Functionalist Perspective On America's Education In The United States
America’s Education
In the United States, from kindergarten until we are sixteen, it is required by law that we attend school full time. Some people go on to further their education by attending a college, University or trade school after high school. School comes easier to some people than to others. This is the problem with our country’s educational system, not everyone is getting a good enough education. The major social problem that the current educational system breeds is establishing and then reinforcing social stratification.
In sociology, functionalism is known as a structural theory. Functionalists see society as a whole being structured like the anatomy of a human body with many interconnected systems that function together to sustain a healthy body. Functionalists argue that in order to have a strong society, each individual must obey the social norms and standards of the society. Each person is socialized into obeying these “social norms” that are at the core that makes up the social structure. Society needs to convey social coherence and education plays a vital role in working to accomplish this.
To understand America’s education system, we must first contemplate how it adds to the healthy conservation of the entire social system. French sociologist Emile Durkheim, who primarily expressed a functionalist perspective in …show more content…
Contradicting this perspective, our next outlook on society is categorized by conflicting views rather than unanimity. This is referred to as conflict theory, where societal norms and standards are not equally shared or accepted among the members of society. Karl Marx is a sociologist who implemented this theory of social conflict, to which it is now coined Marxism. Marx believes that there is conflict between various groups and that society is highly structured. These structures form a hierarchical compartmentalization of groups and with that, comes
In the United States, from kindergarten until we are sixteen, it is required by law that we attend school full time. Some people go on to further their education by attending a college, University or trade school after high school. School comes easier to some people than to others. This is the problem with our country’s educational system, not everyone is getting a good enough education. The major social problem that the current educational system breeds is establishing and then reinforcing social stratification.
In sociology, functionalism is known as a structural theory. Functionalists see society as a whole being structured like the anatomy of a human body with many interconnected systems that function together to sustain a healthy body. Functionalists argue that in order to have a strong society, each individual must obey the social norms and standards of the society. Each person is socialized into obeying these “social norms” that are at the core that makes up the social structure. Society needs to convey social coherence and education plays a vital role in working to accomplish this.
To understand America’s education system, we must first contemplate how it adds to the healthy conservation of the entire social system. French sociologist Emile Durkheim, who primarily expressed a functionalist perspective in …show more content…
Contradicting this perspective, our next outlook on society is categorized by conflicting views rather than unanimity. This is referred to as conflict theory, where societal norms and standards are not equally shared or accepted among the members of society. Karl Marx is a sociologist who implemented this theory of social conflict, to which it is now coined Marxism. Marx believes that there is conflict between various groups and that society is highly structured. These structures form a hierarchical compartmentalization of groups and with that, comes