The role of education in today's society.

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Rose Szarowicz                                                                                             3rd Jan 2004

The role of education in today’s society

     The role of education can be seen to provide pupils with the curriculum and hidden curriculum; teaching skills that will prepare them physically, mentally and socially for the world of work in later life.

     There are two main views on the role of education; the Marxist and Functionalists who take different approaches to this area. Interactionists have a view on this topic, but not an extremely controversial one, with large grounds for debate. As an overview, Marxists see education as an unequal and corrupt system which recreates class inequality, whereas Functionalists take more positive views, arguing it prepares children for the world of work and helps them to develop their personal talents, discover who they are, and where they would best fit into societies workforce.

Functionalists see three main functions of education; role allocation, providing skills, and socialisation.

     There have been two influential functionalist sociologists who have created and developed the functionalists view and its ideologies; Emile Durkheim and Talcott Parsons. Durkheim, writing in the 1900’s, saw social solidarity as vital for the well-being of society. He saw education as the institution which develops the similarities between pupils, binding them with a shared view, forming a more solid, harmonious society. He also saw history of the country contributing to unite people, and noticed this new industrial society making room for more specialised jobs. Parsons, writing in the 1950’s – 60’s, developed Durkheim’s  ideas stating that education also provided secondary socialisation. An agreement of values, built on primary socialisation from the family. This valued individual opportunity; whereby everybody achieves on their own merit, and the importance of equal opportunity- schools offering every pupil the same chance at success. This system worked through what Parson’s called Role allocation. Role allocation sorts pupils in terms of their abilities and talents, directing them towards occupations that would best suit them. For example, a pupil excelling in the sciences would be encouraged towards a profession as a doctor or scientific researcher.

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      Functionalists see the role of education as being; to conduct role allocation, to provide skills and socialisation. Role allocation is very important in the eyes of functionalists, as it creates a suitable workforce for the wider society, with the correct talents, abilities and a genuine interest in what they do. Based on a meritocracy, it means pupils can excel in their best subject on their own merit and reap the rewards. It creates a happy workforce satisfied with their place in the world. This can be criticised by Marxists, saying role allocation just promotes ruling class ideology, ...

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