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The Functionalist Perspective on

Education
Functionalists focus on the positive functions of education – creating
social solidarity, teaching core values and work skills and role
allocation/ meritocracy

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Functionalists focus on the positive functions performed by the education system.

There are four positive functions that education performs

1. Creating social solidarity

2. Teaching skills necessary for work
3. Teaching us core values

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4. Role Allocation and meritocracy

Creating Social Solidarity

We have social solidarity when we feel as if we are part of something bigger. Emile
Durkheim argued that school makes us feel like we are part of something bigger.
This is done through the learning of subjects such as history and English which give
us a shared sense of identity. Also in American schools, children pledge allegiance to
the ag.

Durkheim argued that ‘school is a society in miniature.’ preparing us for life in

wider society. For example, both in school and at work we have to cooperate with
people who are neither friends or family – which gets us ready for dealing with
people at work in later life.

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Durkheim noted that an advanced industrial economy required a massive and
complex Division of Labour. At school, individuals learn the diverse skills necessary
for this to take place. For example, we may all start o learning the same subjects,
but later on we specialize when we do GCSEs.

Teaching us core values

Talcott Parsons argued that education acts as the ‘focal socializing agency’ in
modern society. School plays the central role in the process of secondary
socialisation, taking over from primary socialisation. He argued this was necessary
because the family and the wider society work in di erent principles and children
need to adapt if they re to cope In the wider world.

In the family, children are judged according to what he calls particularistic

standards by their parents – that is they are judged by rules that only apply to that
particular child. Individual children are given tasks based on their di erent abilities
and judged according to their unique characteristics. Parents often adapt rules to
suit the unique abilities of the child.

In contrast in school and in wider society, children and adults are judged according
to the same universalistic standards (i.e they are judged by the same exams and the
same laws). These rules and laws are applied equally to all people irrespective of the
unique character of the individual. School gets us ready for this.

The above ties in quite nicely with the modernisation theory view of development –
achieved status is seen as a superior system to the ascribed status found in traditional
societies. 

Role Allocation and meritocracy

Education allocates people to the most appropriate job for their talents using
examinations and quali cations. This ensures that the most talented are allocated to
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to be fair because
there is equality of opportunity – everyone has a chance of success and it is the most
able who succeed through their own e orts – this is known as meritocracy

Positive evaluations of the Functionalist view on

education

School performs positive functions for most pupils most of the time – even though
students might not want to go to school sometimes and not necessarily enjoy school
some of the time, the majority come out after 13 years of formal schooling as
reasonable human beings.

There does seem to be a link between education and economic growth, suggesting a
good education system bene ts the wider society and economy. All countries in
Western Europe have very good education systems while many poorer countries in
Sub-Saharan Africa have many more problems with their education systems, such
as low attendance rates.

Exclusion and truancy rates are very low, suggesting there is very little active
resistance to schooling.

Schools do try to foster ‘solidarity’ – through PSHE lessons and teaching British
Values for example.

Education is more ‘work focused’ today – increasing amounts of vocational courses.

If you look at post-16 education especially there is a lot of diverse courses o ered
and it it is di cult to see how technologically advanced post-industrial economies
could function without a thriving post-16 and university sectors.

Schooling is more meritocratic than in the 19th century (fairer)

Criticisms of the Functionalist View of Education

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Marxists argue the education system is not meritocratic – e.g. private schools
bene t the wealthy.

Today, school focuses more on developing the individual rather than teaching duties
and responsibilities that individuals should adopt towards society – it’s more about
the individual and less about solidarity

Functionalism ignores the negative sides of school – e.g. bullying and there are a
minority for who it doesn’t work, such as those permanently excluded.

Postmodernists argue that ‘teaching to the test’ since Marketisation kills creativity.

Functionalism re ects the views of the powerful – the education system tends to
work for them and they suggests there is nothing to criticise.

It is di cult to argue that schools performed any of the above four functions during
the disruption caused by the government’s response to the pandemic, especially not
being judged by universalistic standards (no standardized exams) or meritocracy
(because private school teachers in ated their students’ grades more than state
school teachers).

You might also like my brief vodcast on the same topic…

The Functionalist Perspective on Education

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Sociology of Education Revision Bundle

If you like this sort of thing, then you might

like my sociology of education revision notes
bundle – which contains the following:

1. 34 pages of revision notes

2. mind maps in pdf and png format – 9 in
total, covering various topics within the
sociology of education
3. short answer exam practice questions and
exemplar answers
4. how to write sociology essays, including 7
speci c templates and model answers on
the sociology of education

Test Yourself:

The Functionalist Perspective on Education Key Terms Quiz (Quizlet)

Signposting/ Related Posts

This post has been written primarily for students studying the education topic, as
part of the AQA’s A-Level Sociology course.

The Functionalist perspective on education is usually the rst discrete topic taught
within the sociology of education module.

After reading this post you might like to read this Evaluations of Functionalism post
which discusses the strengths and limitations of this perspective in more depth

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After Functionalism students usually study The Marxist Perspective on Education
which criticises much of what Functionalists say about the topic.

A related perspective is The New Right View of Education which is usually taught as
an updated and modi ed version of Functionalism, more relevant to society today.

You might also like this summary of perspectives on education grid, although you
might need to squint to see it (update pending!)

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Karl Thompson / January 26, 2015 / education, Functionalism / Durkhiem, education, Functionalism,
meritocracy, Parsons, role allocation, Sociology

26 thoughts on “The Functionalist Perspective on

Education”

Kincso
December 27, 2021 at 7:26 pm
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