Social solidarity

The sense of belonging and commitment that binds people together as members of a society.

A sense of belonging and mutual responsibility that binds members of society together.

Émile Durkheim's functionalist explanation starts with the need for social solidarity: people must feel that they belong to a wider society and have responsibilities towards others. Education helps create this bond by transmitting shared norms, or expectations about behaviour, and values, or beliefs about what matters.

Link each named thinker to a specific argument: Durkheim to shared norms, values and social solidarity; Parsons to the bridge between family and society, achieved status and meritocracy.

A sense of belonging and unity that connects members of a society.

The resulting sense of belonging and unity is called social solidarity. Education therefore has a collective purpose as well as helping individual pupils: it connects them to society. Functionalists also see the skills taught in education as helping people contribute to working life.

The sense of belonging and connection that binds people together in society.

Definition

How each exam board covers it

AQA GCSE Sociology · 8192

Exam tips

Get more free notes every week

Eduqas GCSE Sociology · C200