Asynchronous Activity- January 19, 2023

Read and study the Social Theories and answer

the questions below:
Three Social Theories
1) Structural – functional theory
Herbert Spencer, the proponent of structural-functional views society as “a
system of interconnected parts each with a unique function. The parts have to work
together for stability and balance of society.” Society is compared to the human
body with different but interrelated parts performing different functions. Just as the
human body has many parts, society has different but interrelated components
such as family, the state, the school, the Church, mass media, economics. These
must coordinate and collaborate for society to function well. If one part of the
human body does not function well, the whole body is affected. In the same way,
when one component of society does not do its part, society will not function well.
The overall health of the organism (society) depends upon the health of each
structure.

This is exactly the message of the song, Dem bone. The bones are
interconnected. Each has a unique function.

For instance, there is peace, stability, equilibrium and harmony in society if

families do their part in bringing firth children, nurturing and socializing them; if
education or schools effectively transmit knowledge, skills and values; if politics
governs citizens well; if economics takes care of food production, distribution of
goods and services and if religion strengthens the moral fibre of the member of
society. Failure of one social institution to do its part means disruption of stability in
society. For example, the rise of single parent and dual earner families means
families have less time or sometimes no more time left for the supervision of
children in their homework which may result to an increase of non-performing
students in school.
 In a high tech world, educational institution must teach adults the new skills to
relate to the tech-savvy young and the world and to be more effective in the
workplace. With more women in the workplace, policies against sexual harassment
and discrimination were formulated. The Cybercrime Act of 2012 came about to
address legal issues concerning online interactions and the internet in the
Philippines.

The functionalist theory of education focuses on how education serves the

need of society through the development of skills encouraging social cohesion. The
role of schools is to prepare students for participation in the institutions of society.
Education is concerned with transmission of core values for social control.
Education is concerned with socializing people by bringing together people from
different backgrounds. The functionalist theory is focused on social stability and
solidarity. Functionalists see education as a beneficial contribution to an ordered
society.

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 parts of
society will compensate naturally for any problems that may arise. For example,
schools can compensate for the lack of time and lack of parental advice from home.

Purposes of Schooling according to Functionalists

1. Intellectual purposes -acquisition of cognitive skills, inquiry skills

2. Political purposes – educate future citizens; promote patriotism; promote
assimilation of immigrants; ensure order, public civility and conformity to laws.
3. Economic purposes – prepare students for later work roles; select and train the
labor force needed by society
4. Social purposes – promote a sense of social and moral responsibility; serve as a
site for the solution or resolution of social problems; supplement the effects of
other institutions of socialization such as the family and the church.
An examination of the present curricula in basic and in tertiary education shows
that these functions are given attention to.
2. Conflict Theory
According to this theory, there are always two opposing sides in a conflict situation.
People take sides between maintaining the status qou and introducing change then
arrive at an agreement. Conflict 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; racial, gender, religious, political, economic, and
so on. Conflict theorists note that unequal groups usually have conflicting values and
agendas, causing them to compete against one another. This constant competition
between groups forms the basis for the ever-changing nature of society.

The factory workers want change – better working conditions, higher salaries. The
factory owners naturally are opposed to such. The resolution of the conflict,
however, leads to a compromise, a change in the way the factory is managed where
both workers and owners are happy.

How Proponent of Conflict Theory Regard Education

According to the conflict theory, education is not truly a social benefit or

opportunity as seen by the functionalists. Rather 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 as a lower class worker of society. Conflict theorists call
this the “hidden curriculum". The “hidden” curriculum socializes young people into
obedience and conformity for them to be developed as docile workers.

Functionalists disagree strongly. They assert that if schools teach adherence to

policies, obedience to rules, and respect for persons including authorities,
punctuality and honesty, civil right it is because they are the very principles dear to
a democratic way of life. It is not because they want to make the workers remain
docile, unquestioning and subservient forever while those in power remain in power.

3. The Symbolic Interactionist theory perspective

Three tenets of symbolic interactionist theory are:

 1. An individual’s action depends on meaning. We act based on the meaning we
give to symbols. Symbols can be actions, objects or words. If a student
understand that teacher believes in his /her ability he/she is able. If a teacher
does otherwise, a student tends to believe in accordance with teacher’s poor
perception.
2. Different people may give different meanings to the same thing. When
teachers are strict, some students see it as an expression of care. Others may
rebel because they perceive teacher’s behaviour as limiting their moves and
desires. A businessman may look at a tree and starts estimating how much
money he can get if he has the tree cut down for lumber. A philosopher or a
poet may look at it with the thought, “they also serve who only stand and wait”
like John Milton’s from his poem “On the Blindness”.
3. Meanings change as individuals interact with one another. A negative
meaning that you used to associate with hospital when you went to a hospital
which you 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 is exciting.

Implications to Teaching
Let us continue to teach for meaning. Let us promote and create
opportunities for genuine interaction among our students, teachers, between
students and teachers. Interaction includes reading, listening, and viewing. Other
people views and meanings are conveyed in what they have written, in speeches
and lectures they have delivered.
Let us use positive symbols – in the form of gestures, words, actions, and
appearances-to express our trust, belief in our student’s abilities, and an affirmation
of their being. In fact, our belief in our students also has a positive effect in us. We
find ourselves more prepared in class, more caring, truly professional.
The symbolic interactionist perspective, also known as symbolic
interactionism directs sociologists to consider the symbols and details of everyday
life, what these symbols mean, and how people interact with each other.
As the term implies, symbolic interactionist theory states that people interest
with one another through symbols. Language is a predominant symbol among
people. According to the symbolic interactionist perspective, people attach
meanings to symbols, and then they act according to their subjective interpretation
of especially evident. The words have a certain meaning for the “sender” and, during
effective communication, they hopefully have the same meaning for the “receiver”.
In other terms, words are not static “things”; they require intention and
interpretation. Conversation is an interaction of symbols between individuals who
constantly interpret the world around them. To ensure mutual understanding, the
sender of the symbol and the receiver of the symbol must give the same meaning to
the symbol or run the risk of misunderstanding.
Faulty communication can result from differences in the perception of the
same events and symbols. Did you experience this in your activity of giving symbols
in caring? While you looked at your symbol as something expressing your love and
care, your partner may have not understood it that way at all. This happens in real
life. It is important that our symbols are understood by others in the way they were
intended to be. Sometimes it happens in the language (which is a symbol) we speak.
Often we are misunderstood or we misunderstand others. So let’s keep on
communicating.

Weakness of Symbolic Interaction Theory

Critics claim that symbolic interactionism neglects the macro level of social
interpretation – the “big picture”. In other words, symbolic interactionist 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 origin to Max Weber’s assertion that individuals
act according to their interpretation of the meaning of their world. However, it was
the American philosopher George H. Mead (1863-1931) who introduced this
perspective to American sociology in the 1920s.

QUESTION FOR Social Theories (Do not answer here.)

1. The purposes of schooling according to the functionalist theory are:

Intellectual purposes – acquisition of cognitive skills, inquiry skill.
Political purposes – educate future citizens; promote patriotism; promote
assimilation of immigrants; ensure order, public civility and conformity to laws.
Economic purposes – prepare students for later work roles, select and train the
labor force needed by society.
 Social purposes – promote a sense of social and moral responsibility; serve 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.

Discuss how schools at present are working on the realization of these 4

purposes as cited by the functionalists. Answer in the Discussion board post.