There are three main theoretical perspectives (or theories) that represent the views of sociologist and educators, these views are the conflict perspective, symbolic interactions, and functionalism. Although all of these theories are important to education and society, I have chosen to focus my research or theoretical perspective on functionalism also including the effects functionalism and education.
The Functionalist perspective is one of the most dominant core perspectives in sociology and is an analysis of social and cultural phenomena in terms of the functions they perform in a social system. In functionalism, societies are conceived of as a system of interrelated parts in which no part can be understood in isolation from the whole. A change in any part is seen as leading to a certain degree of imbalance, which in turn results in changes in other parts of the system and to some extent to a reorganization of the system. The development of functionalism is based on the model of the organic system found in the biological sciences. (Anisef 2000)
The Functionalist perspective looks at education as a type of sorting station in which students undergo thorough training and testing so that they are given their appropriate place in society, this all depends on how well they perform in examinations. Functionalists also take into account that many societies come from a variety of national and cultural backgrounds. Their views also suggest that western society-based schools give awards on the basis of the individual ability, talent effort, etc. The function of education in a functionalist world would be selection. The education system selects people and allocates to them certain jobs according to their capabilities. The education syst...
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... to the functionalist perspective, one way in which society perpetuates itself is through its education system.
References
"Sociology: Theories of Education - CliffsNotes." Get Homework Help with CliffsNotes Study Guides - CliffsNotes. Web. 04 Mar. 2011. .
Hoenisch, By Steve. "Durkheim and Educational Systems." Criticism.Com: Home. Web. 04 Mar. 2010. .
Anisef, Paul. "Overview of Theories Related to Comparative Education: Structural Functionalism, Conflict and Selected Micro Perspectives." Web. 04 Mar. 2011
Van Krieken, R., Smith, P., Habibis, D., McDonald, K., Haralambos, M., & Holborn, M. 2000, Sociology: Themes and Perspectives, (2nd edn.), Longman Pearson Education, Sydney.
Van Krieken, R Smith, P Habibis, D McDonald, K Haralambos, M Holborn, M (2000) Sociology: Themes and Perspectives, 2nd edn, Pearson Education Australia, Frenchs Forest.
Functionalism is a theory in which various social institutions and processes in society serve a significant function in order for society to continue
The functionalist paradigm focuses on the integration of society, and how society how its own groups which has their own functions to help improve the peoples lives. Functionalist paradigm fits in the category of macro-sociology, because it focuses on the patterns that shape an entire society. Functionalists believe that society is maintained through the thought of trust and consensus on moral values for ideal behavior. Working together will result in a stable social environment that will create equality. Conflicts or dysfunctions will be view as a disease in the social system. Social conflict paradigm believes that society is divided into many groups that have their own goals, and that certain parts of the world have the luck of benefiting economic dominan...
Per the functionalists, society is a system in which all parts function to create society. That is why culture needs to exist. They believe culture guides people in making choices, fulfilling needs and meet the basic members’ needs. Example, education is most valued and the culture of education includes textbooks, classrooms, libraries that help to educate a society’s
Functionalism assumes that society is essentially a system of parts that work together for the benefit of the group (Harper, 44). That it 's system is built around imperatives that perpetuate its existence: “the replacement of individuals, socialization, production of goods and services, provision of social order, and maintenance of common symbols, values, and motivation”. One way to think of this is that of a single cell organism with parts that operate and function for the survival and growth of that cell. In regards to social change when the social order is disturbed with things such as conflict, equality, or innovation strain can result (Harper, 45). In dealing with the strain, under Parsons evolutionary theory of change, society can revert to a previous equilibrium, system maintenance. They can change or develop new procedures, roles, and structures, structural differentiation. Or they can go through adaptive upgrading where by they
Functionalism views society as the stability and assimilation of a range of forces that function within it. While society is a separate entity with a life of its own, there are individual elements contributing to that stability. Functionalism as a sociological theory emphasizes assimilation rather than the dissociation of society. Therefore, the society is seen as a whole that is compromised of parts which give one another their identity and their function. The part, whether that is education, such as a school, or sports, such as a football team, operates in relation to the other parts, and cannot be entirely understood in isolation from the other parts. All the parts are interrelated, and when there is a disturbance in any one of the parts, is when you can see the interdependence. But what is important about this theory is that “there will always be some reorganization and tendency to restore equilibrium” (Wallace and Wolf 17). Functionalist do not believe it’s crucial that the people involved in the society to be aware of this interconnectedness anymore than the brain and heart consciously realize that they work together as an organism.
Kendall, D., Linden, R., & Murray, J. L. (2008). Sociology in our times: the essentials. Toronto,
Functionalism is the oldest and most commonly used theoretical approach used to understand social issues. Functionalism is a macrosociological perspective that presents the idea that society consists of different components working together to help a society function as one. Sociolog...
Macionis. J, J. Plummer, K. (2005). Sociology. A global Introduction. Pearson Education Limited. Essex. (UK) Third Edition.
Murray, Jane Lothian, Linden, Rick and Kendall, Diane. (2011). SOCIOLOGY IN OUR TIMES, Fifth Canadian Edition by Nelson Education Limited, Published by Thomson Wadsworth, USA.
Functionalism, largely influenced by Talcott Parsons, can be interpreted in several ways, creating the different versions of functionalism such as biocultural functionalism and structural-functionalism, which have different main aspects of belief. Bicultural functionalism expresses the belief that because of physiological needs social institutions were created in order to fulfill these needs. This belief suggests that functionalism, the belief that anything simply occurs because it serves a function, is based upon the individual's needs which include reproduction, food and shelter. Alternatively, the social structure and society as a "system of relationships" is also part of functionalism as the structural-functionalism view. According to the structural-functionalism it is not the individual that is important, but society as a whole. "He suggested that a society is a system of relationships maintaining itself through cybernetic feedback, while institutions are orderly sets of relationships whose function is to maintain the society as a system." Overall functionalism in the idea that there is a disconnect between the mental states and the physical, and that mental states can only be identified through their functional role ("Functionalism." Web. N.p.). Parsons "[…] contributed to the structural-functionalist school conceptualized the social universe in terms of four types and levels of '...
The structural-functionalist perspective looks at society as a complex system composed of various parts much like a living organism. Each aspect of society contributes to society's functioning as a whole. Social institutions play a key role in keeping a society stable. All societies need certain things to survive (Newman 2010).
For functionalists such as Durkheim (1965) societies survive and prosper over time due to shared values. In other words,
The functionalist perspective argues for education as a means of development from simple, traditional social structures to more complex, modern ones. Drawing heavily from biological theories, functionalism equates society with a living organism composed of various internal systems, asserting that an understanding of these systems, in our case social practices and institutions, requires an examination of the means by which they serve the ‘body’, society (Feinberg and Solitis, ). In assessing the relationship between education and development, it is imperative to note that functionalists associate the advent of formal, compulsory education with the requirements of modern society, with modernity seen as synonymous with industrialization. That
Marsh, I and Keating, M., eds. (1996) Sociology: Making sense of society., ed [2006], England: Pearson Education.