One Structural-Functionalism in Comparative and International Education. Antecedents, Development and Applications.
- Developed throughout the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century, structural-functionalism profoundly shaped social sciences thinking, including Comparative and International Education. This school of thought analyzes the functions of the interrelated parts that constitute society, including education, to explain how they contribute to maintaining order and harmony in society. The first part of the chapter provides an overview of the antecedents and developments of the structural-functionalism by making reference to the main scholars and ideas that contributed to its elaborations. The second part of the chapter explores its applications in the field of comparative international education by providing several examples of how structural-functionalism influenced the analyses of early comparativists. The chapter ends with a conclusion, a list of further reading, and a mini-case study.