Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter 1 Soc Dime
Chapter 1 Soc Dime
Chapter 1 Soc Dime
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO THE SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF EDUCATION
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Differentiate the various social science theories.
2. Explain the relationship of the various social theories the conflict,
consensus, functionalism and interactionist theories and educational systems.
3. Discuss how the various social theories affect the functions of school.
Introduction
Sociology, the scientific study of human social behavior. As the study of humans in
their collective aspect, sociology is concerned with all group activities: economic, social,
political, and religious. Sociologists see education as one major institutions that constitutes
society. While theories guide research and policy formulation in the sociology of education,
they also provide logical explanations for why things happen the way they do. These
theories help sociologists understand educational systems.
Consensus and Conflict Theory
Consensus is a general or widespread agreement among all members of a particular
society. Conflict is a clash between ideas and principles and people. Dahrendorf (1968 )
Ritzer (2000).
Consensus Theory
Shared norms
and
values
Conflict Theory
as
Emphasize the dominance of some
fundamental to society
Focus on social order, stability and
social regulation.
Social change occurs in slow and
orderly fashion
Examine value integration in society.
Absence of conflict is seen as the
social groups
See social order as manipulation and
on
general
or
widespread
particular society.
of
society
and
the
differential
Education plays in maintaining the prestige, power, and economic and social
position of the dominant group in society.
Status cultures refer to groups in society with similar interests and positions in the
status hierarchy.
The
conflict
model
is
concerned with
the stresses and
conflicts
that
emerge
in
society because
of
competition
over
scarce
resources.
It
focuses on the
inequalities that
are
built
into
social structures
rather than on
those
that
emerge because
of
personal
Conflict
Reorganization and
Change
collection of theories which places emphasis on conflict in human society (Jary and Jary
2000:105).
Conflict theory focuses on the struggle of social classes to maintain dominance and
power in social systems.
The consensus theory is a sociological perspective or collection of theories, in
which social order and stability/social regulation form the base of emphasis. It is concerned
with the maintenance or continuation of social order of society, in relation to accepted
norms, values, rules, and regulations of society.
Dahrendorf recognizes that society cannot exist without both conflict and consensus,
which are pre-requisites for each other. Thus, we cannot have conflict unless there is some
prior consensus.
The consensus and conflict sociological theories are reflected in the works of
certain dominant social theorists such as Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber
and other prominent social theorists such as Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton, Louis
Althusser & Ralph Dahrendorf and Herbert Mead & Herbert Blumer.
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.
Figure 2
Goal Attainment, or the capability to set goals for the future and make decisions
accordingly. Political resolutions and societal objectives are part of this necessity.
Integration, or the harmonization of the entire society is a demand that the values
and norms of society are solid and sufficiently convergent. This requires, for example,
the religious system to be fairly consistent, and even in a more basic level, a common
language.
Parsons designed AGIL scheme to be used at all levels in this theoretical system.
The behavioral organism in the action system that handles the adaption function by
adjusting to and transforming the external world. The personality system performs
the goal-attainment function by defining system goals and mobilizing resources to
attain them. The social system copes with the integration function by controlling its
component parts. Finally, the cultural system performs the latency function by
providing actors with the norms and values that motivate their action (Ritzer, 2000).
Cultural System
Social System
Action System
Personality System
Parsons found his answer to the problem of order in structural functionalism, which
operates in his view with the following sets of assumptions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
works well for the society given its particular situation. Societies exist under a wide
range of environmental situations.
Key principles of the functionalist theory byFarley 1990.
1.Interdependency
2.Functions of social structure and culture
3.Consensus and cooperation
4. Equilibrium.
1. Interdependency every part of society is dependent to some extent on the
other parts of the society, so that what happens at one place in society has important
effects elsewhere
2. Functions of Social Structure and Culture. Social Structure refers to the
organization of society, including its institutions, its social positions and distribution of
resources. Culture refers to a set of beliefs, language ,rules, values, and knowledge
held in common by members of a society
3. Consensus and Cooperation societies have a tendency toward consensus;
that is to have certain basic values that nearly everyone in the society agrees upon.
Society tends toward consensus to achieve cooperation
4. Equilibrium is a characteristic of a society when it has achieved the form that
is best adapted to its situation. New technology, a change in climate, or contact with an
outside society are all conditions to which a society might have to adapt. When such
condition occur, social change will take place: society will change just enough to adapt
to the new situation. However, once that adaptation has been made, the society has
attained a new state of balance of equilibrium with its environment, and it will not
change again until some new situation requires further adaptation.
Social structures
provide preset patterns
which evolve to meet
human needs
Maintenance of
society
Structural Functionalism
In the analysis of living organism, the scientists task is to identify the various
parts (structures) and determine how they work (function).
In sociology, sociologist tries to identify the structure of society and how they
function, hence the name structural functio-nalism.(Javier, et al., 1994)
The component parts of social structure:
Families, Neighbors, Associations, Schools, Churches, Banks, Countries.
Functionalist sociologists stress
Parsons believes that education is a vital part of modern society, a society that
differs considerably from all previous societies.
Schooling performs an important function in the development and maintenance
of a modern, democratic society, especially with regard to equality of opportunity for all
citizens.
Thus, in modern societies education becomes the key institution in a meritocratic
selection process.
Education also plays a significant function in the maintenance of the modern
democratic and technocratic society.
Schools teach work skills and teach students how to learn so they may adapt to
new work roles and requirements.
Interactionist Theories
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. They attempt to make the common place strange by turning on their heads
everyday taken-for-granted behaviors and interactions in schools.
Symbolic Interactionism views the self as socially constructed in relation to social
forces and social structures and the product of ongoing negotiations of meanings. Thus,
the social self is an active product of human agency rather than a deterministic product
of social structure.
Symbolic Interactionists are not only interested in socialization but also in interaction in
general which is of vital importance in its own right
Interaction is the process in which the ability to think is both developed and expressed.
10
2.We learn what things are by observing how other people respond to them through
social interaction.
3.The result of ongoing interaction we use in dealing with others acquire symbolic
meanings that are shared by the people who belong to the same culture.
Summary:
Schools play a significant role in educating the Filipino citizens . It is our duty as
teachers to really inculcate the value of fairness and honesty to our students. We also
need to teach them how to learn, so they may be able to adapt in any situations/events
that they will be presented. The looking glass-self simply tells us that we must be
cautious in giving remarks to others. Let us all be generous in giving positive comments
and lessen the words that will hurt others
Application:
1. Distinguish between consensus and conflict theories.
2. How are the structural functionalism and symbolic interactionism theories
related to education?
3. Interview a teacher on the influence of the conflict and consensus theories
on his/her work as a teacher. Submit a write-up of the interview.
11
REFERENCES
1. Social Dimensions of Education, VioletaA.Vega
2. Social Dimensions of Philippine Education, Dr.Adelaida Bago
3. www.google.com.
4. www.wikipedia.com