Compare and Contrast the Marxist and Functionalist...

Carrie-Anne Hall 05007672 Sociology Essay Compare and contrast the Marxist and functionalist interpretations of education in society. The role of education is to educate individuals within society and to prepare them for working life in the economy, also to integrate individuals and teach them the norms, values and roles within society. There are many different sociological theories that differ within the role of education within society that attempt to try and explain how society or aspects of society work together. Different theories try and attempt to understand social behaviour at different levels of investigation. There are several perspectives on the sociology of education that are important. The two perspectives which†¦show more content†¦School rules should be strictly enforced and punishment taken seriously. This is to ensure solidarity and order is maintained in preparation for the laws that need to be maintained in adulthood. Durkheim also believed that education provides certain skills that would allow them to contribute to the wider world at work. These skills are particularly important in the industrial society with its increasingly complex and specialised division of labour. However Durkheims views on education are open to a number of criticisms. He assumes that the norms and values provided by the education are for those of society as a whole rather than those of a ruling class. There is little emphasis upon the individual experiences of different social groups within education. Another explanation of society would be the conflict theory. Functionalism emphasises the importance of value consensus however they do not recognise that conflict can occur in society. They suggest that conflict is only temporary disturbances in the social system. Conflict theory feels that key parts of society such as the major institutions dont work in the way consensus theory believed. One conflict theory would be Marxism. This theory became increasing influential during the 1970s due to the decline in Functionalism. The Marxism theory takes its name from the founder of Karl Marx, the German-born philosopher, economist and sociologist. He based his ideas onShow MoreRelatedSociological Perspectives On Life Chances Essay1343 Words   |  6 Pages It will evaluate the view that differences in the life chances between social groups which are dependent on various social factors affecting the society and individuals. Furthermore, it will compare and contrast these two sociological perspectives. Life chances can have a positive or negative effect on individual’s lifetime in terms of their education, health, employment, income and housing. They are influenced by different social factors such as social class, gender and ethnicity. 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