Answer to Question #307901 in English for Khumbu

Question

How does functionalist theory view the role of schools concerning norms for functioning in the modern society?

Answer 1

According to functionalists, the socialization process is coercive, forcing us to accept the values and norms of society. The values and norms of society are agreed upon by all members of society because there is a “social contract” in effect which protects us from one another and keeps society stable and balanced. People follow and accept the values and norms of society in order to maintain their own safety as well as maintaining social order.

Functionalism is a social theory that has been applied to education. Within the functionalist paradigm, society is understood as stable and the components of society in balance with one another. At the core of functionalism are two ideas. First, it is possible to study the social world through scientific methods used in the sciences. A functionalist would expect that objective examination of social phenomena would yield an understanding of the laws of social behaviour. The second core belief of functionalism is that society is comprised of interrelated parts that can be understood in terms of the function they serve in the total system. This concept is closely related to the biological understanding of how organisms survive.