Sociological theories and the education system

Sociological Theories and Sociological Theories and the Education Systemthe Education SystemEmmanuela M. LicayanEduc 3

Theories guide research and policy formulation in the sociology of education

They also provide logical explanations for why things happen the way they do.

Theories help sociologist understand educational systems

Consensus and Conflict Consensus and Conflict TheoryTheorySociety has two faces

(Dahrendorf; 1959,1968)

Sociological Theory should be divided into 2 parts. Conflict Theory and Consensus Theory

ConsensusConsensusSees shared norms and values as

fundamentals to societyFocuses on social order based on

tacit agreements.Social change occurs in a slow

and orderly fashion

Examines value integration in societyAbsence of conflict as the equilibrium

stateA collection of theories in which social

order and stability as the base of emphasis

Concerned with the maintenance or continuation of social order in relation to norms, values, rules and etc.

ConflictConflictEmphasize the dominance of

some social groupsSocial order as based on

manipulation and control by dominant groups

Social change is occurring rapidly in a disorderly fashion

Subordinate groups overthrow dominant groups

Examines conflict of interest and the coercion that holds society

Disagreement or clash between opposing sides, principles, or people

It can be overt or covert conflictFocuses on the heterogeneous

nature of society and the unequal distribution of political and social power.

Struggle between social classesAsks how schools contribute to

the unequal distribution of people into jobs in society

More powerful members of society maintain the best positions

Less powerful group (women, racial and ethnic group) are allocated to lower ranks

Education plays a big part in maintaining the prestige, power, and economic and social position of dominant group in the society

Social behavior is best understood in terms of conflict or tensions between competing groups.

It needs not to be violent

Emergence of conflict and what causes conflict

Conflict theory deals with the incompatible aspects of society and how they clash with one another

Interested in how society institutions (family, gov’t religion, education and media) helps to maintain the privileges of some groups.

Emphasis in social change and redistribution of resources makes conflict theories more radical and activist than functionalist.

Structural FunctionalismStructural FunctionalismTalcott Parsons, Robert Merton,

and others proposed the ideas of Structural Functionalism and was dominant for many years.

Declined dramatically in the last 3 decades due to the existence of conflict theorist

Parson’s AGIL SystemParson’s AGIL SystemFour functional imperatives for

“all” action systems.

Adaptation: System must cope with external situations, adapt to its environment and adapt environment to its needs

Goal Attainment : A system must define and achieve its primary goals

Integration: regulate the interrelationship of its component parts. Manage the relationship among other 3 functional imperative (A.G.L)

Latency: Furnish, maintain and renew both the motivation of individuals and the cultural patterns that create and sustain motivation

AGIL system was designed for all levels, the behavioral organism is the action system that handles the adaptation function by adjusting and transforming the external world.

Personality system performs the goal attainment by defining system goals and mobilizing resources

Social system copes with the integration of function by controlling its component parts.

Cultural system performs the latency function by providing the norms and values that motivates them for action.

Cultural system

Social System

Action System

Personality

System

AssumptionsAssumptionsSystems have the property of order

and interdependence of partsSystems tend toward self

maintaining order (equilibrium)The system may be static or involved

in the ordered process of changeThe nature of one part has an impact

on the form that other parts can take

System maintains boundaries with their environment

Allocation and integration are two fundamental processes for equilibrium

Self maintenance involving the maintenance of relationships, control of environment and control of tendencies to change the system from within

Social SystemSocial SystemConsist of plurality of individual

actors interacting with each other with at least physical or environmental aspect.

Functional requisites of a Functional requisites of a Social SystemSocial SystemMust be structured so that they may

operate compatibly with other systems

To survive, it must have the requisite from other systems

Must meet a significant proportion of needs of its actors

Must elicit adequate participation from its members

Must have minimum control over disruptive behaviors

Disruptive conflict must be controlled

A social system requires a language to survive

Key Principles of Key Principles of Functionalist PerspectiveFunctionalist PerspectiveInterdependency- every part is

dependent to some extent to other parts

Functions of Social Structure and Culture- Social Structure- organization of the societyCulture- Set of beliefs, language, rules, values and knowledge held in a common set of members.

Consensus and CooperationConsensus-certain values that nearly everyone agrees upon, societies tend toward consensus to achieve cooperation

Equilibrium

Structural-Functional Structural-Functional ModelModel

Interactionist TheoriesInteractionist TheoriesRelation of School and society are

critiques and extensions of the functionalist and conflict perspectives

Interpretable snapshot of what schools are like on an everyday level

Micro-sociological level of analysisNoticing taken-for-granted behaviorsImplicit assumptions for usually

unnoticed interactions

Symbolic InteractionismSymbolic InteractionismViews the self as socially

constructed in relation to social forces and social structures

Social self is an active product of human agency rather that a deterministic product of social structure.

All types of interaction refines our ability to think

Not all interaction involves thinking

PrinciplesPrinciplesHuman beings are endowed with

a capacity for thoughtThe capacity for thought is

shaped by social interactionPeople learn the meanings and

the symbols in social interactionsMeanings and symbols allow

people to carry on distinctively human action and interaction

People are able to modify or alter meanings and symbols that they use on the basis of their interpretation of the situation

People are able to make these changes it is part of their ability to interact within themselves, allows them to examine possible courses of action, asses their relative advantages and disadvantages and choose one

Intertwined patterns of action and interaction make up groups and societies

Non-Symbolic Non-Symbolic InteractionismInteractionismDifferentiation made by Blumer

between two basic forms of interaction.◦Nonsymbolic interaction-

conversation of gestures does not involve thinking

◦Symbolic interaction- requires mental process

PremisesPremisesPeople act towards the thing they

encounter based on what those things mean to them

We learn what things are by observing how other people respond to them

As a result of ongoing interaction, sounds or words, gestures, facial expressions and body postures we used with dealing with others acquire symbolic meanings that are shared by people who belong to the same culture.

Importance of thinking to symbolic interactionist is reflected in their view on objects.

3 types of objects◦Physical◦Social◦Abstract

Different objects have different meanings for different individuals.

“A tree will be a different object to a botanist, a lumberman, a poet and a home gardener”

Looking-glass Self◦We see ourselves as other see us

- Charles Cooley