SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES OF EDUCATION
SOCIAL SCIENCE
THEORIES OF
EDUCATION
SOCIAL SCIENCE-branch of science that deals with the institutions & functioning of human society & with the interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of society
THEORIES-beliefs, policies, or procedures proposed or followed as the basis of action
Basis of action of the institutions & the functioning of the society together with the relationships of its individual members relating to education
“How are the various social
science theories
related to education?”
SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES OF EDUCATION:
Consensus & Conflict
Structural Functionalist
Interaction
CONSENSUS &
CONFLICT THEORY
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CONSENSUS & CONFLICT
THEORY
shared norms & values
dominance of some social groups
social order (tacit
agreements)
social order (manipulation & control by
dominant groups)
social change (slow & orderly fashion)
social change (rapid &
disorderly fashion)
examine value
integration in society
examine conflicts of interests & coercion
general or widespread agreement
disagreement or clash
emphasis on social order & stability/
social regulation
emphasis on conflict in human society
concerned with
maintenance or
continuation of social order
deals with the incompatible
aspects of society
emerged out of the sociology of social order &
social stability/social
regulation
emerged out of the sociology of conflict, crisis,
and social change
CONFLICT THEORY focuses on the
heterogeneous nature of society & the differential distribution of political & social power
CONFLICT THEORY
ask how schools contribute to the unequal distribution of people into jobs in society
CONFLICT THEORY LARGER ISSUE:
role that education plays in maintaining the prestige, power, & economic & social position of the dominant
CONFLICT THEORY assumes social
behavior is best understood in terms of conflict/tensions between competing groups
CONFLICT THEORY focuses on the
struggle of social classes to maintain dominance & power in social systems
CONFLICT THEORY interested in how
society’s institutions (family, government, religion, education, media) may help to maintain the privileges of some groups & keep others in a subservient position
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN CONSENSUS & CONFLICT
THEORY
Both are: faces of society society depends of existence
prerequisites for each other
EFFECTS OF CONSENSUS &
CONFLICT THEORIES IN
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
schools teach & maintain particular “status cultures”
educational systems may train individuals in specialties to fill needed positions or prepare “cultivated individuals”
DOMINANT SOCIAL THEORISTS:
Karl Marx Emile Durkheim Max Weber
PROMINENT SOCIAL THEORISTS:
Talcott Parsons & Robert Merton
Louis Althusser &Ralph Dahrendorf
Herbert Mead & Herbert Blumer
“How are the various social
science theories
related to education?”
“If consensus theory gives a positive effect on the society, it doesn’t mean that conflict theory gives a negative one. For its main purpose is for the betterment of our society.”