SOCIAL DIMENSIONS

OF EDUCATION
Discussants:
Charyn Dave C. Maglasang, Zhaira S. Mama, and
Kaye Denise S. Mejares
 OBJECTIVES
• Identify the three major theories under the Social
Dimensions of Education.
• Differentiate these major theories.
• Discuss how these theories affects education.
 SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF EDUCATION
• The social dimension of education goes far beyond
interpersonal relationships and developing the social skills
which will support students throughout their lives. Education
itself supports the social system; it supports its citizens'
collective ideals and goals.
• Social science theories related to education provide a helpful
framework for examining the social dimension and its meaning.
 1. CONSENSUS AND CONFLICT
THEORY
• Conflict Theory
Emphasizes the role of coercion and
power in producing social order.
According to conflict theory, inequality
exists because those in control of a
disproportionate share of society’s
resources actively defend their
advantages.
 • 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.
 KARL MARX (1818-1883)
• German philosopher, critic of
political economy, economist,
historian, sociologist, political
theorist, journalist and
socialist revolutionary
•  “The history of all hither to
existing society is the history
of class struggles."
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
Discusses how modern society
is held together by a division
of labour that makes
individuals dependent upon
one another because they
specialize in different types of
work.
Maximilian Karl Emil Weber (1864-
1920)
• German sociologist, historian, jurist,
and political economist regarded as
among the most important theorists
of the development of modern
Western society.
• A “social action’” was an action
carried out by an individual to which
an individual attached a meaning. 
CONSENSUS THEORY CONFLICT THEORY

See shared norms and values as Emphasize the dominance of

fundamental to society some social groups by others
Focus on social order based on See social order as based on
tacit agreements  manipulation and control by
dominant groups
View social change as View social change as
occurring in a slow and orderly occurring rapidly in a
fashion disorderly fashion as
subordinate groups overthrow
dominant groups
How Proponents 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 for 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.
2. Structural
Functionalism
Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)

• Born: April 27, 1820

• Dead: December 8, 1903
• Adopted a biological model of society.
• Believe that society is a set of interdependent
parts that work that work together to maintain
the system over time.
• Social darwism
Structural-functional
theory
• 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.
Structural
Functionalism

• Society is compared to
the human body with
different but
interrelated parts
performing different
functions.
Structural-functional theory
Functionalist theory of education
focuses on :

Education serves the

The role of schools is
end of society through
to prepare students for
the development of
participation in the
skills encouraging
institutions of society.
social cohesion.
Education is
Education is
concerned with
concerned with
socializing people by
transmission of core
bringing together
values for social
people from different
control.
backgrounds.
Purposes of Intellectual purposes
1.
Schooling acquisition of cognitive
according to skills, inquiry skills
Functionalist
s:
 2) Political purposes
educate future citizens,
Purposes of promote patriotism;
Schooling promote assimilation of
according to immigrants; ensure order,
Functionalist public civility and
s: conformity to laws
Purposes of 3) Economic
Schooling
according to
purposes
Functionalist
s:
 4. Social purposes
responsibility: serve as a site
Purposes of for the solution or resolution of
Schooling social problems; supplement
according to the efforts of other institutions
of socialization such as the
Functionalist
family and the church
s: