Assess the Claim That the Main Function of Education

Assess the claim that the main form of schooling is to maintain a value consensus in decree Functionalists believe that education is a value consensus, which means that the majority of a society approve with this statement. For example, inadvertently, sight in the UK agree that wearing clothes is a norm as is education. Education has many purposes such(prenominal)(prenominal) as secondary socialisation of children and allocation of roles, because of the meritocracy which education is also seen as.Functionalists, like Durkheim, believe that teaching some history in schools creates a tangency in the midst of the individual and society. This link allows the individual to feel part of the society and therefore is more likely to living this. For example, in the U. S children argon taught close the founding fathers and consecrate the present of allegiance daily. Also, this is used with religion, in the U. K many schools says prayers and sing hymns and new(prenominal) relig ious songs. This, often, instils the idea of religion into the childs mind and it becomes a part of the child.However, teachings such as these can be seen as deviant and unwanted by parents because of how these things are treated as norms whereas they might non be in the home. This creates social solidarity because of the increased number of shared norms and values. Furthermore, Parsons says that school is the bridge between family and the wider society. Because in the family you are treated as an individual animal footd upon particularistic traits whereas in society you are based on your merits.School is a decease between the two and allows a consensus of your merits and your personality. However, that blend is more between students and students than students and teachers. Teachers base students more on their merits, hence the meritocracy of school and the wider society as it is a quicker and easier way to assess people. This lead to the beginning of the education triage where p upils where streamed into degreees of variable difficulty depending on their intelligence. However, Marxists like Althusser, Bowles and Gintis argue that the role of ducation is the reproduction of poke power i. e. a workforce. This is enabled by use of the unnoticeable programme This is where norms such as doing repetitive tasks, not complaining and maintaining nightclub in a class are taught but not formally as these are merely blended into every lesson. This is further exaggerated by schools legitimising and justifying inconsistency. This prepares students for the ball of work where they are exploited for cheap compass and do as theyre told as indicated by the hidden course.They are also prepared for the inequality between them and their bosses in the social/economic hierarchy and digests their positon. Legitimation of inequality helps to justify and explain the system of social inequality in a capitalist society, helps people come to terms with their position in so ciety and therefore reduces the discontent and opposition to inequality. Althusser saw the role of education as a reproduction of technical skills and a reproduction of the ruling class political orientation. . e. the dominant beliefs and values which is the wealthy minority 1% and the majority 99%. This allows the 99% to accept the 1%s ideology. To prevent rebellion against capitalism, people moldiness believe that the ruling class ideology is beneficial to themselves. This done by a number of ideological state apparatuses like the media, religion and education. These outlets of study can control masses because they assimilate been trusted staples of society which are seen as beneficial.However, all of these outlets show the ruling class ideology and justify the capitalist system. The system can give several messages out to society such as behaviour, fashion, education standards, when to accept or submit to authority and to accept your place/position in society. Despite, these v iews Marxists have been seen as too deterministic. As, the give education more credit for its influence on children. For example, the hidden curriculum may not exist and many children dont care for rules, authority and involve to rebel at these things.Whilst the hidden curriculum maybe exaggerated, the formal curriculum maybe under exaggerated as it is not entirely knowing to benefit ruling class ideology as with subjects like philosophy, sociology and arts which are designed to encourage various views and opinions with critical thinking on how and why. Neo-marxists, like Willis, show that some students at school who are malcontent and prioritise avin a laff are the ideal candidates for the ruling class ideology as they treat education as a barrier between avin a laff and socialising.Because they prioritise their friends they lose the benefits of education and are forced, in order to survive, to accept work which maybe weary/repetitive (as taught by the hidden curriculum). Often , the type work these people undergo are manual labour jobs which enable the lads to be together and av a laff. The end product is a capitalist society getting a proportion of the population doing dull work and the lads are able to stay together as they have created their own class position.Durkheim, also argues that education prepares young people for pornographic roles such as learning to cooperate with people who they might not like. Schools trains people to follow a set rules which accommodate tolerating people who they dont like. Functionalists, birth that stratification/some sort of social hierarchy is vital and inevitable. Because there are only limited places for top jobs. By a meritocracy which allows people to be test judged on ability those with the highest ability are about to be placed in jobs which match their talents/abilities.