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.