Evaluating Sociological Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evaluating Sociological Theories - Essay Example He emphasized on the moral role of education in the socialization of the children for them to become a part of the society. The main purpose of education according to Durkheim was the development of social solidarity. This was carried out in a way that the collective culture was taught to the children of the society in school. The role was to create a bridge between individualism and collective sharing. For this Durkheim explains two forms of solidarity: mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity. Mechanic solidarity was a characteristic of pre-industrial societies with the absence of division of labor. On the other hand organic solidarity was a part of industrial societies where there is division of labor and interdependence on each other. (www.sociology.org.uk ) Durkheim further elaborates that education has two basic functions. Firstly, it is the education itself to train the students for their future roles. The other role is to create social solidarity and cohesion in the socie ty. Functionalism as a sociological perspective evolved mostly in America. It was developed by American Sociologists like Talcott Parsons and Davis and Moore between the 1930s and 1960s. The central role in their works was to identify the role of education in the society. ... This is seen to be because the adult roles that are seen to be the most functionally important must be filled by the most able, capable and competent members of society. Talent as we all know are unequally distributed and different people have different areas and different levels of expertise. Therefore, the most talented people are allocated to the most important roles in the society- roles which are extremely important for its proper functioning. This leads to the idea of meritocratic society. The importance of a particular position or job in the society depends on the level of expertise and the skills and length of time dedicated to gain that expertise. For example a brain surgeon needs more skill and time required to train for their task as compared to a nurse. Therefore, the amount of work put in should get an equitable reward (Kirby, 2000). Functionalists have been criticized relating to their explanations of education. Firstly, they are criticized for their assumption that all the children are on level ground. However, this is not the case as some children enter the school with a strong background equipped with cultural capital which includes language, confidence and manners. Children are â€Å"sifted and sorted† in schools that may take little account of their levels of intelligence. In this respect, there seems to be no guarantee that the people who achieve the highest levels of qualification are necessarily the â€Å"most able† in our society. The best may not fit into the system of education but it does not mean that they are not capable enough. Prominent examples can be of Albert Einstein and Thomas Alva Edison.