An Analyzing On View Of Educational Function In Sociological Perspective

The function of education is an important problem in educational theory, it is related to the status and role of education, it also involves in the relationship between education and society or individual. So, the study on the problem of educational function can promote people's cognition on education, form the sound view of educational function, and advance development of the society as well as human. The peoples' views on educational function have changed with the rise and decline of the world education. There are three different views on function of education: view on educational dufunction, view on educational dysfunction and view on educational eufunction-dysfunction.In the field of educational sociology, Durkheim posed the eufunction of education at an earlier period. Tailcoat Parsons further pointed out the two functions of school class: socializing and selecting. The studies on eufunction of education after Parsons were the concretization and the deduction of Parsons' thoughts. The rise of the human capital theory made the world believe that education would promote the development of society, economy, and individual. After the Second World War, education tied in more tightly with politics, technology and economy of nation. Western countries adopted corresponding measures to improve their education. Many countries in the third world also accepted human capital theory, and devoted major efforts to developing their education in order to strengthen the independence of their politics and economy. This background provided a social basis for the existing eufunction view on education. And this view is beneficial for the development of education in a sense, but its interpretive competence is poor for some educational phenomena.Merton criticized the defeats of traditional functionalism, and posed the so-called value-free functional analyzing pattern. A Japanese educational sociologist discussed the dysfunction of education by using Merton's functional analyzing theory, and he set up an analyzing framework about thetheory of school educational function on the basis of Merton's notions such as edfunction, dysfunction, manifest function and latent function. His theory showed that there are both dysfunction and eufunction in the system of educational function.Chinese scholars not only studied the eufunction and dysfunction of education, but also explored the concept and forming mechanism of educational dysfunction. In 60's and 70's of 20th century, the problem that the world education faced was the social basis for the forming of eufunction-dysfunction view on education. This view of education has power to explain educational practice.The view of dysfunction on education was based on the modern criticism, it exaggerated educational dysfunction, while paid less attention on educational eufunction. The scholars who held this view usually attributed the dysfunction of education to the defects of educational system, even to the nature of whole social system and culture. So they advocated the reconstruction of education and society. The class nature hidden in education as well as the problem and paradox in educational practice of western countries provided the social basis for the existing of dysfunction view on education. And this view is significant for us to understand the relativity of educational dysfunction.Analyzing three views on educational function in sociological perspective is very important for our education. Firstly, we should set up a comprehensive view of educational function. Secondly, we must develop education according to education law, work out a reasonable and scientific policy to decrease the possibility of educational dysfunction.