부산대학교 도서관

Functionalism and social conflict theory provide alternate explanations regarding the relationship among formal education, skill acquisition, and occupational status. From a functionalist perspective, ever increasing technological advances in society demand a continual shift in the proportion of low‐skill jobs to high‐skill jobs. Formal education provided in educational institutions plays a central role by producing individuals with high‐level generic or specific skills. Stratification into the hierarchy of positions is related to acquired levels of formal education and more prestigious positions require higher and more specialized training. From a social conflict theory perspective, the central role of formal education is not to create skilled individuals for the labor force. Rather, ascriptive factors are largely responsible for the enduring relationship between social class and occupational attainment. The purpose of education is to instill the status culture of the dominant group into those destined for high level positions and to teach those relegated to lower positions to respect the values of the dominant group.