ABSTRACT
Functional theory is institutionalized as a main justification of mass education and its curricula. Two ideas of use follow from this point: First, since practically all countries are seen as modern or as properly aspiring to be modern, educational prescriptions and policies tend to be remarkably similar. Second, it is likely to be very unclear in reality which curricular emphases might usefully go with which types of countries. Functional theories fail because functionalism is institutionalized as a sort of world standard ideology: models of nation-states are fairly homogeneous, models of education even more, and models of which mass educational curricula are beneficial most of all. It is thought valuable to emphasize mathematics and science in elementary school—consider how little variation among types of countries there is in the depiction of this ideal by educators and policymakers. Few powerful groups in society are likely to be closely linked to particular content dimensions in mass schooling.
