Examples Of Functionalism

Essay question: Demonstrate your knowledge of functionalism and apply it to your own schooling experiences. Provide an overview of functionalism and thereafter critically examine your schooling experiences. Provide examples of your experiences that support or refute the functionalist perspective.
Functionalism, in a nutshell, is a theory which views society as a complex system consisting of interlinked components which promote solidarity and stability in society (Macionis 2010). This is a macrosociological view of society which concentrates on the social structures which shape society as a whole and implies that society evolves like organisms (DeRosso 2003). Functionalism refers to society as a whole regarding the functions of its interlinking

These systems are sub-divided into smaller components called roles. Each role needs to be fulfilled in order for a school to function properly (Blackledge & Hunt 1985). To illustrate this, we can look at the different components of the education system. The Department of Basic Education is the main component of the educational system. This institution compiles a syllabus which contains information necessary for the mental and physical development of the youth of society, to prepare them to contribute to society in the future. The Department of Basic Education ensures that schools are made aware of what learners need to be taught, which is a role carried over to the principal of a school. The principal needs to delegate orders to the staff in order to ensure that the learners receive the necessary education as required by the Department of Basic Education. Meetings between the principal and the heads of department are held where the principal discusses with the members what they need to delegate to the subject and grade heads to delegate to the educators what needs to be taught. The educators then take on the role of teaching the learners what they need to know to progress towards their desired career

The school will encourage learners to do their best academically and to adhere to the code of conduct in order to avoid an outbreak of chaos. Schools generally reward students based on their academic achievements. An example from my schooling experience would be during my primary school years. Students were placed classrooms depending on their academic status and behaviour. There was the “clever class”, the “naughty class”, the “try-hard class” and the “don’t-try-at-all class”. This was rewarding in a sense that through the years learners made friends with the other learners in their class and throughout their primary school career their friends were in their class provided they conform to the norms of that particular class. For example, in the “clever class”, most of the learners would try their best academically so that they can be in the same class as their friends the next year. In the “naughty class”, it would ironically be rewarding for learners to conform to being disobedient and rebellious because that would mean that they would still be in the same class as their friends the next year, and they would see it as a punishment to be placed in the “clever class” because that would mean that they would have to adapt to the new norms of that classroom, and they would be separated from their