Introduction

to
SOCIAL DIMENSIONS
OF
EDUCATION
Topics:

 Society
 Sociologist
 Education
 Theories
 Consensus
 Conflict
 Interaction

 Socio- Cultural
 Socio-Economic
 Socio-Political
Society
: people in general thought of as living
together in organized communities with
shared laws, traditions, and values
: the people of a particular country, area,
time, etc., thought of especially as an
organizedcommunity
Sociologists
They study people's social lives, activities,
behaviors, interactions, processes, and
organizations within the context of larger
social, political, and economic forces.
They examine how social influences affect
different individuals and groups, and the
ways organizations and institutions affect
people's lives.
Sociology

The word Sociology originates from

latin prefix :socius, "companion"; and
the suffix -ology, "the study of", from
Greek word lógos, "knowledge".
Sociology is the systematic study of
society. It encompasses all the
elements of society i.e. social relation,
social stratification, social interaction,
and culture.
Education

Education is a broad concept, referring to all the

experiences in which learners can learn
something .
It is a social endeavour designed to get the
maximum from the ability of each of the member
of the society. Education is covers both the
teaching, learning of knowledge, and values.
Education consists of systematic instruction,
teaching and training by professional teachers.
 Origin of Sociology of Education

The sociology of education is the study of how

social institutions and individual experiences affect
education and its outcome.
It is relatively a new branch and the two great
sociologists, Émile Durkheim and Max Weber were
the fathers of sociology of education.
Émile Durkheim's work on moral education as a
basis for social solidarity is considered the
beginning of sociology ofeducation.
Sociologists see education as one
of the major institutions that
constitutes society. While
theories guide research and
policy formulation in the
sociology of education.
This theories help sociologists understand educational systems.
According to some
sociologist; society has two
faces; the face of
consensus and the face of
conflict.

Further, they emphasized

that sociological theory
should be divided into two
parts betweenthe
consensus theory and
the conflict theory.
The proponents of consensus and conflict
sociological and social theories are:

 Karl Marx
 Emile Durkheim
 Max Weber
 Talcott Parsons & Robert Merton
 Louis Althusser & Ralph
Dahrendorf
 Herbert Mead & HerbertBlumer
Karl Marx
Marx's class theory rests on the
premise that "the history of all
hitherto existing society is the
history of class struggles."

According to this view, ever

since human society emerged
from its primitive and relatively
undifferentiated state it has
remained fundamentally
divided between classes who
clash in the pursuit of class
interests.
 Emile Durkheim
Durkheim discusses how
modern society is held
together by a division of
labor that makes individuals
dependent upon one
another because they
specialize in different types
of work. Durkheim is
particularly concerned
about how the division of
labor changes the way that
individuals feel they are part
of society as a whole.
Max Weber
Max Weber believed that
it was social actions that
should be the focus of
study in sociology. To
Weber, a “social action’”
was an action carried out
by an individual to which
an individual attached a
meaning. Therefore, an
action that a person does
not think about cannot be
a social action.
Talcott Parsons Robert Merton
Louis Althusser Ralf Dharendorf
George Herbert Mead Charles Horton Cooley
 Conflict Theory
 emphasizes the role of coercion
and power in producing social
order. This perspective is derived
from the works of Karl Marx, who
saw society as fragmented into
groups that compete for social
and economic resources.
 According to conflict theory,
inequality exists because those in
control of a disproportionate
share of society’s resources
actively defend their advantages.
The conflict model is Social Structures
concerned with the produce patterns of
stresses and conflicts inequality in the
that emerge in society distribution of scarce
because of resources.
competitions over
scarce resources.
Conflict
It focuses on the
inequalities that are built
into social structures
Reorganization and Change
rather than on those
that emerge because of
personal characteristics.
Consensus Theory
Isa 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 ofequilibrium.
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.
 Consensus Theories Conflict theories
Emphasize the dominance of
See shared norms and
some social groups by
values as fundamental to
others
society

See social order as based

Focus on social order based on manipulation and control
on tacit agreements by dominant groups

View social change as

View social change as occurring rapidly in a
occurring in a slow and disorderly fashion as
orderly fashion subordinate groups
overthrow dominant groups
 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.
 Structural Functionalism (AGIL)
1. Adaptation – a system must cope with external
situational exigencies. It must adapt to its
environment and adapt environment to its needs.
2. Goal attainment- a system must define and
achieve its primary goals.
3. Integration- a system must regulate the
interrelationship of its component parts. It
must also manage the relationship among
the other three functional imperatives
(A,G,L)
4. Latency (pattern maintenance)- a system
must furnish, maintain and renew both the
motivation of individuals and the cultural
patterns that create and sustain the
motivation.
Structure of the General Action System
(Ritzer 2000)
Cultural system Social system
(Latency Function) (Integration Function)
providing actors with the
controlling its
norms and values that
motivate them for action components parts

Action system Personality system

(Adaptation Function) (Goal Attainment)
adjusting toand defining systemgoals
transforming tothe and mobilizing resources
external world to attain them
 Functional Requisites of a Social System

1. Social system must be structured so that they

operate compatibly withother systems.
2. Tosurvive, the social system must have
requisite from othersystems.
3. The system must meet a significant
proportion of the needs of its actors.
4. The system must elicit adequate
participation from its members.
5. It must have at least a minimum of
control over potentially disruptive behavior.
6.If conflict becomes sufficiently disruptive, it must
be controlled.

7.Finally, a social system requires a

language in order to survive.

-Talcott Parsons
Interaction Theory
Is the relation of school and society are
critiques and extensions of the
functionalist and conflict perspectives.
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”.

Interactionist theories attempt to make the

“commonplace strange” by turning on their
heads everyday taken-for- granted behaviors
and interactions between students and
students and between students and teachers.
 Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic interaction theory analyses society
by addressing the subjective meanings that
people impose on objects, events, and
behaviours.
Has its own origin in the social psychology of
early twentieth century sociologist George
Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley.
Thisschool of thought, interactionism, views the
knownas symbolic self as socially constructed
in relation to social forces and structures and the
product of on going negotiations of meanings.
Principles of Symbolic Interactionism
1. Human beings are endowed withthe capacity
for thought.
2. The capacity for thought us shaped by social
interaction
3. In social interaction, people learn the
meanings and the symbols that allow them to
exercise their distinctively human capacity for
thought.
4. Meanings and symbols allow people to carry
on distinctively human action andinteraction.
5. People are able to modify or alter meanings and
symbols that they use in action and interaction on
the basis of their interpretation of the situation.
6. People are able to make these modifications and
alterations because, in part, of their ability to
interact withthemselves, which allows them ton
examine possible courses of action, assess their
relative advantages and disadvantages, and then
choose one.
7. The intertwined patterns of action and
interaction make up groups and societies.
 Socio-Cultural Functions
 The regularization of common tasks and activities of
collective life; this function gives rise to routines, norms,
public behavior and standard operating procedures.
 The atonement and instilment in the social members of
the customary lawsand values guide and direct the
members towards enlightenment, ennoblement, and
perfectibility.
 The veneration of all that are beneficent to the human race
and society through the collective acts of celebration,
recognition and commemoration of the people.
Socio-Economic Functions
Promotion of self-sufficiency for the populace
by both the government and the private
sectors.
Strengthening the agricultural and industrial
economies of thecountry.
Intervention of government in anti- social
business practices.
Balancing people’s needs with the country’s
export business
Socio-Political Functions

Political governance, legislation,

arbitration, social service, social
assistance, security and protection,
punitive sanctions, implementation of
social justice through laws, and social
development.
References:

 http://ser.oxfordjournals.org
 http://www.merriam-webster.com
 http://guides.wikinut.com/The-Consensus-And-
Conflict-Theory/1anshulq/
 http://psychology.about.com/
 Social Dimensions of Education, Violeta A.Vega
 Social Dimensions of Philippine Education, Dr.
Adelaida Bago