Function of Inequality in Education

Functionalists and conflict theorists agree that inequality exists within education. Yet these theorists differ on why it exists, what function it serves, and from what source it is derived. After a brief overview contrasting the basic premises inherent in functionalist theory versus conflict theory, these theories will be applied to three current issues involving educational inequality. An investigation will be rendered as to whether functionalist theory or conflict theory more productively addresses the issues of inequality between school systems, tracking, and the official versus the hidden curriculum.

In contemporary American society education is integrally linked to social stratification and upward mobility (Ballantine 48). In "Functional and Conflict Theories of Educational Stratification" Collins highlights how functional theory emphasizes trends in technical skill requirements in industrial societies (Ballantine 48). One of the first educators to apply sociological theory to the study of education was the French thinker Emile Durkheim. Durkheim argued that education was a central institution within society contributing to its societal cohesion and order. Durkheim's thought laid the groundwork for sociology's functional perspective (Ballantine 3).

In contrast, conflict theory was pioneered by the writings of Karl Marx and Max Weber. Durkheim contended that education disseminated a society's shared val

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if this problem could be handled more equitably. Attempting to define reasons why different schools governed by the same administrative agencies can operate so differently, Adam Gamoran and Robert Dreeben synthesized research resulting in their essay, "Coupling and Control in Educational Organizations." Here they suggest that loose coupling, classroom teachers working independently of orders from higher levels, allows for radical diversity within any given district. Yet loose coupling which would suggest a weak bureaucratic oversystem does not identify the mechanisms that hold school systems together (Gamoran 120). Although typically organizations are integrated through authoritative coordination of work, classrooms are not dominated by either a technical core or the authority of the office (Ballantine 121). Educational research has repeatedly shown that teachers' work is not dominated by authoritative control. In fact, teachers are often characterized by their resistance to administrative interference and the difficulty of achieving consensus among teachers, principals and superintendents about instructional policies and practices (Ballantine 121). What these findings suggest is that functionalist theory's aspirati
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Educational Organizations, Bourdieu Passeron, Dearborn Park, Analysis American, Benson Snyder, Inequalities Kozol, Roxbury Harlem, Serve Functionalists, Weber Durkheim, Bowles Gintis, conflict theory, school systems, functionalist theory, hidden curriculum, conflict theorists, savage inequalities, magnet school, school district, ballantine 48, theory conflict theory, ballantine 3, children set schools, magnet school established, functionalist theory conflict,
Approximate Word count = 1961
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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