How might Marxism and functionalists interpret differently the functions of (a) the government and (b) the police force?
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A Comparison of Marxist and Functionalist Understanding of the Role of Education in Society Functionalist theories assume the different parts of a society each have their own role to play (their own "function"), and work together smoothly in order to form a harmonious whole (macro). The metaphor often used to describe functionalism is that it views society as a body, with the different socialisation agents —government, media, religion, the family, etc., and, of course, education—being like the different organs in a body, each contributing in a different way to keeping the entire body healthy.
Marxists see society as having a material structure and emphasises economic determinism whereas functionalism sees society as based on shared culture and emphasises cultural determinism. Marxism believes that culture is an instrument of social control and a source of power for the dominant class.