Structural function theory education how to#

There is ample opportunity for social and political advocacy, as well as the ability to develop tolerance to the many views represented on campus. The educational system, especially as experienced on university campuses, has traditionally provided a place for students to learn about various social issues. Another latent function is the ability to work with others in small groups, a skill that is transferable to a workplace and that might not be learned in a homeschool setting. Of course, with the increase in social media platform use such as Facebook and LinkedIn, these networks established in school environments are easier than ever to maintain.

The educational setting introduces students to social networks that might last for years and can help people find jobs after their schooling is complete. For example, you might notice an attractive fellow student when he gives a particularly interesting answer in class-catching up with him and making a date speaks to the latent function of courtship fulfilled by exposure to a peer group in the educational setting. As you well know, much goes on in a school that has little to do with formal, programmatic education. Fulfillment of this function rests primarily with classroom teachers and instructors who are with students all day.Įducation also fulfills latent functions. This function also prepares students to enter the workplace and the world at large, where they will continue to be subject to people who have authority over them. By organizing schools as bureaucracies, much like what is found in the labor market and in other social institutions, schools teach children what is commonly referred to as “the hidden curriculum.” We will expand on this in the following section on conflict theory. Obviously, such respect, given to teachers and administrators, will help a student navigate the school environment.

One of the roles of schools is to teach students conformity to law and respect for authority. School systems in the United States also transmit the core values of the nation through manifest functions like social control. Conflict theorists, as we will discuss in the next section, would argue that we continue to instill dominant values in schools. Today, since the culture of the United States is increasingly diverse, students may learn a variety of cultural norms, not only that of the dominant culture. In the early days of compulsory education, students learned the dominant culture. This socialization also involves learning the rules and norms of the society as a whole. Indeed, it seems that schools have taken on this responsibility in full.

Structural function theory education how to#

The French sociologist Émile Durkheim (1858–1917), who is regarded as one of the founders of the academic discipline of sociology, characterized schools as “socialization agencies that teach children how to get along with others and prepare them for adult economic roles” (Durkheim 1898). Beginning in preschool and kindergarten, students are taught to practice various societal roles that extend beyond the school setting. There are several major manifest functions associated with education.