Parsons on Education

Summary

This video explores Talcott Parsons' functionalist view on education, expanding on Durkheim's ideas. Parsons argues that education serves as a bridge between home and wider society, transforming particularistic family values into universal societal ones. He emphasizes that education promotes meritocracy, individualism, and prepares students for a mobile workforce. Schools reinforce these concepts through the hidden curriculum, shaping behaviors, hierarchies, and competition. The video also touches on criticisms from Marxists, who argue that education promotes capitalist values, and postmodernists, who believe that in fragmented societies, universal values are less relevant.

Takeaways

• 📚 Talcott Parsons expanded on Durkheim's functionalist view of education, suggesting that education serves as a bridge between home and wider society.
• 🏠 Parsons emphasized that primary socialization at home is not enough to prepare individuals for societal norms; education transforms home-based particularistic values into universal societal values.
• 🔄 Particularistic values are specific to individuals or groups, while universal values apply to everyone in society, helping individuals adapt to broader societal expectations.
• ⏳ Education promotes punctuality and adherence to rules, with examples like buses or employers not waiting for individuals, unlike in family settings.
• 🎓 Parsons argued that education shifts an individual's status from ascribed (based on family roles) to achieved (based on personal performance and merit).
• 🏅 Meritocracy is a key concept in education, where individuals earn their status through ability, rather than through birth or familial ties.
• 👤 Education fosters individualism over collectivism, preparing students for a socially and geographically mobile workforce by emphasizing personal achievement.
• 📖 Schools achieve these goals through the hidden curriculum, where informal lessons such as respect for hierarchy, punctuality, and conformity are implicitly taught.
• 🏆 Competition in schools, especially through assessments and qualifications, prepares students for a merit-based society where performance is judged individually.
• 💡 Marxists critique this view, suggesting that the hidden curriculum supports capitalism by promoting ruling class values and neglecting the values of the lower classes.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Talcott Parsons' ideas on education?

Talcott Parsons focused on the role of education in secondary socialization, acting as a bridge between home and wider society, and transforming particularistic values of home into universal values.

How did Parsons expand on Émile Durkheim's ideas about education?

Parsons expanded Durkheim's ideas by introducing the concept of secondary socialization, suggesting that education serves as a bridge between home and society by transforming particularistic family values into universal societal values.

What are particularistic and universal values according to Parsons?

Particularistic values are specific to a group or individual, such as those learned at home, while universal values apply to everyone in society, such as punctuality and meritocracy.

How does education help transform ascribed status into achieved status?

Education helps transform ascribed status (e.g., being someone's child or sibling) into achieved status by evaluating individuals based on their performance and achievements, rather than their family background.

What is the role of meritocracy in Parsons' view of education?

Meritocracy in education, according to Parsons, allows individuals to earn their status through ability and performance, rather than being born into a particular status, promoting fairness and individual achievement.

How does education promote individualism over collectivism, according to Parsons?

Education promotes individualism by encouraging competition among students for grades and accomplishments, preparing them for a work environment where they will be judged on their individual performance.

What is the hidden or informal curriculum in education?

The hidden curriculum refers to the implicit lessons taught in schools, such as acceptance of hierarchies, punctuality, conformity, and competition, which prepare students for societal roles.

How do schools use sanctions and rewards to shape behavior according to Parsons?

Schools use sanctions, such as detentions, and rewards, such as praise or recognition, to reinforce positive behavior and discourage non-conformity, promoting universal standards of behavior.

What criticisms do Marxists have of Parsons' views on education?

Marxists argue that the hidden curriculum promotes capitalist and ruling class values rather than societal consensus. They believe it encourages individualism to prevent collective resistance and neglects the values of lower social classes.

How do postmodernists critique the idea of universal values in education?

Postmodernists argue that society is too fragmented for universal values to be meaningful, as individuals now choose their own values in a multicultural and media-saturated world. They also suggest that conflicts between ruling class values and other groups can lead to underachievement.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Understanding Talcott Parsons' Views on Education

This paragraph introduces the video on Talcott Parsons' perspective on education, following up on the previous video about Émile Durkheim's views. It explains that while Durkheim emphasized social solidarity and teaching specialist skills, Parsons expanded on these ideas, particularly focusing on the function of secondary socialization. Parsons believed education acts as a bridge between home life and the broader society by transforming the particularistic values of home into the universal values of society. For instance, where families may wait for someone running late, broader societal systems, such as public transportation or workplaces, won't. The paragraph emphasizes that education helps shift individuals from family-based ascribed status to achieved status, supporting the concept of meritocracy.

05:01

🏫 Schools Promoting Individualism Over Collectivism

Parsons also suggested that education promotes individualism, which is crucial for a geographically and socially mobile workforce. Schools prepare students for the competitive nature of the workforce by prioritizing individual achievement over collective bonds. This is achieved through the hidden curriculum, where students are taught to accept hierarchies, work hard, and conform to rules such as wearing uniforms and being punctual. Success in education, measured by assessments and qualifications, contributes to the students' achieved status. In systems like the U.S., where individuals are ranked or awarded valedictorian status, competition between students is encouraged, further shifting them from collectivism to individualism.

👔 Education's Role in Preparing Students for Wider Society

This section explains how education enforces societal standards, such as uniform policies and discipline, to control students’ behavior. For example, schools may enforce strict dress codes, and students are often sanctioned for non-compliance or tardiness. Recently, schools have been instructed to teach cultural capital and literacy to help students succeed in society, aligning with wider societal values. Schools also ensure that students receive social, moral, spiritual, and cultural education, forming part of the hidden curriculum. The aim is to foster a shared understanding of norms and values, preparing students for life in broader society.

⚖️ Criticisms from Marxists and Postmodernists

The paragraph introduces critiques of Parsons' functionalist view, particularly from Marxists and postmodernists. Marxists argue that the hidden curriculum promotes the values of capitalism and the ruling class rather than a societal value consensus, as Parsons suggested. They believe education perpetuates individualism to prevent collective worker revolts and neglects the values of the lower classes. Postmodernists, on the other hand, argue that society is too fragmented for universal values to exist. They believe that individuals now choose their own values, especially in a multicultural, media-saturated world, weakening the impact of transmitting norms through education.

🧠 Impacts of Clashing Values and the Role of Habitus

This final paragraph discusses how clashes between the values promoted by the education system and those of other social groups, particularly the working class, can lead to underachievement. The influence of habitus, a concept introduced by sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, will be examined in later videos, especially regarding its role in shaping educational outcomes for working-class students. The paragraph concludes the video, encouraging viewers to reflect on these ideas and stay tuned for more discussions on habitus and education.

Keywords

💡Functionalism

Functionalism is a sociological theory that views society as a system of interconnected parts that work together to promote stability and harmony. In the video, the functionalist perspective is used to explain the role of education in maintaining social order. Parsons builds on Durkheim's functionalist ideas, arguing that education serves as a bridge between the home and wider society, socializing individuals into universal values and preparing them for their roles in the workforce.

💡Secondary Socialization

Secondary socialization refers to the process of learning the norms, values, and behaviors necessary to function in larger society, beyond the family. In the video, Parsons suggests that education plays a crucial role in secondary socialization, helping students transition from the particularistic values of their family to the universal values of society, such as meritocracy and individualism.

💡Particularistic Values

Particularistic values are those specific to an individual or a small group, such as a family. Parsons argues that in the family, individuals are judged based on particularistic standards, like their role as a son or daughter. Education, according to Parsons, transforms these particularistic values into universal values, which apply to everyone in society, preparing individuals for social interaction on a broader scale.

💡Universal Values

Universal values are principles or standards that apply to all individuals within a society, regardless of their background. Parsons highlights how education helps shift individuals from the particularistic values of the family to these universal values. For example, schools teach punctuality and merit-based achievement, which are applicable across society and important for future professional life.

💡Meritocracy

Meritocracy is the belief that individuals should be rewarded based on their abilities and efforts, rather than their social status or family background. In the video, Parsons argues that education promotes meritocracy by allowing students to achieve status through their performance in school, such as through assessments and qualifications, rather than their ascribed status within the family.

💡Achieved Status

Achieved status refers to a social position that a person earns or chooses, based on merit, effort, and achievements. In the context of the video, Parsons explains that education helps individuals move from ascribed statuses, such as being a son or daughter, to achieved statuses where they are judged on their personal accomplishments, like academic success or professional qualifications.

💡Ascribed Status

Ascribed status is a social position assigned at birth, such as being a member of a particular family. Parsons contrasts this with achieved status, explaining that while family life focuses on ascribed roles, the education system promotes achieved status, where individuals are judged based on their own efforts and achievements, preparing them for meritocratic societies.

💡Individualism

Individualism emphasizes the importance of personal independence and self-reliance, rather than group identity. Parsons argues that education fosters individualism by encouraging students to compete for grades and achievements, which reflects the needs of modern society for a socially and geographically mobile workforce. This shift from collectivism to individualism prepares students for their roles in the economy.

💡Hidden Curriculum

The hidden curriculum refers to the implicit lessons taught in schools that are not part of the formal curriculum, such as the acceptance of hierarchy, the value of punctuality, and adherence to social norms. In the video, the hidden curriculum is described as a way through which education instills universal values, social conformity, and meritocracy, ensuring students are prepared for the expectations of the wider society.

💡Cultural Capital

Cultural capital refers to the knowledge, skills, and cultural competencies that individuals need to succeed in society. In the video, it is mentioned that educational policies now emphasize teaching cultural capital to help students from different backgrounds navigate wider society. This idea links to broader discussions of how education not only imparts academic knowledge but also social norms and behaviors that enable success in various societal contexts.

Highlights

Talcott Parsons builds on Durkheim's ideas of education serving functional roles in society.

Education acts as a bridge between the particularistic values of home and the universal values of society.

Parsons emphasizes secondary socialization through education, where children transition from family-specific values to broader societal norms.

Education prepares individuals to move from ascribed status (son, daughter) to achieved status, judged by merit and ability.

Parsons introduces the concept of meritocracy, where individuals earn their status through ability rather than inherited positions.

Individualism is promoted over collectivism to create a geographically and socially mobile workforce.

The hidden curriculum teaches students implicit societal values, such as acceptance of hierarchies, punctuality, and hard work.

Sanctions and rewards in schools reinforce conformity to societal norms, like wearing uniforms and adhering to punctuality.

Assessments and qualifications are essential to gaining achieved status in society, with university entrance and jobs relying on individual performance.

Competition among students, such as ranking in the class or being a valedictorian, encourages individualism over collectivism.

School disciplinary policies, such as uniforms and punctuality rules, enforce universal societal standards.

The hidden curriculum includes teaching cultural capital and cultural literacy, helping students succeed in wider society.

Marxists critique Parsons' view, arguing that the hidden curriculum serves capitalist and ruling-class interests, promoting individualism to suppress collective action.

Postmodernists challenge the idea of universal values, stating that society is fragmented, and individuals adopt their own values, reducing the impact of shared norms.

Conflicts between ruling-class values and other social groups can lead to underachievement in education.

Transcripts

welcome to this tutor to you sociology

topic video in this video we will be

looking at telcot parsons ideas on

education

in our last video der cameron education

we looked at the functionalist view that

education serves a range of beneficial

functions for wireless society and

examine two functions proposed by emil

durkheim social solidarity and teaching

a specialist skills

talk up parsons developed durkheim's

ideas further in the post-war era in the

united states and suggested a further

function secondary socialization or what

some refer to as being the bridge

between home and the value consensus of

wider society

parsons suggested that the primary

socialization of home is not adequate

for members when they move from home

into wider society

he believed that education was essential

in acting as a bridge between home and

wider society

transforming the particularistic values

of home into more universal values in

society

particularistic values are those that

are specific to a group or individual

whereas universal values apply to

everybody in society for example if you

were going on a family outing and you

were running late your family would

hopefully wait for you

however in wider society if you're late

buses won't wait for you your class

won't wait and your employer may even

discipline you school prepares you for

this

additionally education transforms your

ascribed status as somebody's son

daughter brother sister into an achieved

one

one that means you will be judged based

upon your performances rather than your

place as a son or daughter

this can be linked to the promotion of

meritocracy in schools as individuals

earn their status through ability in

wider society rather than being born

into it as in the family

finally parsons suggested that education

should promote individualism rather than

collectivism in schools there are links

here to parsons work on the needs of

society to have a geographically and

socially mobile workforce by promoting

individualism over collectivism

the education system can prepare

students to sacrifice the collective

bonds of their communities for career

progression

so how does education achieve this

mainly through the hidden or informal

curriculum that is the knowledge skills

and attributes that are implicit in the

education system

acceptance of hierarchies hard work

being rewarded being punctual wearing

uniforms conforming schools achieve this

through sanctions and rewards with

positive behavior rewarded and

non-conformity sanctioned

assessments and qualifications are a

method used by the school to enable

students to achieve

to gain achieve status

in wider society university entrance and

employment are both decided upon by the

qualifications on individual possesses

while ideas of meritocracy are

transmitted through teachers lecturers

and employers

finally competition between students for

grades or in sports is encouraged to

move students from collectivism to

individualism

this is evident particularly in the u.s

education system with individuals being

ranked in their university class or

being awarded valedictorian status as

the top student of their graduate year

this prepares students for working life

where they'll be judged on their

performance usually against their

colleagues

so how do we apply this to our

contemporary society well many schools

use uniform and disciplinary policies in

order to control this process

while at home you may be encouraged to

dress individually at school there are

sanctions for not conforming to uniform

regulations

each september we hear through the media

of students being sent home or placed in

isolation for not wearing the right

shoes not having the right length skirt

or having an inappropriate hairstyle for

learning

furthermore students who are late or

disruptive in class may be sanctioned

such as detentions and isolation and

this is designed to enforce universal

standards behavior on pupils

recently

educational policies have seen ofsted

announcing that schools should be

teaching students cultural capital and

cultural literacy implicitly in the

curriculum to enable students to succeed

in wider society

there'll be more in this when we look at

borgio and cultural capital

schools also have a responsibility to

ensure that students receive social

moral spiritual and cultural education

while this is not done explicitly in

lessons it forms part of the hidden

curriculum to enable students to

understand the shared norms and values

of wider society

once again as with durkheim when it

comes to evaluation of functionist ideas

marxists spring to mind

marxist agree that there is a hidden

curriculum but argue that its purpose is

not as benign as functionalists would

suggest

they think that it is not society's

value consensus that students learn but

the values of capitalism and the ruling

class

individualism is a key factor in keeping

workers from revolting while promoting

ruling class values the values of the

lower classes are neglected

further criticism comes from

post-modernism

they are they disagree with universal

values arguing that society is so

fragmented and that individuals choose

their own values

in a multicultural and media saturated

society the impacts of passing on norms

and values through education is greatly

diluted

and furthermore clashes between the

values of the ruling class and other

groups often lead to under achievement

now this is an important concept we'll

look at in later videos the role of the

habit is in education and particularly

how it might influence working class

experience

i hope you found this video useful in

explaining parsons views on education

and thank you for watching