Final answer:
Discussions of social placement in education primarily fit within the framework of functionalism, which views education as a system that equips individuals to perform roles in society, contributing to social stability and meritocracy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Social placement discussions about education would be part of functionalism. The functionalist theory views education as critical for social stability and cohesion, where different members of society are trained for various roles that contribute to the functioning of the whole society. Education, from a functionalist perspective, serves a sorting function that places individuals into different sectors and roles within the economic system, which is meant to match with their abilities and skills. This implies that education contributes to meritocracy, where people achieve positions based on their achievements and qualifications.
On the other hand, conflict theory suggests that education reinforces and perpetuates social inequalities. This viewpoint argues that education is a means for elite power holders to maintain control and to widen the gap between different social classes. Feminist theory would focus on how education contributes to gender inequalities. Lastly, symbolic interactionism looks at the micro-level of education, such as how teacher expectations can affect student performance (labeling).