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Note

Some features like Lists and Undo/Redo weren't mocked up because their workflow was rather conventional, so their icons have been removed from this particular demo. Also, some of the features are rather buggy, or only partially work (Save doesn't work at all). They're mock-ups after all. Whatever you do, don't look at the code! :-) These were made quick-and-dirty for reviewing and testing iterations.
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Below is some dummy text and elements for you to fiddle around with.

Theoretical Perspectives on Education

Functionalism

Functionalists view education as one of the more important social institutions in a society. They contend that education contributes two kinds of functions: manifest (or primary) functions, which are the intended and visible functions of education; and latent (or secondary) functions, which are the hidden and unintended functions.

Manifest Functions

There are several major manifest functions associated with education. The first is socialization. Beginning in preschool and kindergarten, students are taught to practice various societal roles. The French sociologist Émile Durkheim (1858-1917), who established the academic discipline of sociology, characterized schools as "socialization agencies that teach children how to get along with others and prepare them for adult economic roles. All education consists in a continuous effort to impose on the child ways of seeing, feeling, and acting to which it would not spontaneously come." (Durkheim 1898)
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Figure 1:
The teacher's authority in the classroom is a way in which education fulfills the manifest functions of social control. (Photo courtesy of Tulane Public Relations/flickr)

Latent Functions

Education also fulfills latent functions (shown in the table) . As you well know, much goes on in a school that has little to do with formal education. For example, you might notice an attractive fellow student when he gives a particularly interesting answer in class—catching up with him and making a date speaks to the latent function of courtship fulfilled by exposure to a peer group in the educational setting.
Manifest and Latent Functions of Education
Table 1:  According to functionalist theory, education contributes both manifest and latent functions.
Manifest Functions: Openly stated functions with intended goals Latent Functions: Hidden, unstated functions with sometimes unintended consequences
Socialization Courtship
Transmission of culture Social networks
Social control Working in groups
Social placement Creation of generation gap
Cultural innovation Political and social integration

Example 1 Grade Inflation: When Is an A Really a C?

Consider a large-city newspaper publisher. Ten years ago, when culling résumés for an entry-level copywriter, they were well assured that if they selected a grad with a GPA of 3.7 or higher, they'd have someone with the writing skills to contribute to the workplace on day one. But over the last few years, they've noticed that A-level students don't have the competency evident in the past. More and more, they find themselves in the position of educating new hires in abilities that, in the past, had been mastered during their education.
This story illustrates a growing concern referred to as grade inflation—a term used to describe the observation that the correspondence between letter grades and the achievements they reflect has been changing (in a downward direction) over time. Put simply, what used to be considered C-level, or average, now often earns a student a B, or even an A.

Section Quiz

Exercise 1

Which of the following is not a manifest function of education? Hint: The answer can be found in the "Manifest Functions" section.
  1. Cultural innovation
  2. Courtship
  3. Social placement
  4. Socialization

Solution

B
[ Hide Solution ]

Exercise 2

Because she plans on achieving success in marketing, Tammie is taking courses on managing social media. This is an example of ________.
  1. cultural innovation
  2. social control
  3. social placement
  4. socialization

Solution

C
[ Hide Solution ]

Further Research

The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) is committed to ending the bias and other flaws seen in standardized testing. Their mission is to ensure that students, teachers, and schools are evaluated fairly. You can learn more about their mission, as well as the latest in news on test bias and fairness, at their website: http://fairtest.org/

Summary

The major sociological theories offer insight into how we understand education. Functionalists view education as an important social institution that contributes both manifest and latent functions. Functionalists see education as serving the needs of society by preparing students for later roles, or functions, in society. Conflict theorists see schools as a means for perpetuating class, racial-ethnic, and gender inequalities. In the same vein, feminist theory focuses specifically on the mechanisms and roots of gender inequality in education. The theory of symbolic interactionism focuses on education as a means for labeling individuals.
Most of the above text is by OpenStax. Download for free at http://cnx.org/contents/afe4332a-c97f-4fc4-be27-4e4d384a32d8@7.16.

Glossary

sidereal period:
A period determined by or from the stars.