role allocation. They argued that social inequality was necessary in society because it meant that the most important and functional jobs were allocated to the most intellectual and skilled individuals. This view that Davis and Moore identified can be criticised because the most functional jobs don’t always get the highest pay, for example, doctors have a very functional job and benefit society, however they get paid less that people who work in the music industry. Durkheim identified that the education system performs two main functions. The first function that Durkheim identified was ‘creating and maintaining social solidarity’ which is where people are made to feel that they belong and fit in in their society. He argued that the education...
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...Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess functionalist views of the role of education in modern society (20 marks) The consensus functionalist approach is just one of many that attempt to explain the role of education in modern society. Functionalism is based on the view that society is a system of interdependent parts held together by a shared culture or value consensus. Each part of society such as the family, economy and education system performs functions that help to maintain society. Functionalists such as Durkheim and Parsons seek to discover what functions that educations performs and what is does to meet society’s needs. Marxists such as Althusser and Bowle & Gintis disagree with functionalists and argues that education in modern society continues to uphold the capitalist system. The French sociologist, Durkheim (1903) argued that education provided two main functions. Firstly, social solidarity; some of the subjects taught as part of the national curriculum such as History and Citizenship helps students to understand the complexity of British culture. This sense of shared culture between children creates a strong sense of unity and commitment to a wider social group. Without social solidarity, society would fall apart as there would be no cooperation as each individual would pursue their own selfish desires making education a vital role for modern society. The second function that education has is that it prepares young people for work. Industrial societies...
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...Assess the claim that the main function of education is to maintain a value consensus in society. Different sociologists believe that there are different functions of the education system. Some sociologists think that the main function of the education system is to maintain a value consensus in society while others think differently. In item A it states “Functionalists argue that value consensus - agreed social values - is essential for the well-being of society” They think that education transmits the norms and values to the students which would contribute towards the skills needed for work in the future. Education has many purposes such as secondary socialisation of children and allocation of roles. The functionalist perspective think that education helps maintain society by socialising young people into values of achievement, competition and equality of opportunity. Durkheim is a functionalist. He identified the two main functions of education were creating social solidarity and teaching specialist skills. Durkheim argues that society needs a sense of solidarity and without it, life would be impossible because each individual would pursue their own selfish desires. . Furthermore, he argues that education teaches individuals the specialist knowledge and skill that they need to play their part in the social division of labour, therefore the main function of education is to maintain a value consensus in society. Parson views education as being part of a meritocracy...
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...“Assess the view that the family is functional for society” Functionalists believe that society is based on a value consensus into which society socialises its members. This enables them to cooperate harmoniously to meet society’s needs and achieve shared goals. Functionalists regard society as a system that depend on each other such as the family the education system and the economy. Functionalists stress the positive role of the nuclear family in providing for the basic needs of each individual and all of its members and how important it is for the efficient working of society and the maintenance of social order. A functionalist’s view of the family sees the interaction of the family with society’s institutions as harmonious and based on consensus and that these inter-relationships contribute to social solidarity. Functionalists look at what the family does for the whole of society, not just certain people. George Peter Murdock (1949) argues that the family performs four essential functions to meet the needs of society and its members: Stable satisfaction of the sex drive with the same partner, preventing the social disruption caused by sexual free –for-all. Reproduction of the next generation, without which society could not continue. Socialisation of the young into society’s shared norms and values. Meeting its member’s economic needs, such as food and shelter. Murdock accepts that other institutions could perform these functions. However he argues that the sheer practicality...
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...CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS GCE Advanced Level MARK SCHEME for the May/June 2014 series 9699 SOCIOLOGY 9699/33 Paper 3 (Social Inequality and Opportunity), maximum raw mark 75 This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have considered the acceptability of alternative answers. Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for Teachers. Cambridge will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes. Cambridge is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2014 series for most IGCSE, GCE Advanced Level and Advanced Subsidiary Level components and some Ordinary Level components. Page 2 1 Mark Scheme GCE A LEVEL – May/June 2014 Syllabus 9699 Paper 33 (a) Explain how the achievement of pupils may be influenced by pupil sub-cultures. [9] 0–4 A few general observations about pupils’ educational achievement, with no direct links to the question, would be worth 1 or 2 marks. A basic account of what is meant by pupil sub-culture, with no further development in relation to the question, would be placed in the higher part of the band. 5–9 Lower in the band, answers are likely to provide a basic...
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... moderate and good answers to the question so pick out the ways in which you can achieve top band and incorporate this into your plan. June 2015 Examine the impact of government policies and laws on family life. [24 marks] From the mark scheme: Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: patriarchy; familism; surveillance; ideological control; gender regimes; marital breakdown; family structure; family diversity; welfare dependency; underclass; reserve army of labour Policies/laws on abortion; divorce; contraception; reproductive technology; marriage; adoption; pensions; benefits; taxes; education; childcare; child protection; sexuality; immigration may be discussed Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance by comparing the impact of different policies/laws or by discussing perspectives on social policy and the family (eg New Right, feminist, functionalist etc) From the examiner’s report: The most successful answers were able to identify relevant policies...
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...Assess the contribution of functionalism to our understanding of society. (33) Functionalism is a consensus theory. It sees society as based on agreement among people about values, goals and rules in society. The job of the family is primary socialization. The family introduces norms and values to children, who carry these on to later years, where they are reinforced by religion and education. These norms and values allow people to move up the social hierarchy. For example, children are taught to conform by the family and education, which allows them to conform to the rules of wider society and become aware of what, is socially acceptable. Education also trains by teaching the skills needed for later life, for example punctuality, and interview skills. Unlike conflict structuralism, functionalists believe that society is based on merit, and those who work the hardest will be the ones to make it to the top, ensuring jobs are filled by those most capable, with the required skills. Those who don't work, will stay at the bottom of the hierarchy, and carry out the more menial, but equally essential jobs. In sociological research, functional prerequisites are the basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, and money) that an individual requires to live above the poverty line. Functional prerequisites may also refer to the factors that allow a society to maintain social order. A key functionalist is Talcott Parsons; he saw society as working like a human body, arguing that institutions...
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...Using material from item A and elsewhere, assess the view that the education system exists mainly to select and prepare young people for their future work roles. Across the UK, it is now compulsory for everyone under the age of 18 to be in full time education. This, according to the government, allows enough time for students to become fully socialised and ready to go out in to the work place and keep young people off the streets. However, there are many arguments that claim the education system does not do what it is meant to do. The education system was originally introduced to ensure that everyone could be properly socialised, as family can only equip children with the basic skills. So the education system is there to continue the process of socialising children and allocate them for the necessary work roles. Marxists, however, would strongly disagree with that statement. They believe that the education system was created by the middle class for the middle class, and therefore it only benefits middle class students. Louis Althusser (1971) argues that education is only there to maintain each generation by transmitting the ruling class views in to the working class students, and disguising them as common values. This causes the conditions needed for capitalism to flourish without having to use force. Marxist believes that there are two main functions of the education system. They argue that education reproduces the inequalities and social relations of a capitalist...
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...Using material from item 2b and elsewhere, assess the contribution of functionalist sociologists to our understanding of the family Functionalists believe that everyone has a role to play in society in order for it to work effectively. Not only does the family have practical uses like reproduction and primary socialisation, but also things that personally benefit each member of family like economic provision. Each individual has a different belief on the importance of family and how it impacts our lives; however, I think functionalism only covers the basic understanding of family and how we are impacted by our own. One functionalist who has a theory regarding family is George Murdock, who published his research in 1949. Murdock believe there are four functions to a family: sexual, reproductive, economic and educational. The sexual function is for the married parents. In order to stay together and uphold the traditional happy family, they enjoy a healthy sex life to prevent affairs and unhappiness within the marriage. This is important as it ensures the children of the couple are raised by their biological parents. The economic function is the means of the man going off to work in order to provide food and shelter for the rest of the family. Education is the primary socialisation of the children, they will have the expected norms and values of moral people, helping them to fit into society as they grow older. This ‘education’ will also help them learn their place in society...
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...Sociology essay Assess the view that the main function of the education system is to reproduce & legitimise social inequalities. Functionalists believe that education serves a purpose and gives everyone an equal chance to achieve and succeed. They believe education has a function to create a fully operational society and allocate roles fitting the correct people. However, a conflict argument (Marxism), disagree. Marxism believe that not everyone at school gets an equal opportunity (The myth or meritocracy) and that social class, gender and ethnicity all impact on what grades you will come out with. They also believe that education system reproduces social inequalities and legitimises them. Functionalists say the education system socialises children to adapt to a meritocratic view of achievement. At home a child is given a status (Particularistic standards) and at school universalistic standards apply, this means your status starts at a level playing field. This status will go up or down based on merit. One theorist who picked up on this was Talcott Parsons, and he suggested that education is a vital part to instil the major value of achievement. Marxist theorist Bourdieu disagrees with this view, he believe once at school not everyone starts at a level playing field and it is the lower classes who suffer most, this is evident in Item A. Item A states “School systematically fail the majority of working class pupils” this is supported by Bourdieu who adds that the...
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...elsewhere assess the contribution of functionalism to our understanding of the role of education. Functionalism is based on the view that society is a system of interdependent parts held together by a shared culture or value consensus (agreement) amongst individuals as to what values or norms are important in society. Therefore they take a positive view of the education system. As item A suggests they see it as a form of secondary socialism essential to maintaining society i.e. the values and norms transmitted by social institutions and groups which build upon those learnt in the family (primary socialism). The French sociologist Emile Durkheim (1903) identifies the two main features of education as the creation of social solidarity and the teaching of specialist skills which are both essential for life in society and work. The American functionalist Talcott Parsons (1961) sees society as one based on the principle of meritocracy unintentionally highlighting the inequality of how those they see as ‘the naturally more talented’ get the best jobs over others. In addition to this Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore (1945) also see education as the means for selection and role allocation but focus on the relationship between education and inequality amongst individuals. Similarly to the point, Peter Blau and Otis Duncan argue that a modern economy depends on the prosperity constant growth of using its ‘human capital’ and its workers skills. However the functionalist view...
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