In the sociology of education, the “Great Debate” is characterized by a fundamental ontological disagreement regarding the nature of social reality. This tension between Consensus (Functionalist) and Conflict (Critical) perspectives provides the primary framework through which we analyze educational systems, research methodologies, and policy trajectories.

1. Consensus Theory: The Functionalist Paradigm
   Consensus theory, rooted in the works of Émile Durkheim and later Talcott Parsons, posits that social order is a product of shared values and norms. From this perspective, education is an essential subsystem of the social organism, performing vital “maintenance” functions.

• Social Integration: Schools serve as the primary site for “secondary socialization,” transforming individuals into citizens by internalizing a common value system.
• Meritocratic Sorting (Role Allocation): Davis and Moore (1945) argued that education is a neutral mechanism for social stratification. By testing and grading, schools ensure that the most cognitively “talented” individuals are funneled into the most functionally important roles, regardless of their background.
• Equilibrium and Policy: Within this paradigm, policy is viewed as a teleological instrument—a tool designed to solve technical problems and restore system equilibrium (e.g., addressing a skills gap to maintain economic competitiveness).

1. Conflict Theory: The Critical Paradigm
   Conversely, Conflict Theory—drawing from Marxist, Weberian, and later Bourdieusian traditions—views society not as a unified organism but as a contested terrain of power struggles. Education is seen not as a neutral ladder, but as a “gatekeeper” that protects the interests of dominant classes.

• Social and Cultural Reproduction: Pierre Bourdieu argued that schools reward Cultural Capital (the linguistic and social competencies of the elite) rather than raw merit. Consequently, the education system reinforces existing class hierarchies while masquerading as a meritocracy.
• The Correspondence Principle: Bowles and Gintis (1976) posited that the structure of schooling “corresponds” to the hierarchy of the workplace, socialising students into a life of alienated labor and subservience to authority.
• Policy as Hegemony: From a conflict perspective, policy is an ideological vehicle. Reforms are often seen as “settlements” that reflect the interests of the powerful or as a means of managing social unrest without addressing underlying inequalities.

1. Key Theoretical Tensions in Policy Analysis
   The friction between these two camps is most visible when analyzing the Policy Cycle.
2. Synthesizing the Tension for Doctoral Research
   For researchers navigating these theories—particularly when employing Stephen Ball’s “Policy Sociology”—the goal is often to bridge the gap. Ball suggests that policy should be viewed as both text (the formal consensus document) and discourse (the power-laden language that limits what can even be thought or said).
   
3. In the context of international education, for instance, a consensus lens might focus on the successful “acculturation” of Chinese students into international schools as a benefit to regional stability. A conflict lens, however, would scrutinize the “neoliberal” commodification of these students, questioning whether the curriculum serves as a form of Western cultural imperialism that devalues the students’ indigenous knowledge.