structural functionalism theory in practice

Structural functionalism theory in practice full#

Yet clear differences are evident in the separated out race and gender data, lending credence to the critical sociological viewpoint.The sociology of education contains a number of theories. Educational attainment would be solely based on merit (i.e., achieved characteristics). If the structural functionalist perspective was accurate and the critical sociological perspective was inaccurate, we would expect to see no differences in the educational attainment of Black and non-Black Canadians or males and females.

The concerns of critical sociologists are directly reflected in the chart on the 'Educational Equity' topic page. Students of low socioeconomic status are generally not afforded the same opportunities as students of higher status, no matter how great their academic ability or desire to learn…Barriers like the cost of higher education, but also more subtle cultural cues, undermine the promise of education as a means of providing equality of opportunity.' The fulfillment of one’s education is closely linked to social class. To them, it is important to examine how educational systems preserve the status quo and guide people of lower status into subordinate positions in society. Where functionalists see education as serving a beneficial role, critical sociologists view it more critically. Rather, they believe that the educational system reinforces and perpetuates social inequalities arising from differences in class, gender, race, and ethnicity. ' Critical sociologists do not believe that public schools reduce social inequality. Pages 677 - 678 of William Little's Introduction to Sociology textbook ( ♾) includes the following text which directly counters the structural functionalist perspective: In this sense, public education is the 'great equalizer,' in that it levels the playing field for students, irrespective of their ascribed characteristics at birth.

Structural functionalism theory in practice full#

In other words, any child, irrespective of race, gender, and socio-economic status at birth, who applies oneself and makes good life choices, has the potential for upwards social and economic mobility.Ī public education system - free and available to all children - ensures that every child has the opportunity to develop and demonstrate one's full potential. A plethora of research has provided compelling evidence that the education system does not operate on a purely meritocratic basis.'Īt its heart, structural functionalism argues that social stratification - that is the sorting of individuals into lower and high socio-economic status groups - occurs through a meritocratic system which rewards talent and hard work, irrespective of an individual's ascribed characteristics. In particular, the approach fails to account for how many ascribed traits, like socioeconomic background, gender, and race, appear to be so important in determining life outcomes. People who are at the lower ends of the educational and socioeconomic spectrum are there because they fill necessary places there - and because they did not meet the qualifications for higher placement.Īs you may imagine, structural functionalism is not without its critics, and many criticisms are well-founded. Social inequality, in other words, exists because it is functional in society. On the contrary, they believe it is inherent to the functional system. …Structural functionalists do not believe that inequality is non-existent.

The school is functionally related to the workforce because it assigns people to their roles based on achievement, skills, and capability… In this way, school prepares young people for their roles as adults…Adults’ later placement in the workforce is a reflection of how much they achieved and how successful they were in their schooling. It is within schools that children are assessed in a standardized universalistic way that does not take their social background characteristics into account…Schools level the playing field so that children are assessed on the basis of merit - how they are judged is based only on how they perform on a standardized set of goals regardless of social background. ' Structural functionalism is a body of theories that understand the world as a large system of interrelated parts that all work together…The school plays a central role in bridging individuals to society. Pages 20 - 21 of the textbook includes the following text: