Theorists have long debated the value of education in society, as evidenced by the writings of Emile Durkheim, Pierre Bourdieu, and, more recently, John W. Meyer.Emile Durkheim believed in the theory of structural functionalism and its ability to provide social order. Durkheim believed that institutions were a social fact that made the machinery of society function in an orderly manner. Education, being an institution, has a set of standard rules accepted by individuals. Schools provide social groups, making the individual part of a larger, cohesive collective society that provides the individual with a social network. Although Durkheim believed in an ordered society, he also recognized the need for an individual to be educated in a way that improved his or her aptitude for a particular skill. Durkheim believed that diversity in society helps us get along and perpetuate order. However, Durkheim also believed that society can only survive with a certain homogeneity, and that it is the role of education to transmit social norms to future generations. Durkheim recognized that political and social ideals c...