what are functionalist and conflict theories and how each one would try to explain current public education.?
The functionalist theory as it relates to education (I’ve been in private education for over twenty years, so I will speak to education as a whole) views the educational process as serving to offer what society needs to maintain, in order to preserve that particular society. In other words, individual contributions are valued for their significance to the “whole”. The conflict theory assumes an existing tension in society based on competing interests of the individuals involved. Such tension would be characteristic of capitalistic societies where the wealth is inequitably distributed and much of life is segregated accordingly. In simpler terms, I believe this would translate as the nurturing of a more competitive environment within a given classroom, with the emphasis perhaps on developing minds that can empower or change real or perceived social divisions. There are numerous examples from which to draw for examples of each of these theories. Because my background is primarily in priva
