CHAPTER III

Social Science
Theories and Their
Implications to
Education
 Introduction

Sociologist today employ three primary theoretical

perspectives :
the functionalist perspective, the
conflict perspective and the symbolic interactionist
perspective. These perspectives offer sociologist
theoretical paradigms for explaining how society
influences people, and how people influence society .
Each perspective uniquely conceptualizes society,
social forces, and human behavior .
 02
Methodology
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03 04
Results Analysis Conclusions
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▪ Choose any object in the room to symbolize your care for
someone. Keep the meaning to yourself. Give that symbol to
someone in class.
▪ Ask that someone for the meaning he/she gave to your symbol. Is it the
same meaning that you orginally gave?

▪ According to the song what are connected?

▪ What do you expect if these bones are connected? Does
malfunctioning of one bone affect the other bone?

▪ Was the meaning that you gave to your symbol the same with the
meaning that the receiver gave? If not, how did this affect you? Do

you feel you were misunderstood?

 1. Structural – Functional Theory

▪ Herbert Spencer, the proponent of structural-functional

theory views society as “a system of interconnected parts
each with a unique society function. The parts have to work
together for stability and balance of society.”

Structural – Functional Theory

▪ Focuses on how education serves the need of society
through development of skills encouraging social
cohesion.

▪ Focuses on social stability and solidarity.

society.
▪ It sees education as a benefecial contribution to an ordered
1. Structural – Functional Theory
▪ Functionalism does not encourage people to take an
active role in changing their social environment, even
when such change may benefit them. Instead, functionalism
sees active social change as undesirable because the various

arise .
parts of society will compensate naturally for any problem
that may
Purposes of Schooling according
to Functionalist

The purposes of schooling according to the

functionalist theory are :

1 . Intellectual purposes – acquisition of cognitive

skills, inquiry skills .
2. Political
promote
immigrants ;
Purposes of Schooling according to
Functionalist

purposes – educate future

citizens; patriotism;promote assimilation; of ensure
order, public civility and conformity to laws
society .
Purposes of Schooling according to
Functionalist

3. Economic purposes – prepare students for later

work roles; select and train the labor force needed by
Purposes of Schooling according to
Functionalist

4. Social Purposes – promote a sense of social and

moral responsibility; serves as a site for the solution or
resolution of social problems; supplement the efforts
 of other institutions of socialization such as the family
and the church.

2. Conflict Theory
▪ This theory welcomes conflict for that is the way to the
establishment of a new society.

▪ Conflict theorists find potential conflict between any groups where inequality
exists.
 ▪ Thistheory notes that unequal groups usually have conflicting values and
agendas, causing then to compete againts one another.

How Proponents of Conflict Theory Regard Education

▪ According to this theory, education is a powerful means of maintaining power
structures and creating a docile work force of capitalism. The purpose of
education is to maintain social inequality and to preserve the power of those
who dominate society and teach those in the working class to accept their
position as a lower-class worker of society.

▪ Conflict theorist call this the “hidden curriculum”

 How Proponents of Conflict Theory Regard Education

▪ Functionalists disagree strongly. They assert that is adherence schools

to policies,
teach

obedience, rules, respect for persons including authorities, punctuality and

honesty, civil rights, it is because they are the very principles to a democratic
way of life. It is not because they want to make the workers remain docile,
unquestioning and subservient forerver while those in power remain in
power.
 3. The Symbolic Interactionist Theory

Perspective

▪Threetenentsofsymbolicinteractionisttheoryare:

1. Anindividual’sactiondependsonmeaning – We act based on the meaning

we give to symbols. Symbols can be actions, objects or words. If a student
 3. The Symbolic Interactionist Theory

understands that teacher believes in his ability, he tries his best that indeed
he is able. If a teacher does otherwise, a student tends to behave in
accordance with teacher’s poor perception.

Perspective
 3. The Symbolic Interactionist Theory

▪Threetenentsofsymbolicinteractionisttheoryare:

2. Differentpeoplemaygivedifferentmeaningstothesamething. When
teachers are strict, some students see it as an expression of care. Others may
rebel because they percieve teachers’ behaviour as limiting their

moves and desires .

 3. The Symbolic Interactionist Theory

Perspective

▪Threetenentsofsymbolicinteractionisttheoryare:
 3. The Symbolic Interactionist Theory

3. Meaningschangeasindividualsinteractwithoneanother. A negative
meaning that you used to associate with hospital when you went to a hospital
which looked more as a hotel than the usual hospital you know is changed.
After you have taught well, your first impression of teaching as boring is
changed to teaching as exciting.
 Implications to Teaching

▪ Continue to teach for meaning

▪ Promote and create opportunities for genuine interaction among students, teachers,
between students and teachers.

▪ Use positive symbols

 Weakness of Symbolic Interaction Theory

▪ Critics claim that symbolic interactionism neglects the macro

level of social interpretation – the “ big picture”. In other words, symbolic
interactionists may miss the larger issues of society by focusing too closely on
the “trees” or by restricting themselves to small or individual interactions.
▪ Symbolic interactionism traces its origins to Max Weber’s assertion that
individuals act according to their interpretation of the meaning of their world.

Activity no. 6
1. The purpose of schooling according to the functionalist theory are:
a. Intellectual purposes – acquisition c. Economic purposes –
of cognitive skills, inquiry skill prepare students for later work
roles; select and train the labor
force needed by society
 b. Political purposes – educate future citizens; d. Venus has a beautiful name,
promote patriotism; promote assimilation of but its atmosphere is
immigrants; ensure order, public civility and extremely poisonous
conformity of laws
❑ Cite how schools at present are working on the realization of these 4 purposes as
cited by the functionalist.
 Activity no. 6

2. Research on more school practices based on the functionalist

theory, conflict theory and symbolic interaction theory.