Theorists have long discussed the value of education in society, as evidenced in the writings of Emile Durkheim, Pierre Bourdieu and more recently by John W. Meyer.Emile Durkheim believed in the theory of structural functionalism and its ability to ensure social order. Durkheim saw institutions as a social fact that made the social machine function in an orderly manner. Education, as an institution, has a standard set of rules accepted by individuals. Schools constitute social groups, making the individual part of a larger cohesive collective society that provides the individual with a social network. While Durkheim believed in an orderly society, he also recognized the need for an individual to be educated in a way that would improve 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 pass on social norms to future generations. Durkheim recognized that political and social ideals c...