Running head: SOCIOLOGY 1

Sociological Theories Views and The Role of Education Institution in Society.

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Introduction

The world we live in is made of groups of people who live in and share common

resources, language, religion, and culture. It is known as society. Social institutions play major

roles in society to ensure that everyone is living in peace and harmony. If a society is not orderly

and controlled, a lot of chaos and instability may arise that might destroy human life. Since

societies are different and operated differently, the individuals of such society are responsible for

establishing, guarding, protecting, and respecting social institutions for their good and the society

at large. Therefore, social institutions are essentials establishments and play major roles in

society as discussed below.

First, social institutions are formed to provide the emotional needs of the individuals in

society. Every human being needs to be shown affection, love, appreciation, and a sense of

belonging. Before a child goes to other social institutions like school, they must pass through the

family where they are taught how to behave with other people on the outside and to show love

and affection to everyone. When children are shown love and affection from their families, it

shapes their personality and how they treat others. Moreover, the religious places are also

sanctuaries in the social institution where people go and seek emotional help from the supreme

being.

Secondly, every individual in society needs basic wants for their survival and prosperity.

Shelter, food, and clothing are among the basic need should be provided by the social

institutions. As discussed earlier in the introduction, social institutions are for the welfare of the

society and are done by individuals of the society (Labson, n. d). The family being the basic unit

of society, they are expected to provide for children their basic needs and education. Managing
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and finding ways of providing income as well as creating employment opportunities are

important to ensure that these families in the society can acquire basic needs and education.

Additionally, every social institution needs law and leadership that will enforce

obedience and control the behavior of the people. Hence, there are political institutions that

provided governance. This institution is key since it unites the people of society. Having known

the basic roles of different social institutions gives us the knowledge to deal with the educational

institution as a major and important institution in the society.

Roles of the educational institutions and how sociological theories view the roles of

education institutions in society.

Functionalism theory.

Education is a basic need for every child and individual in society. Education institutions

are key in providing knowledge and skills that may enable individuals to survive. Education is

like the light that takes away the darkness of backwardness and provides positive attitudes

towards life and other people. French sociologist Emile Durkheim is known for being the first

sociologist of education(Francois,2015). He argued that since the education institution is formed

by individuals from different and diverse social backgrounds, there is a need for a functional

authority that will enforce required morals and values to the individuals in the institution. He

added that common beliefs, values, and a sense of community or nationhood can be formed

through education. As earlier stated, every individual needs a sense of belonging and the

educational institution is part of this social role. Francois (2015) comments that education

institutions contribute to functionalism theory by sharing norms and good morals that generate
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healthy social cohesion and also developing responsible, knowledgeable, and skilled individuals

who are going o provided economic roles in their families and society.

Additionally, another sociologist, Talcott Parsons who propagated the functionalism

theory the was started by Durkheim that schools were established to enable students to socialize.

Even though children learn about socialization and how to conduction themselves at the family

levels, the education institutions play the vital role of bridging individuals to society (Ormerod,

2020). The sociologist adds that functionalism is related to the workforce since the schools

prepare the students for the roles of the adults. It is also about the economic roles of social

institutions. The schools sign individual's roles based on their skills, achievement. and capability

according to Parsons, he believed that education institution was fair since children were assessed

based on merit and they were judged and given opportunities equally regardless of their social

background. Some institutions define social class and status but with the education system and

the theory of functionalism, the financial and social status of the students does not determine

their achievement and success but only hard work and determination. Sociologists say that

education is an equalizer.

Marxism Theory

The founder father of Marxism theory was a German scholar named Karl Marx. He

embraced the idea of communism and socialism. He believed that most human relations were in

line with their economic relations (Wilczynski, 2019). As mentioned earlier, one of the key roles

of social institutions is to provide for the economic needs of society. Marx used to interpret these

groups of people who come together in ensuring that they have their financial and economic

needs met in a symbiotic relation. There were producers of goods and services and also
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consumers. Due to the division of labor and the difference in production from individuals,

distinct social classes emerged.

Concerning education institutions, Wilczynski (2019) comments on Marxism that, by

providing specific skills, knowledge, and ideas to a student, they provide and maintain the source

of labor in the production sectors of the community. Thus, boosts the economic growth of the

society. Additionally, despite that, learners acquire economic developmental skills, they acquire

new ideas from others and a different perspective of approaching life. Some end up being

inventive and innovative through education. While others become self-employed rather than

seeking employment. The theory says that the main socio-economic classes are the bourgeoisie

and the proletariat. These two classes led to a capitalist society that is full of individualism and

materialism in the society. For example, education institutions have ranks and classes and Marx

tries to indicate that these classes complement one another and that is how Marxism works

(Wilczynski,2019). Education system does not only reinforce learning but also religions and

governance through laws and regulations. School is where children learn to follow rules and

regulations made by the administration for their harmonious living. It shapes them for the outside

world where they interact with other people and it will be easy for them to understand the need to

follow laws since there is always a punishment if they are broken just like in the education

institutions.

Interaction theory

Interaction in a society is inevitable and there are attachments that human’s beings make

when they relate to one another. Before a child is taken to school, they first interact with their

families and learn basic social skills, morals, and values. The theory was founded by Herbert

Mead who was also known for social psychology. Interaction theory gives a link between
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individuals to the wider society's understanding. Education institutions provide language as a

medium of communication that enables students to pass their message and desires to others.

Through learning, students can also understand the meanings of new things and be thoughtful

about their actions and responses (Morrish, 2019). Education institutions use formal and

respectful language that enables good social interactions and learning.

Criticism of the theories functionalism and Marxism

Functionalism theory was criticized by scholars that it did not account clearly whether it

is true that student’s education is not influenced by their socio-economic background. The critics

mentioned that there is evidence where gender, race, personal traits influence the life outcomes

of students. On the contrary, neo-Marxism by Hill (2017) stated that “the education system was

set up to serve the class-based system so that classes are produced and so the elites maintain their

positions”. This is the opposite of what functionalism theory comments on the roles of education

institutions in society. However, Banfield (2015) comments that Marxism theory was also

criticized by scholars named Michael Apple and Paul Willis who claim that the neo-Marxists

failed to capture the role of culture in the education system. Even though they agreed to with

them on schools producing social classes, they thought that schools went beyond that and agreed

that social reproduction was due to cultural and ideological practices.

Conclusion

In conclusion, education institution plays major social roles in the society. They provide

knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes to learners. These aspects are important in the social,

spiritual, and economic growth of individuals in society. Education institution is a bridge that

enables the learners to transform from one social status to the other. It is also a field of
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interaction and good relationships form out of the educational institution. It is therefore fine to

say that education provides almost all the social needs of human beings.
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References

Banfield, G. (2015). Critical realism for Marxist sociology of education. Routledge.

Francois, E. J. (2015). Education and Society. In Building Global Education with a Local

Perspective (pp. 1-15). Palgrave Macmillan, New York.

Hill, D. (2017). Social class and education. In Considering class: Theory, culture and the media

in the 21st Century (pp. 31-50). Brill.

Lobson, K. (n. d). Sociology of education in Canada. Theories in the sociology of education.

Morrish, I. (2019). The sociology of education: An introduction. Routledge.

Wilczynski, J. (2019). An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Marxism, Socialism and Communism:

economic, philosophical, political and sociological theories, concepts, institutions and

practices classical and modern, East-West relations included. Walter de Gruyter GmbH &

Co KG.

Ormerod, R. (2020). The history and ideas of sociological functionalism: Talcott Parsons,

modern sociological theory, and the relevance for OR. Journal of the Operational

Research Society, 71(12), 1873-1899

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