Functionalism and Education

Paper Summary:

This essay examines how the functionalist perspective can be applied to the social institution of education and discusses the social functions that play a positive role in society and the means by which this is achieved. The paper looks at the functions of education for society as a whole and the functional relationship between the education system and the social system as a whole.

From the Paper:

"Education is important in society; the structure and processes of education systems are related to the general process of socialization (Van Krieken et al. 2000, p.191). Many sociologists may agree with this statement, but different sociologists have many views about how societies are structured and they have different views about the role of education in society. In all perspectives, schools are seen as social institutions, but these perspectives all have different ideas on how they socialize people and for what reasons. At first glance Marxist and Functionalist views seem very similar, this is because they are both social structuralist views, but Marxism is a conflict theory, and functionalism bases itself upon consensus, paying particular attention to the positive contribution that education makes to the overall maintenance of functioning of the social system. These very crucial differences mean that the two perspectives take on two different branches of the same tree."

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