🤝 Socialisation
Schools teach the shared norms and values of society, such as respect, fairness and cooperation. Children learn that they belong to something bigger than their family.
Theories of Education » The Functionalist View of Education
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Cambridge spec: 5.2.1
- The positive roles of education according to functionalists: socialisation, social control, economic and selective roles
- Meritocracy, social mobility, role allocation, value consensus and equal opportunities in schools
- Standardised testing, setting by ability and vocationalism
- Strengths and limitations of the functionalist view
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Unlock This CourseEducation as a force for good
Morning assembly in action: functionalists say schools like this pass on shared values that hold society together
Remember that functionalists see society as a system in which every part helps the whole to run smoothly. Education is one of those parts. On this view, schools are good for society because they pass on shared values, prepare young people for work and make sure the right people end up in the right jobs.
The functionalists you should know are Durkheim and Parsons. Durkheim said schools teach children the shared values of their society and the skills needed to do a particular job. Parsons said the school is a bridge between the family and wider society. At home, a child is judged as a special individual. At school, and later at work, everyone is judged by the same rules.
Key terms:
- Role allocation: sorting people into the jobs and positions that suit their abilities.
- Equal opportunities: everyone has the same chance to succeed, whatever their background.
- Standardised testing: giving every pupil the same test, marked in the same way, so results can be compared fairly.
- Setting by ability: placing pupils in different groups for a subject according to how well they perform in it.
- Vocationalism: an emphasis on teaching practical skills and knowledge linked to particular jobs.
The four roles of education
🚧 Social control
Schools teach pupils to follow rules and accept authority. Rewards and punishments keep behaviour in line, which helps keep society orderly.
💼 Economic role
Education gives young people the knowledge and skills that the economy needs, from reading and number work to specialist training.
🎯 Selective role
Education sorts pupils by ability. Exams and grades show who is suited to which kind of further study or job.
Meritocracy, mobility and role allocation
Functionalists argue that schools are meritocratic. Rewards go to those who earn them through ability and effort, not to those with the richest parents. Pupils with high grades gain the better jobs and the higher status.
This links to social mobility. If success depends on merit, a child from a poorer family can move up the social ladder through education. Moving up is possible because the school treats everyone by the same standards.
Education also carries out role allocation. Society has many jobs to fill, and some need more training and talent than others. Schools test and grade pupils so that the most able can be directed to the most demanding roles, such as surgeon or engineer, while others take up different roles. Functionalists say this is fair and efficient, because the right people do the right jobs.
Value consensus and equal opportunities
Value consensus means most people agree on the main values of society. Functionalists say that because every pupil follows the same school rules, takes part in assemblies and learns a shared national or community history, they all pick up the same core values. This produces unity, so people feel they belong to the same society.
Equal opportunities means that all pupils get the same chance to do well. In many societies children now receive free education and follow a common curriculum. Functionalists say this gives each child a fair start, so any differences in results come from ability and effort.
Testing, setting and vocationalism
Everyone sits the same exam under the same rules - functionalists see this as the fair way to sort people into jobs (role allocation)
📝 Standardised testing
Because everyone sits the same exam, marked to the same scheme, results are fair and comparable. Employers can trust the grades. Functionalists see this as the main tool of role allocation.
📈 Setting by ability
Pupils work with others of similar ability. Functionalists say each pupil gets teaching at the right pace, and talented pupils are stretched. It prepares pupils for a society where people are sorted by ability.
🔧 Vocationalism
Courses such as engineering, hairdressing or business studies link school to work. They give young people practical skills, supply the economy with trained workers and ease the move from school to a job.
Strengths and limitations of the functionalist view
✅ Strengths
It explains why every society has an education system and what schools do for society. The idea of education as a link between home and work is easy to see in real life: pupils do learn rules, sit exams and leave with qualifications that employers use. Many people have used education to move up, which supports the idea of mobility.
❌ Limitations
It is too positive. In reality, pupils from richer families often do better, so education may not be truly meritocratic, and not everyone has equal opportunities. It assumes everyone shares the same values, and ignores the experiences of different groups. It treats pupils as if they simply absorb what they are taught, and ignores how teachers' labels and pupils' own choices affect results. Marxist and feminist views challenge it, and you will meet them in the next lessons.
Common mistakes
Writing only what schools do, without saying how it helps society. For every role, add "so that...". Another mistake is to say the functionalist view is true. Say that functionalists argue it, then give evidence for and against. Do not mix up value consensus (agreed values) with social control (making people follow the rules).
Exam-style question
(a) Define the term role allocation. [2 marks]
(b) Give two examples of how a school might socialise pupils. [2 marks]
(c) Explain three ways in which education benefits society, according to functionalists. [6 marks]
Model answer
(a) Role allocation is sorting people into jobs or positions (1) according to their abilities and qualifications (1).
(b) Pupils learn to respect others and cooperate by working in teams (1). They learn to follow rules and accept authority, for example by wearing uniform or obeying school rules (1).
(c) First, schools provide the economy with skilled workers (1), because pupils gain the knowledge and training that employers need (1). Second, schools sort pupils through exams and grades (1), so the most able are placed in the most demanding jobs and society runs efficiently (1). Third, schools teach shared values (1), which creates value consensus and holds society together (1).
Exam tip
In a "three ways" question, give three clearly separate points and explain each one with a reason. Start each with First, Second and Third so the examiner can see each mark.