Essay on The Role of Education in Modern Society

According to research done by Oxford University in 2013, robots and Artificial Intelligence will replace at least one-half of all unskilled jobs in the next few decades. As this happens, we need to help students who graduate from our educational systems find jobs in the new market, and as it stands, the current system we have in place is very ill equipped to prepare graduates to find jobs that will not become obsolete in the coming decades. The school system has been unable to adapt their ways to help students succeed today. While the purported purpose of public education is to teach students academics like Math, English, and Science, it should be very reasonably

Functionalism also portrays the link between social institutions such as the family, education and the economy. With proper socialisation from the family the individual enters the education system and subsequently would be positive addition to the workplace and by extension the economy.

Durkheim argued that society needed a sense of solidarity, that is, its individual members must feel that they are part of a single group or community, reinforcing this statement with how social life and co-operation would be impossible without social solidarity as each individual would pursue their own selfish desires instead of working together to reach an agreement on important things. In his eyes the education system helped to create solidarity by transmitting society’s culture, shared beliefs and values from one generation to the next. For example, he argues that if a country’s history was taught, a sense of shared heritage and a commitment to wider social groups would be gradually established or instilled in the minds of children.

Functionalism sees society as a whole. It is often referred to as the consensus theory as it doesn 't choose to see the issue of conflict in society. It looks at the important factors which make up society such as the economy, the family, the political system and the educational system. It is how these all function together as a whole to create society that functionalists look at. If you think of society as a human body, and the factors functionalists see as important and the organs. If one does not work then it prevents the others from working. In order for society to run smoothly everyone must see these factors as critical and work to keep them going as smoothly as possible. To understand how any part of society, for example education, the functionalists would look at how education in terms of its contribution to the maintenance of the social system as a whole works. All the key institutions in society need to be well integrated for society to survive and operate efficiently.

Emile Durkheim, a functionalist’s view of education is that it teaches us the norms and value of society. Education helps to unite all the individuals of society which creates a sense of belonging and commitment to that

Functionalists believe in shared norms and values, which are influenced by the Family, Education, church and employment. It sees society as a shaper of people rather than people shaping society. The functionalist says we need social order in which to survive normally.

The manifest function of schools in our society is to socialize children. School grooms young people for the various roles and positions they will hold later in life by teaching them reading, writing, mathematics and the sciences. The various activities and experiences at school help expose children to values that are important in our society such as capitalism, so-called democracy and environmentalism. The text suggests that one of the latent functions of schools is actually producing “passive, non-problematic conformists who will fit into the existing social order (Gracey, 1991). Schools are able to do this by training children to act in specific ways and expect certain things from the authority figures in their lives.

about because of how much it has changed from the past to the present. Education first was

For more than 200 years America has been a young nation built on the principles of democracy, unity, and hard work. Over these last 200 years America has flourished in science, industry, farming, and becoming the world’s most dominant superpower. Yet, in recent years citizens have been accused of being fat and stupid. But what is it that makes America what it is? The answer would be America is a country that has beat the odds progressed to the world stage and has citizens with the work ethic and will to keep it at the top. Many things that are great about Americans are the freedoms given by the Bill of Rights and the strict limit of power that is given to the U.S government.

In order for a society to function, individuals must be productive members of that society. This is accomplished through education. The philosophy of education is determined by society. As society changes so does the concept of education.

Having attended public schools throughout my childhood and adolescence, I never was familiar with the term functionalism and its many elements. After observing and analyzing my field placement classroom I have come to understand the concept of functionalism to some extent. In general, functionalists “see schools as serving to socialize students to adapt to the economic, political, and social institutions of that society” (Feinberg, p.6, 2004). They also theorize that in order for societies to survive, they must carry out vital functions such as, attaining fundamental knowledge and acquiring essential skills and proficiency, acknowledging certain norms and values within their community, and recognizing authority figures. It is also

Sadker, D.M. & Zittleman, K.R. (2013). Teachers, Schools, and Society. (10th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill. Chapter 8- Philosophy of Education pp. 250-257

The structural-functional theory also known as functionalism is sociological theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. Functionalists view education as a contribution to the smooth inner working of society. Education is a lifelong process, we are constantly learning new things and deepening our knowledge of things we already know. The education system works to prepare individuals to become fully functioning members of society. It works to teach people certain skills that will help them to be successful in life. However, education not only teaches people the skills they will need to be successful in life, but it also teaches them how to be decent citizens and to work well with others. Many people view education are a service to the overall function of society.

The education system has been a controversial issue among educators. Requirements of school do not let student choose what they want to study for their future. It’s a big issue to force student study specific curriculums, which don’t help them improve, and what they like to create something. Educators choose a general system for education to all students which based on general knowledge. Intelligent or genius students have to be in that system of education, which doesn’t let them improve their creativity. Educators attempt to change that system to make it better, but their changing was not that great to be an example for the world. Also, did that change qualify education system to compete other systems or not? In some examples and

Every now and then I think about my education from kindergarten through senior year of high school and I wonder where I would be and who I would be without it. I have realized that those thirteen years of my life were essential to my development as an individual, for they have shaped me into the person I am today.