试析西方教育史研究中的功能主义

Analyzing the Functionalism in the Studies of Educational History

功能主义在西方教育史研究中占有独尊的地位,它规范着教育史研究的框架并指导着它的方向。几乎所有教育史学家都受功能主义的影响,他们认为近代以来普及教育的兴起是为了满足某种或某一阶级的社会需求。但是,从功能主义角度把普及教育与工业化、城市化以及现代国家建设联系起来,有许多无法解释的例外。本文认为要真正解释普及教育的兴起就必须超越功能主义,必须不限于研究社会需要与教育满足需要这样的联系,而是把教育的功能置放在一定历史语境当中。

Functionalism dominates the studies of educational history in the western countries and it determines the framework of educational history studies. Almost all of the educational historians have been influenced by it and they consider that the main reason for universal education is to meet the needs of certain social. However many questions cannot be answered by the functional perspectives. The essay points out that we must break the limitation of functionalism in order to explain the reasons for the rising of universal education.