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Strengths of structural functionalism theory in education
Difference between structuralism and functionalism
Difference between structuralism and functionalism
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A structural functionalist would view a large University as a whole unit that works together to provide an efficient and useful education to it students. Therefore they would examine the type of students in a large university as individual and vital contributors to the university (Henslin, 2012). Each students background, academic abilities, classroom participation contributes to the function of the university. Even students who struggle and have lower grades would be seen as essential to the equilibrium of the universities success (Henslin, 2012). Although the professors are at a higher education level and provide academic structure to the students, the students themselves are important to the structures organization and stability. A structural functionalist would seek the opportunity to examine the division of labor within the university, students jobs versus the jobs of professors much like the differentiated jobs of assembly time workers, the final product is education(Hachen,2001). Both the students and professors contribute to society’s education. The manifest function of students within …show more content…
They would specifically examine how groups within the university would compete for scarce resources (Henslin, 2012). Therefore financial aide given to students would be a focal point of the analysis. They would see the different amounts of financial aid given to minorities or women as unnecessary, students with less financial worries might have a better chance at success in school than those having to work for income. By providing students with more aide then part of the university’s student population has more educational power over the others. By providing jobs that work with students schedules and pay higher within the university a conflict theorist would be reducing inequality within the large university (Henslin,
Ned Block in Troubles with Functionalism offers his Absent Qualia Argument. The argument provides a counter example to functionalism. The essential aspect to the functional theory of mind defines mentality in terms of its functional states of a system. The functional states of a system match states according to their inputs, outputs, and internal states. Block’s counter example argues for the possibility of two systems to have the same functional states which determines their functional equivalence. In addition to functional equivalence, the two systems have distinguishable mental states. If functionalism is as adequate account of mentality, then functional equivalence entails mental state equivalence. Block argues against the consequent of
In recent years, under the combined force of technological innovation and market operation, our society has made remarkable progress in improving the quality of education. Universities as the major institutions of higher education are inevitably impacted by the social advancement. In his essay, “On the Uses of a Liberal Education,” Mark Edmundson argues that “university culture, like American culture writ large, is, to put it crudely, ever more devoted to consumption and entertainment, to the using and using up of goods and images” (44). He claims that college education gradually loses its traditional culture under the influence of social changes. Yet university as a significant element in society cannot be viewed separately from that society. A process of dynamic reallocation in which educational resources are redistributed towards
Gladding, S. T. (2010). Family therapy: History, theory, and practice (5th Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson
The Complex Structure of Higher Education. The university is a complex organization. Baldridge, Curtis, Ecker and Riley (1982) found that colleges and universities have characteristics that distinguish them from private enterprises as well as other government organizations. They describe the higher education environment as one where resources allow individuals within the organization room to grow in different directions without the tight restraints seen in other types of environments. They go on to describe the role of the president and other university leaders as catalysts or facilitators rather than the “my way or the highway” mentality of some private CEOs. Baldridge et al. describe this environment as “organized anarchy” where this facilitation role, also described as collegial decision making, leads to an environment where decisions “happen” rather than are “made.” Politically, this environment tends to be mostly inactive with very fluid, fragmented participation. The president assumes the role as “first among equals”, a mediator between power blocs on campus. This is very different in all but a few private corporations.
When there is a conflict it leads to mostly negative changes. Meaning when there is a problem something bad happens. In the articles “Hang Up and Drive”, “ Pizza Problems”, “ How do people change a community”, “ The Boston Massacre”, “ Summer: 15 Days or 2 ½ Months?” and “ Common Sense” by Thomas Paine it demonstrates when there is a problem, consequences come with it. Conflict can cause change in community, education, and in ones perspective.
According to the lecture and Adler & Adler, the Structural Functionalist perspective is the theory that institutional breakdown can result in the increase
Adelmo Alvarado 31823597. Marco Rubio: GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio wants to overturn the 2015 Supreme Court decision about legalizing same-sex marriage. In an interview on NBC, candidate Rubio said that any future Supreme Court can change it,’ referring the same-sex verdict. Thus, Rubio identifies himself with traditional family values. He believes that family is fundamental for the stability of American society.
Does structure determine function? Or does function determine structure? Two ambiguous questions which may or may not have a decisive answer, does each determine the other? By definition structure is “the arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex” (Oxforddictionaries.com, 2016) whereas function is defined as “an activity that is natural to or the purpose of a person or thing” (Oxforddictionaries.com, 2016). Here by definition you can infer that function is natural to a living organism, and thereby determined by structure. It is unknown at this point of time whether structure determines function or function determines structure etc. a bit like the classic “which came first the chicken or the egg?” arguments
Fodor begins his article on the mind-body problem with a review of the current theories of dualism and materialism. According to dualism, the mind and body are two separate entities with the body being physical and the mind being nonphysical. If this is the case, though, then there can be no interaction between the two. The mind could not influence anything physical without violating the laws of physics. The materialist theory, on the other hand, states that the mind is not distinct from the physical. In fact, supporters of the materialist theory believe that behavior does not have mental causes. When the materialist theory is split into logical behaviorism and the central-state identity theory, the foundation of functionalism begins to form. Logical behaviorism states that every mental feeling has the same meaning as an if-then statement. For example, instead of saying "Dr. Lux is hungry," one would say "If there was a quart of macadamia brittle nut in the freezer, Dr. Lux would eat it." The central-state identity theory states that a certain mental state equals a certain neurophysiological state. The theory works in a way similar to Berkeley’s representation of objects. Both mental states and objects are a certain collection of perceptions that together identify the particular state or object.
The purpose of structural functionalism focuses on the design of white males that was created to function successful for white men in society.Therefore,Cornel West explains that structural functionalism is problematic because it only focuses on whites and doesn’t focus on everyone as equal. I agree with Cornel West argument because the structural functionalism is a problematic because it doesn’t look at people of color and whites as one society. This causes inequality in the distribution of power and social standing. Also, the structural system works on white men. However, it doesn’t work on black men because people of color were not integrated in the
Functionalism is a materialist stance in the philosophy of mind that argues that mental states are purely functional, and thus categorized by their input and output associations and causes, rather than by the physical makeup that constitutes its parts. In this manner, functionalism argues that as long as something operates as a conscious entity, then it is conscious. Block describes functionalism, discusses its inherent dilemmas, and then discusses a more scientifically-driven counter solution called psychofunctionalism and its failings as well. Although Block’s assertions are cogent and well-presented, the psychofunctionalist is able to provide counterarguments to support his viewpoint against Block’s criticisms. I shall argue that though both concepts are not without issue, functionalism appears to satisfy a more acceptable description that philosophers can admit over psychofunctionalism’s chauvinistic disposition that attempts to limit consciousness only to the human race.
The conflict theory in this case discusses the lack of resources that are down to nearly nothing and about how the lower classes are having to constantly compete for them. It shows you how the poor are controlled by the rich. The film “Waiting for Superman” takes a closer look into the public school systems around the United States from the poorest of the poor all the way over to the suburbs. The parents of these students are obviously sending their children to school with the high hopes that they are going to excel academically, but the reality of it is that most of the children that are either born into or somehow end up in a position of poverty end up either dropping out rather than graduating. The upper class will place their children into schools where they are offered quality education. With the way that our nation is growing, I am confident in being able to say that the gap will only expand and the poor will continue to suffer in the educational department as well as others. While the lower class students in public school are failing and dropping out, the upper class students are too busy bettering their future. Our country states that “every child has a dream”, and that “no child will be left behind”. How true is that claim exactly? Yes, it is true that every child has a dream, but how many children are being left behind because they are stuck in poverty? There was one scene in the movie where the charter schools had to draw numbers just to give a child a chance at a better education. That is highly disturbing that a child has to suffer through something as humiliating as that. Our public system does not encourage academic growth, it hampers it. Over the years a lot of money has been put into trying to fix our public schoo...
As higher education becomes more corporatized, the students of these institutions are no longer viewed as merely students, and instead are now viewed as consumers. This role change shifts the focus of educational institutions from the education that these students are seeking to the focus of what they can have these consumers
Structural Functionalism or what I call just functionalism, is just another theory that has society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. This approach looks at society through the macro-level of orientation, which is a broad focus on the social structures that shape society as a whole, and believes that society has evolved like organisms. This approach looks at both social structure and the social functions. Functionalism has society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements; namely norms and customs, traditions, and institutions. There is a common analogy, popularized by Herbert Spencer that presents these parts of society as "organs" that works towards the proper functioning of the "body" as a whole. In the most basic terms, it simply emphasizes "the effort to impute and the rigorously as possible, to each feature, custom, or even practice the effect on the functioning of a supposedly stable and cohesive system.
There are many criticisms of functionalism and their theories: Ø Functionalist ideas almost portray humans as being autonomous and that only socialisation determines our lives. They do not really see humans as the unpredictable creatures they are, not possible to stray away from the predictable ideas that functionalists have of people. Too much stress is placed on harmony and the potential for conflict and its affects are generally ignored. Ø There is no recognition of difference by class, region or ethnic group. The functionalist picture is simply reflective of happy middle-class American families.