Social Dimension of Education

SOCIAL DIMENSION OF EDUCATION

Presented by:Orlaine Gamilla, Michelle Sabelo and Fressette Vinson

Society

Sociologist

Education

Theories Consensus Conflict Interaction

Socio- Cultural

Socio-Political

Socio-Economic

Socio-Psychological

Topics:

Origin of Sociology of Education

The sociology of education is the study of how social institutions and individual experiences affects education and its outcome.

It is relatively a new branch and two great sociologist Émile Durkheim and Max Weber were the father of sociology of education. Émile Durkheim's work on moral education as a basis for social solidarity is considered the beginning of sociology of education.

Sociologists see education as one of the major institutions that constitutes society. While theories guide research and policy formulation in the sociology of education.

This theories help sociologists understand educational systems.

Sociology

 The word Sociology originates from latin prefix :socius, "companion"; and the suffix -ology, "the study of", from Greek lógos, "knowledge" .

Sociology is the systematic study of society.Sociology encompasses all the elements of society ie social relation, social stratification, social interaction, culture.

Society

: people in general thought of as living together in organized communities with shared laws, traditions, and values

: the people of a particular country, area, time, etc., thought of especially as an organized community

Education

Education is a broad concept, referring to all the experiences in which learners can learn something .

It is a social endeavour designed to get the maximum from the ability of each of the member of the society. Education is covers both the teaching, learning of knowledge and values.

Education consists of systematic instruction, teaching and training by professional teachers.

THEORIES

According to some sociologist; society has two faces; the face of consensus and the face of conflict.

Further, they emphasized that sociological theory should be divided into two parts between the consensus theory and the conflict theory.

The proponents of consensus and conflict sociological and social theories are:

Karl Marx

Emile Durkheim

Max Weber

Talcott Parsons & Robert Merton

Louis Althusser & Ralph Dahrendorf

Herbert Mead & Herbert Blumer

Karl MarxMarx's class theory rests on the premise that "the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." According to this view, ever since human society emerged from its primitive and relatively undifferentiated state it has remained fundamentally divided between classes who clash in the pursuit of class interests.

Emile DurkheimDurkheim discusses how modern society is held together by a division of labor that makes individuals dependent upon one another because they specialize in different types of work. Durkheim is particularly concerned about how the division of labor changes the way that individuals feel they are part of society as a whole.

Max WeberMax Weber believed that it was social actions that should be the focus of study in sociology. To Weber, a “social action’” was an action carried out by an individual to which an individual attached a meaning. Therefore, an action that a person does not think about cannot be a social action. 

Talcott Parsons

Robert Merton

Louis Althusser

Ralf Dharendorf

George Herbert Mead

Charles Horton Cooley

Conflict Theory emphasizes the role of

coercion and power in producing social order. This perspective is derived from the works of Karl Marx, who saw society as fragmented into groups that compete for social and economic resources.According to conflict theory, inequality exists because those in control of a disproportionate share of society’s resources actively defend their advantages.

The conflict model is concerned with the stresses and conflicts that emerge in society because of competitions over scarce resources.

It focuses on the inequalities that are built into social structures rather than on those that emerge because of personal characteristics.

Social Structures produce patterns

of inequality in the distribution of

scarce resources.

Conflict

Reorganization and Change

The Conflict Model

Consensus Theory

Is a social theory that states that social change should occur in institutions that are provided by a political or economic system, which is fair. The theory also states that the absence of conflict within a society is the state of equilibrium.

It is being considered in these theories that the social order in society should be maintained, based upon the accepted norms, values, roles or regulations that are accepted by the society in general.

Consensus Theories Conflict theories

See shared norms and values as fundamental to society

Emphasize the dominance of some social groups by others

Focus on social order based on tacit agreements

See social order as based on manipulation and control by dominant groups

View social change as occurring in a slow and orderly fashion

View social change as occurring rapidly in a disorderly fashion as subordinate groups overthrow dominant groups

Structural Functionalism Structural Functionalism states that society

is made up of various institutions that work together in cooperation.

Parsons’ structural functionalism has four functional imperatives

also known

as AGIL

scheme.

Structural Functionalism (AGIL)

1. Adaptation – a system must cope with external situational exigencies. It must adapt to its environment and adapt environment to its needs.

2. Goal attainment- a system must define and achieve its primary goals.

3. Integration- a system must regulate the interrelationship of its component parts. It must also manage the relationship among the other three functional imperatives (A,G,L)

4. Latency (pattern maintenance)- a system must furnish, maintain and renew both the motivation of individuals and the cultural patterns that create and sustain the motivation.

Structure of the General Action System (Ritzer 2000)

Cultural system(Latency Function) providing actors with the norms and values that motivate them for action

Social system(Integration Function) controlling its components parts

Action system(Adaptation Function) adjusting to and transforming to the external world

Personality system(Goal Attainment) defining system goals and mobilizing resources to attain them

Functional Requisites of a social system

1. Social system must be structured so that they operate compatibly with other systems.

2. To survive, the social system must have requisite from other systems.

3. The system must meet a significant proportion of the needs of its actors.

4. The system must elicit adequate participation from its members.

5. It must have at least a minimum of control over potentially disruptive behavior.

6. If conflict becomes sufficiently disruptive, it must be controlled.

7. Finally, a social system requires a language in order to survive.

-Talcott Parsons

Interaction Theory

Is the relation of school and society are critiques and extensions of the functionalist and conflict perspectives.

Interactionist theories are critiques and extensions of the functionalist and conflict perspectives.

This level of analysis helps us to understand education in the “ big picture”.

Interactionist theories attempt to make the “commonplace strange” by turning on their heads everyday taken-for-granted behaviors and interactions between students and students and between students and teachers.

 Symbolic interaction theory analyses society by addressing the subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and behaviours.

Has its own origin in the social psychology of early twentieth century sociologist George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley.

This school of thought, known as symbolic interactionism, views the self as socially constructed in relation to social forces and structures and the product of on going negotiations of meanings.

Symbolic Interactionism

Principles of Symbolic Interactionism

1. Human beings are endowed with the capacity for thought.

2. The capacity for thought us shaped by social interaction

3. In social interaction, people learn the meanings and the symbols that allow them to exercise their distinctively human capacity for thought.

4. Meanings and symbols allow people to carry on distinctively human action and interaction.

5. People are able to modify or alter meanings and symbols that they use in action and interaction on the basis of their interpretation of the situation.

6. People are able to make these modifications and alterations because, in part, of their ability to interact with themselves, which allows them ton examine possible courses of action, assess their relative advantages and disadvantages, and then choose one.

7. The intertwined patterns of action and interaction make up groups and societies.

Socio-Cultural Functions

The regularization of common tasks and activities of collective life; this function gives rise to routines, norms, public behavior and standard operating procedures.

The atonement and instilment in the social members of the customary laws and values guide and direct the members towards enlightenment, ennoblement, and perfectibility.

The veneration of all that are beneficent to the human race and society through the collective acts of celebration, recognition and commemoration of the people.

Socio-Economic Functions

Promotion of self-sufficiency for the populace by both the government and the private sectors.

Strengthening the agricultural and industrial economies of the country.

Intervention of government in anti- social business practices.

Balancing people’s needs with the country’s export business

Socio-Political Functions

Political governance, legislation, arbitration, social service, social assistance, security and protection, punitive sanctions, implementation of social justice through laws, and social development.

References:

http://ser.oxfordjournals.org

http://www.merriam-webster.com

http://guides.wikinut.com/The-Consensus-And-Conflict-Theory/1anshulq/

http://psychology.about.com/

Social Dimensions of Education, Violeta A.Vega

Social Dimensions of Philippine Education, Dr. Adelaida Bago