1.1
Compare and contrast two of the following sociological views on the role of the education system in society
The two perspectives which I will be looking at are Functionalism and Marxism
The functionalists and the Marxists both believe that the education system benefits everyone, but both have different views on society. The Marxist views of the education system are that there are conflicts because there is an inequality between the working class and the higher classes. They believe that there are two different classes which education produces, and that is the working class and the ruling class. The people who don't achieve good grades in school and who aren't very bright, will be known in society as the working class, and so won't have very good status jobs in society, and the people that do brilliantly in school and who are very intelligent are the ones who get good jobs and important jobs in society, so they are seen as the ruling class, which is above the working class. This theory that the Marxists has, is similar to the theory that the functionalists have, and that is that the education system could also be known as a role allocation. This is where a person’s job is allocated to them through their grades from school, so if the person does well, then they will get a more important job, however if a person does not do that well, then the person will have a low status job in society. However, the functionalist's view of society is that it is meritocratic, which means that those who do well will achieve more in life and will receive rewards for their hard work, which fits in with the role allocation idea of those who do well in school, will end up having the better jobs in the adult world, and that the role of education benefits everyone equally. The Marxists believe that the role of education benefits the ruling class only, and that is where there is a difference between the two theorists.
A functionalist named Emile Durkheim believes that the education system introduces the importance of social solidarity in people. He says 'Society can survive only if there exists among its members a sufficient degree of homogeneity; education perpetuates and reinforces this homogeneity by fixing in the child from the beginning the essential similarities which collective life demands.' So he believes that social life would be impossible without social solidarity amongst people.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
4: In his research, George Murdock determined which of the following to be a cultural universal?…
- 795 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Definition: Manslaughter - Legal term for the killing of a human being without malice afterthought. Murder - The unlawful killing of one human by another especially with premeditated malice.…
- 877 Words
- 4 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
> The sociological perspective is described as seeing the general in the particular. In this essay I will attempt to apply the sociological perspective to analyze song lyrics from the first verse of the song My Block by Tupac Shakur (see appendix for lyrics). Tupac (1971-1996) is the most famous gangster rap artist of all times. He was well known for his lyrics and their ability to express the grief of the Black community. He was an advocate for Black rights and very much against the societal system and class societies. Many say he exaggerated the conditions under which the Black community and the lower class were in because he was a wealthy man rapping about suppression. To other’s he was part of the petite-bourgeoisie, but he was consistent in attempting to better the conditions under which the lower class were in.…
- 3041 Words
- 13 Pages
Powerful Essays -
1. Chapter 10- This chapter opened with a discussion of the Pledge of Allegiance. Given what you learned about the hidden curriculum, what sort of implicit lessons do you think are begin taught when students say the pledge?…
- 432 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Using the material from item A and elsewhere, assess the view that working class children under-achieve because they are culturally deprived (20 marks).…
- 1216 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Compare and contrast conflict theory with structural functionalism. Pay special attention to the way that each theory treats the origin of social change. When it comes to the origin of social change the conflict theory and structural functionalism differ in many ways. Structural Functionalism stresses that society as whole, including the individuals, families, educational system, politics, and the economy come together to create a functioning society. But, if any one part of these social institutions experiences dysfunction then the whole society pays a price as if it were a domino effect. For example, if families fail to discipline their children, schools, churches and the courts must take up the slack. In the end, whether it is a positive or negative change, the society as a whole must adjust in response to a transformation in a social institution. Conflict theory does not see society as a whole coming together well for one purpose. The conflict theory proposes that conflict and tension are the basic facts of life and are what make up social change and ultimately society as a whole, but it puts more emphasis on class conflict (bourgeoisie vs. proletariat). Together, both of these theories are from a macro analysis perspective.…
- 560 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
2. Yes: The Bad Divorce written by Elizabeth Marquardt, Director of the Center for Marriage and Families, from First Things.…
- 540 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Communicate effectively by applying skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening and through appropriate use of information technology. (GE Goal 1)…
- 3371 Words
- 13 Pages
Powerful Essays -
I’ve always doubting my writing, I felt as though my form of writing and word arrangement made it difficult for the reader to understand what I was attempting to say. Throughout this summer semester, I’ve learned a great deal about myself in this course. Honestly, if I were to give myself a grade I’m not entirely sure what I would grade myself. I’ve improved in my writing styles and I learned to look at things more clearly to strengthen my writing; grades are subjective due to this I am unsure of how to properly grade myself.…
- 592 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
approach to distinct sources of oppression. She argues for a framework which multiply addresses the…
- 272 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The United States is known for its cultural diversity. This is because of the United States open door police (Phillips, The Challenge of Cultural Diversity). The police produced growth (Phillips, The Challenge of Cultural Diversity). Growth melted many different cultures with different beliefs and backgrounds. The growth made cultural diversity (Phillips, The Challenge of Cultural Diversity).…
- 1049 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Levels of Sociological Analysis Macrosociology - places the focus on broad features of society. Conflict theory and functionalists use macrosociology. The goal is to examine large scale social forces that influence people. Microsociology - the emphasis is placed on social interaction. The Macrosociological Perspective The Macrosociological Perspective Social structure - the framework of society that was already laid out before you were born. Social structure guides our behavior. People learn certain behaviors and attitudes because of their location in the social structure. Differences are not due to biology, but to people’s location in the social structure. Culture Culture- a group’s language, beliefs, values, behaviors, material objects, and even gestures. Culture is the broadest framework that determines what kind of people we become. The specifics will vary by social location. Social Class To understand people, we must examine the particular social locations that they hold in life. Social class- is based on income, education, and occupational prestige. Social class influences our behaviors, ideas, and attitudes. Social Status…
- 652 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Sociology is the study of the human race as a whole and the sociological perspective involves a sociological mindset, which allows you to put your personal feelings, and encounters into relation with society. To understand what we are going through as individuals, one must first understand and relate to individuals in the same situation, or as Wright (1959:3) puts it, “…the first lesson of the social science…is the idea that the individual can understand his own experience and gauge his own fate only by…becoming aware of individuals in his circumstances.” The idea of social imagination and social perspective is just that: relating yourself and your problems, to society as a whole.…
- 1141 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Sociologists have a variety of methods to collect data for studying social institutions. Some of these methods are surveys, experiments, and participant observation. One of the methods to collect data are surveys, and it is used to focus on the population of who they are studying. Surveys contain a series of questionnaires in which the respondent taking the survey must answer either by interviews or by just answering the questions. To carry out this method the researcher needs a sample of respondents, which is a portion of the population that represents the population as a whole. Instead of having researchers study a large number of respondents, they focus on acquiring a small portion of the population to later represent the whole population. Another method used to collect data are experiments. “An experiments is a procedure for studying the relation between two or more variables under controlled conditions” (Curry 35). This type of method usually conducts an investigation of cause and effect. The researchers test the hypotheses to experiment why certain things happen and to see the relationship between the two variables.…
- 696 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Functionalists see education as a way of helping to maintain stability and the smooth running of our society as they believe education teaches us the skills we will need and which are necessary for us to perform our roles appropriately in that society. Functionalists operate on the belief that education teaches us what we will need to know as we get older, sorts people into their most suitable roles according to their capabilities, which is assessed through exams and qualifications, therefore equipping us to perform different functions in that society. They believe that education through schooling transmits the message of what is normal in that society, will contribute towards socialising its students and they will learn the norms, values and culture of the society they live in . Emile Durkheim who is thought of as the main founder of functionalism said “School is a vehicle for transmitting norms and values, keeping the values consensus” (Durkheim, 1898). He believed that the labour force relied on the education system to provide us with the necessary skills and knowledge we will need for the economy. He believed that education helped to promote social solidarity and that people sharing a common history will contribute to upholding social solidarity.…
- 605 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays