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Unlock This CourseÉmile Durkheim (1858-1917) was a French sociologist who is often called the "father of sociology." He was one of the first thinkers to examine education from a sociological perspective. Durkheim saw education as a crucial social institution that helps society function smoothly. His ideas form part of the functionalist perspective in sociology.
Key Definitions:
Émile Durkheim was born in France in 1858. He became the first professor of sociology in France and published important works on education, religion, suicide and the division of labour in society. Durkheim believed that education was vital for creating social order in modern industrial societies. He died in 1917, but his ideas continue to influence sociology today.
According to Durkheim, education serves several crucial functions that help maintain social order and stability. Let's explore these functions in detail.
For Durkheim, one of education's most important functions is to create social solidarity. Schools bring together children from different backgrounds and teach them shared values, creating bonds between individuals and a sense of belonging to the wider society.
Education teaches students the core values of society, such as respect for others, honesty, hard work and patriotism. By learning these values, students develop a sense of commitment to society and understand what behaviour is expected of them.
Durkheim identified several ways that schools create social solidarity:
School uniforms are a perfect example of how education creates social solidarity. By wearing the same clothes, students develop a sense of belonging to their school community. Uniforms remove visible signs of social class differences, helping to create a sense of equality among students. Durkheim would see uniforms as a way of preparing students for society, where they will need to follow dress codes in many workplaces.
Durkheim recognised that modern industrial societies need people with specialised skills. Education prepares students for their future roles in the division of labour by:
Schools teach subject-specific knowledge and skills needed for different occupations.
Education teaches punctuality, following instructions and completing tasks on time.
Students learn to work with others and understand their role within a larger system.
For Durkheim, education helps maintain social order by teaching students to accept the norms and values of society. This creates social control in two main ways:
Durkheim believed that without this moral education, individuals would pursue their own selfish interests, leading to conflict and disorder in society.
Durkheim argued that as societies develop, they move from mechanical solidarity (where people are united by similar work and beliefs) to organic solidarity (where people are united through their different but complementary roles).
In traditional societies, education was simple and often took place within the family. Everyone learned similar skills and shared the same beliefs. In modern industrial societies, education became more specialised to prepare people for different roles in the division of labour.
In traditional societies, people were united by similarities. Education was informal, took place in the family and taught everyone similar skills and beliefs.
In modern societies, people are united by their differences and interdependence. Formal education teaches specialised skills for different roles while also creating a shared identity.
While Durkheim's ideas have been influential, they have also faced criticism:
Marxist sociologists argue that Durkheim's functionalist view of education ignores how schools reproduce class inequality. While Durkheim sees education as benefiting society as a whole, Marxists believe it primarily serves the interests of the ruling class by preparing working-class children for subordinate roles in the workforce and teaching them to accept inequality as natural.
Despite these criticisms, many of Durkheim's ideas remain relevant to understanding education in contemporary society:
When studying education systems, Durkheim's perspective encourages us to ask:
Understanding Durkheim's functionalist perspective provides an important foundation for analysing education, even if we need to complement it with other theoretical approaches to gain a complete picture.