Assess the contribution of functionalism to our understanding of the role of education

Functionalists take a positive view on education. They see is as a process that instils the shared values of society as a whole. Functionalists believe education performs three main functions: social solidarity, specialist skills and role allocation.
Durkheim indentified two main functions of education: creating social solidarity and teaching specialist skills. Social solidarity is an individual feeling and being part of a single community. Without social solidarity members would follow their own selfish desires. Education helps create social solidarity by transmitting shared beliefs, norms and values to the next generation and/or culture. He says education also acts as a society in miniature, preparing students for life in a wider society, teaching them universalistic standards, rules that apply to everyone. Durkheim also says that another main function of education is the teaching of specialist skills. Specialist skills are the specific skills required to carry out their future roles. They are required by society to...
Parsons views education as being part of a meritocracy. He believes education is the ‘focal socialising agency’, acting as a bridge between the family and the wider society. It is needed because family and society act on different principles, so children need to learn a new way of living to help cope in the wider society. School is where a large bulk of secondary socialisation takes place. The two main meritocratic values passed on by secondary