Question

Attending primary and secondary school is not an option in the United States up to the age of 18. If you were a teacher, how would you use the Functionalist Perspective to make the most of your classroom educational experience

Answer 1

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

Although there are no options attached we can say the following.

If I were a teacher, I would use the Functionalist Perspective to make the most of my classroom educational experience motivating my students to take advantage of the great opportunity that education represents to escalate in the corporate ladder and the social recognition world. I would use the Manifest function of Functionalism called "Social Placement." Through this concept, I would try to sell them the idea of how education can help students to progress in their professional careers.

In the specific case of minority groups, I would use the assimilation perspective to let them know that in order to be full members of society they should adopt as many aspects of the dominant culture as possible. This perspective pertains to the Functionalist sociological theory.

In sociological terms, the Functionalist theory was developed by sociologist Emile Durkheim, who expressed his interest in understanding how a society maintained its stability. This theoretical approach states that society is the sum of its parts and beyond. And each member or institution of society has to do their part for the benefit of the whole.