Functionalism and Marxism views on Education

Compare and contrast the Marxist and Functionalist perspectives on the main functions of education. Marxism and Functionalism are two major philosophical perspectives founded by influential individuals, who sort to put forward their political views in both communism and capitalism. First, Education can be described as a system by which society continually passes on the knowledge it has gained from generation to generation. Perspective can then be defined as a mental view or outlook. This then leads us to the two major perspectives of education that will be discussed extensively in this paper that is the Functionalist and Marxist view. Functionalist is derived from the theory Functionalism which means a doctrine stressing purpose, utility and practicality. The functionalist is the adherent of Functionalism. Whilst, Marxist is the adherent of Marxism doctrines which emphasizes the political and economical philosophy of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in which the concept of class struggle plays a central role. It helps us to understand society's allegedly inevitable development from conventional oppression under capitalism to a socialist and ultimately classless society. The Functionalist and Marxist perspectives are applicable to most societies. Take for instance, Marxism is reflected in the Cuban society, which can be classified as a communist country while, Functionalism is reflected in the Jamaican society which is a known capitalist state. Therefore, the topic of governance will dictate how the entire society is managed. Our main objective however is to examine the education process with regards to the varying perspectives that are held by both parties. The two perspectives are known to share some similarities when it comes to education. One such view is that they both are macro perspectives, which means that they look at the

Functionalism and Marxism views on Education

society as a whole rather than the individual person. Basically the macro perspective deals with an overall model of society. For instance the functionalist sees the populace as a whole and is frequently referred to as a consensus theory which does not deal with the issues of conflict within the society. They look at the major organizations within a country such as the family, the economy, the educational and political system and how they all function together as a whole to form a complete structure. A frequently used comparison of this type of society is to that of a functional body structure. Every organs need to work together for the body to survive, the same goes for the functionalist views of the society. On the other hand the Marxist theorists view society as a whole, which is made up of different individuals and groups struggling with each other in order to obtain scarce and valued resources. Both theories explain social class differences in education by the role or function which education plays in society and class differences. Both look at the overall structure of the society, and argue that education prepares pupils for their position or role in an unequal society. Both theories also view society as a system of social structures and both agree that these social structures exist within a society. Social structure can then be defined as a social hierarchy in which some members of a group are established as superior to that of others or as facets of an organization within the society which focuses on one demographic structure, urban-rural structure, structure of race and ethnicity and an individuals income structure. These are the attributes which eventually dictates the social class one belongs to. However, the two theories differ greatly in their opinion on the purpose of these structures. Functionalism views the system of social structures as entities that work together for the benefit of all, while Marxism believes the system of social structures are in place but vary in their benefits depending on the wealth and power of the people involved.

Functionalism and Marxism views on Education

Both theories also share the view that the education system socializes citizens formally and informally. They are the view that education contributes significantly to the operation industrial and economic growth. The need for social institutions is shared by both theorists but Marxism states that different social groups will experience these organizations in different ways. This is basically saying that the richer society will have more privileges and will be exposed to the best services available to them, while the poorer class will just have to accept whatever is thrown to them. One thing is for certain, the capitalist and the communist theorists believe that people need the basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter to survive. They also share the view that people need to socialize their children to accept the dominant valves and norms in order for the country to function properly. The differences among both perspectives far outweighed the similarities. Functionalists view education in terms of the functions it performs in society. This implies a non conflict view of society. They are of the view that there are four main functions of education, this includes:

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The transmission of cultural values Social control Economic training Social selection Functionalists such as Davis and Moore suggest that an important function of education is to allocate people to occupations which best suit their abilities. Take for instance the functionalist division of labor, they are of the view that education provides society with a

Functionalism and Marxism views on Education

division of labor which means that schools help in the process of identifying who will best be suited as a doctor or a garbage collector. The use of the examination system is to test and sort citizens in such a way that the society will make the best use of its available talents within each individual. It must however be noted that both the talented and the least talented end up in useful jobs that contribute to the smooth running of society. It therefore means that the society in which we live tries to present the education system in a manner which seems fair and benefits all people; however the founding principles upon which this theory is built provides a better opportunity for the aristocrats. Take for instance, persons who are born to parents of the upper classes, they will continue to be a member of that class despite their performances in school while children of the lower class must work hard and be determined and have some luck in breaking the barrier that stifles their growth and development. On the other hand Marxist states that education is ideological and is seen as part of the apparatus that legitimizes and reproduces societys inequalities and divisions. They also stresses that education helps to meet the needs of the society by dividing it into distinct social classes. These two groups are known as the bosses and the workers. It was Althusser who argued that working class children never come into contact with ways of thinking that will challenge their status quo. It is through rules, routines streaming and selection that working class children learn their place in society and are conditioned to accept failure. Weber (1961) spoke of the tyranny of educational credentials as a prerequisite for high status positions. Therefore the son of a wealthy businessman will eventually walk in his fathers footsteps not because he is brilliant in most cases but because of his family history and status in society. While children of the lower classes tend to have low expectations which make it easier for them to accept defeat.

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Functionalism and Marxism views on Education

From the Functionalist perspective education helps to socialize children with societys shared norms and values. Socialization helps to move children away from the particularistic values of their home lives and into the universalistic values of society. Some of this information is consequently conveyed through the hidden curriculum. This curriculum basically helps to integrate future citizens into the society by teaching and reinforcing the norms and values of the social order in the bid to establish and maintain a value consensus. On the other hand, Marxist holds the view that the hidden curriculum in particular is designed by the capitalist to socialize young people into accepting the roles assigned to them by the ruling class. It was Bowles and Gintis who argued that this curriculum teaches submission, deference and respect for the established organization of work; and to accept that the society in which we live is unequal and exploitative. The majority of teachers in the education system unconsciously deliver the hidden curriculum. For example: children are not expected to speak until the teacher calls on them and their activities are regulated according to the bell or the clock which dictates when a break should be taken or when school begins and ends. A lot of attention is also given to the area of discipline therefore students tend to make a lot of effort to please the teachers and will remain quiet rather than on creative thought and academic growth. All this eventually results in the customary obedience to authority in the broader social context. Ballantine and Roberts in 2007 went on to say: Apart from the planned and formal curriculum, students experience latent functions in the education system. This basically speaks of unintended, unorganized, informal consequences of the educational process. Take for instance; schools keep children off the streets until they can be absorbed into productive roles in society, serving as an informal

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Functionalism and Marxism views on Education

babysitter function. Schools also provide young people with a place to congregate, which in turn fosters a youth culture of music, fashion, slang, dances, dating, and sometimes gangs. Education also weakens parental control over youth, helps them to begin the move toward independence and provides experiences in large, impersonal secondary groups. The Functionalist speaks of meritocracy however Marxist speaks of social restrictions. The Capitalist are of the view that education helps to provide the means for people to make themselves upwardly mobile. This is basically saying that if an individual make the effort to succeed he or she will be rewarded, this is termed as meritocracy. This is a process which legitimizes social inequalities since they believe that everyone has the opportunity to get qualifications. They are of the view that the education system is a level playing field; therefore if you fail it is nobodys fault by yours. The oppositions (Communist) decline to accept this theory as being realistic. Their point of view is that meritocracy is a fairy tale. They further said that the ruling class benefits from an education system which meets their needs by limiting the opportunities of the working classes and thereby legitimizes social class inequalities. Max Weber (1958 and 1961) and Marx (1971) challenged the functionalist assumptions that schools are ideologically and politically neutral and that schools operate based upon meritocracy, with each child able to achieve to the highest level of his or her own ability. They went on to say that inequality is based on ones position in the social system, not merit, and that schooling privileges some children and disadvantages others.

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Functionalism and Marxism views on Education

Take for instance, only a few working class children will be exposes to a number of foreign languages and get the grand opportunity to study at elite universities such as Oxford and Harvard. Bearing all this in mind, vocational courses came into being with the hope of providing uneducated persons with a skill in order to provide for themselves and their families. It was also a way to get working class people to branch out into varying fields which would meet the requirements of the job markets or employers. The Functionalists saw this type of education as a good thing and states that it provides the skills needed by employers, however Marxist see vocational education as a bad thing. Vocational schemes are interpreted as helping to legitimize class division because they promote the idea that the middle class receive education whereas the working class receives training. Basically they are of the view that it gives working class children a second class education and an unrealistic expectation for the future. This is indeed true because you will never see a child from the ruling class in and institution such as H.E.A.R.T Trust N.T.A pursuing a vocational course. Statistics speaks for itself. In concluding Functionalism is viewed as a non conflict perspective while Marxism is seen as conflicted. They are both structuralized in their approach, paying attention to social institutions and structures that are placed over individuals. The theories also pay little attention to the interaction between teachers and pupils or how teachers and pupils interpret what is going on in school environment, which is the first organization most of us attend outside the home. The functionalist considers their approach to education to be a cohesive whole, the interruption in any one aspect of the whole will lead to problems in the overall operation of the system. It was further stated that the structure and the processes within the educational institution remains stable only if the basic functions are met. Marxist however looks at the society as being made up of

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Functionalism and Marxism views on Education

different infrastructures which should be operated in the best interest of everyone within the society. At the end of it all both perspectives hold firm to the view that education is a positive thing in the growth and development of any country.

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Functionalism and Marxism views on Education

16 References

Internet Sources http://www.slideshare.net/athenamilis/functionalism-179206/download http:///Perspectives%20on%20Education%20%20Marxist%20perspectives,%20the%20Hidden% 20Curriculum.htm http://understandingsociety.blogspot.com/2007/11/what-is-social-structure.html

Text Book Caribbean Sociology By Jeanne H. Ballantine, Joan Z. Spade Schools and society: a sociological approach to education. Retrieved on November 14, 2011 http://books.google.com/books.