Comparison Of Marxist And Functionalist Views On Education
Comparison Of Marxist And Functionalist Perspectives On Education
Education is important in society; the structure and processes of education systems are related to the general process of socialization. All sociologists agree with this statement, but different sociologists have many views about how societies are structured, they have different views about the role of education in society.
The Marxist perspective tries to explain everything about an area it has identified, such as education. It tries to look for correlation in certain field of data, to explain and understand the reasons for how things are how they are. A Marxist perspective on school would state that it was constructed and built upon the principle of a hierarchy. Hierarchy is a key idea in Marxism, as it is a structuralist perspective. The teachers are seen as in charge and the students follow any instructions put by teachers. Marxist views would also state that education is a system of social inequality, meaning that not everyone passes, schools justify this by saying that the inequality it produces is just and reasonable, and the students who have received high grades deserve them.
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 exams. Functionalists also take into account that many societies come from a variety of national and cultural backgrounds.
The functionalist view also says that western society based schools give awards on the basis of the individual ability, talent effort etc. The Marxist view on the other hand states that the students are awarded on their ability to conform as part of the 'hidden curriculum'.
What is referred to, as the 'hidden curriculum' is the teaching of children in schools to conform to rules, and to learn to accept authority and the need for punctuality. The 'hidden curriculum' is taught in all schools but is not something, which is standardized, i.e. like subject exams. But the 'hidden curriculum' can be partly formal, e.g. rules.
In all perspectives, schools are seen as social institutions, but these perspectives all have different ideas on how they socialize people and for what reasons. At first glance Marxist and Functionalist views seem very similar, this is because ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
What is referred to, as the 'hidden curriculum' is the teaching of children in schools to conform to rules, and to learn to accept authority and the need for punctuality. The 'hidden curriculum' is taught in all schools but is not something, which is standardized, i.e. like subject exams. But the 'hidden curriculum' can be partly formal, e.g. rules.
In all perspectives, schools are seen as social institutions, but these perspectives all have different ideas on how they socialize people and for what reasons. At first glance Marxist and Functionalist views seem very similar, this is because they are both social structuralist views, but Marxism is a conflict theory, and functionalism bases itself upon consensus. These very crucial differences mean that the two perspectives take on two different 'branches' of the same tree.
The role of Education in a Marxist world would be to reproduce the current class structure. Marxists believe that Education Forms the basis of all society and that this will always be true, because the education system copies what it sees in society, i.e. Class Structure, and reproduces it, by churning out people into society accustomed to the system. This produces a cycle effect, which you cannot break out of.
The western education system can be seen as a mirror of capitalist society. Schools fulfill the task of preparation, and cater mostly for the working class. They emphasize rule following, obedience, and passivity, which is the same sort of discipline found in shops and factories. Schools which cater for children from wealthy backgrounds, middle class + upper middle class, emphasize the need for leadership, as they will form the future elite. This explains the inequality in capitalist societies; inequality in the education system is reflected into capitalist society, which in turn, bounces back in the education system, creating an unbreakable chain.
Marxists perspectives also emphasize the reproduction of Labor Power through education. Althusser was a French Marxist philosopher; he looked at how the economy plays a role in structuring society. Education is shaped by societies economic base. And therefore serve the interests of the ruling class. Althusser argues that the reproduction of labor power involves two processes, the reproduction of the skills necessary for an efficient labor force, and the reproduction of ruling class ideology and the socialization of workers into it.
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 system has different levels of socialization, primary schools sort people according to their general level of ability; secondary schools then begin the process of specialization in specific abilities and, accordingly, direct some to work and others on to further education. Functionalists see, or stress the need for a meritocratic society, in which people can move freely up and down the occupational hierarchy.
As with the Marxist theory on education, Functionalists also look at the economic function. Looking at a pre-industrial society, we find that the range of occupations is low, and the skills necessary to fulfill your occupational function, can be learned easily from your parents, or working as an apprentice alongside a skilled practitioner. Industrialization brings some very crucial changes to the occupational structure. Occupations become more varied, and the need for specialized workers begins. Mechanization reduces the number of jobs requiring physical muscle power skills. New technologies bring the need for higher levels of human expertise and technical knowledge. This change in society has spurned the expansion of mass schooling and higher education. Schools provide people with basic skills, which will enable them to fulfill their roles in society, and to remain a part of the constantly changing occupational requirements. The development of a large-scale education system is directly due to the need for a labor force in which skills are developed in full, to match the requirements of a modern western industrialized society.
Durkheim, one of the 'founding fathers', of sociology, took on and developed the Functionalist perspective. His idea of Education was that of socialization, to pass down norms and values of a society, in which the education system is based.
Durkheim stated that society requires the banding together of individuals into one social solidarity. This would be done through education, by enforcing a sense of belonging to society, and that society is more important than the individual. The Education system basically provides a link into society for people, and then commits them to it, above all else.
The functions of the education system I have mentioned, as part of a Marxist and Functionalist view are in no way 100% neither proven nor discredited. Both perspectives also see the education system as not always fulfilling these functions.
In the Functionalist case, this would be called, dysfunction. And in the case of Marxism would be called, Conflicts, or Contradictions.
The education system may not be as perfect as the Functionalist theory makes it out to be. Take for example the selection function. It is that of choosing functions for particular individuals based upon ability, but often is the case that these choices may be made in favor of family background. This is something the Marxist perspective on education has always quoted on, Class. Functionalists prefer to look at education as a perfect system, which builds a unity, or conformity. But they do quote on the inequality of some education systems, as dysfunction.
The Marxist theory leads us back to the reproduction of society and education being a piece of a complete cycle; education copies society and societies absorb people from education. But this reproduction also means that inequalities, conflicts, and contradictions are also reproduced. The education system and it's problems are just versions of more general class conflict within society.
Joao Driessen
Ms McIlwraith
