Functionalism and Education

Here is an interesting article shedding some light on functionalism:

http://uwp.edu/~goldsmip/education/Functism.pdf

I like this article because even though it is short, it paints a good picture of structural functionalism. The author here states that structural functionalism is essential for schools to operate in accordance with their intended purposes. In my opinion, this is how schools would operate under a perfect society with no obstacles. I say this because this article does not discuss any potential obstacles that may hinder success. Success comes based on merit under structural functionalism: "Society needs the best and the brightest to function at the highest levels, therefore it gives its highest rewards to this same group of people. They will work harder than the average person to get into such a high position therefore they deserve the highest rewards." However, at the end, it discusses problems that may arise from this, like the actual degree you earn meaning more than the grades you make and those coming from a high socio-economic
background doing better than those from a low socio-economic background. This would cancel out the fact that in meritocracy, everyone has the same opportunities regardless of where they come from.