Understanding Talcott Parsons' Ideas on Education

This video explores Talcott Parsons' ideas on education, building on Durkheim's functionalist view. Parsons suggests education acts as a bridge from home to society, transforming particularistic values into universal ones. It promotes meritocracy and individualism, preparing students for societal roles. The hidden curriculum teaches implicit societal norms. Critiques from Marxists and post-modernists highlight the transmission of ruling class values and question universal values in a fragmented society.

What are the two functions of education proposed by Emile Durkheim?

• Social solidarity and teaching specialist skills

• Meritocracy and individualism

• Cultural capital and literacy

• Discipline and punctuality

What does Parsons mean by 'secondary socialization'?

• The promotion of cultural literacy

• The bridge between home and the value consensus of wider society

• The process of learning basic skills at home

• The development of individual talents

How does education transform particularistic values into universal values?

• By promoting collectivism over individualism

• By encouraging students to dress individually

• By preparing students for the expectations of wider society

• By teaching students to conform to family norms

What is the significance of achieved status in education according to Parsons?

• It is earned through individual performance

• It is inherited from parents

• It is irrelevant in modern society

• It is based on family background

Why does Parsons believe education should promote individualism?

• To teach cultural capital

• To encourage collective community bonds

• To prepare students for a socially mobile workforce

• To maintain family traditions

What is the hidden curriculum in education?

• The informal social interactions among students

• The extracurricular activities offered by schools

• The implicit knowledge, skills, and attributes learned in school

• The official subjects taught in school

How do schools use sanctions and rewards in the hidden curriculum?

• To encourage cultural literacy

• To reward positive behavior and sanction non-conformity

• To enforce uniform regulations

• To promote family values

What is the Marxist criticism of the hidden curriculum?

• It encourages social solidarity

• It focuses on individual achievement

• It promotes universal values

• It teaches the values of capitalism and the ruling class

According to post-modernists, why is the impact of passing on norms and values through education diluted?

• Due to the lack of cultural capital

• Because of the emphasis on meritocracy

• Due to the fragmented and multicultural nature of society

• Because of the focus on individualism

What is the role of cultural capital in education according to recent educational policies?

• To enable students to succeed in wider society

• To promote individualism

• To teach specialist skills

• To enforce uniform regulations