Impact of Sociological Theories on Education - Admission/Application Essay Example

? Impact of Sociological Theories on Education Lecturer: Presentation: Introduction Sociologists have different views regarding the purpose of social institutions such as education in a social system. Sociologists and educators thus often argue about the purpose of education in society and their views can be explained using three main theories; namely functionalism theory, conflict theory, and the symbolic interaction theory. The proponents of these theories try to convince us of the roles played by social institutions in the society and how individuals relate to the social system. Proponents of the functionalist theory such as Talcott Parsons, Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim, and Robert Merton argue that a society is “a complex system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole” (Mooney, Knox & Schacht, 2012 p 8). The social institutions thus work together unconsciously towards achievement of social equilibrium. The conflict theory based on the ideas of Karl Marx on the other hand, argue that the society is comprised of different groups and interests competing for power and resources resulting in inequalities between classes and class struggles in an attempt to maintain balance. In any social institution such as education, there exist two classes of people who are often in conflict such as the students and teachers. The symbolic interaction theory is based on the ideas of Max Weber and George Mead and it studies human actions rather than social systems. The thus believe that humans shape their social world rather than be shaped by it hence life is like role-playing in a theatre. Its focus according to Johnson (2008) is on observable interactions and not structural relationships that involve social institutions. The three sociological theories have a great impact on social institutions such as education, religion but our min focus will be on education. The paper will show how the effects of education are present in these theories. Functionalism Education is a dynamic part of our world today. Functionalist theory focuses on the ways that universal education serves the needs of society. Functionalist sees education as conveying basic knowledge and skills to the next generation (Johnson, 2008). No human beings are able to continue suitably without education. Education has manifest functions as well as latent functions which enable individuals to become useful members of society. According to Layton (1997) the manifest functions are the recognized and intended consequences of education such as good grades and employment whereas latent functions are the unrecognized and unintended consequences such as extra-curricular activities and meeting new people. However, there may also be some social dysfunctions that result in undesirable consequences that disrupt operations of the society such as when students do not get good grades and consequently lack good jobs. This may result in problems for the society such as crime and other vices. According to Gordon (1990), to understand the education system we must consider how it functions to contribute to the healthy maintenance of the whole social system. Talcott Parsons indicated that a social system has four basic functions: adaptation, goal attainment, integration and pattern maintenance. The society must solve these problems in order to survive and therefore any social institution is expected to contribute towards meeting these functions. One of the functions carried out by education in maintaining the social system is pattern maintenance. Educational institutions help in maintaining the values of society by socializing students and transmitting values on them. Individuals are constrained by the norms and values present in the institutions which are dictated by society thus maintaining harmony. For example, in individualistic nations such as America, students are taught to be independent by performing individual work and being graded according to ones performance while in collectivist nations such as Japan, group work is emphasized. The values are embedded on the national curriculum taught at schools. Functionalists propose different method of teaching as any good teacher knows, all students do not learn in the same way. Teachers use different teaching methods in order to reach all students successfully. A diversity of teaching approaches, knowledge of student levels, and an execution of which approaches are best for particular students can help teachers to know which teaching methods will be most operative for their class. The society needs competent individuals to take up jobs after school hence be of benefit to the society. The role of education is thus to sort out those who are capable of performing important societal functions (Cliffsnotes, 2012). The teachers strive to make all pupils gain skills and knowledge in preparation for this enormous task thus the use of various teaching methods to ensure no student is disadvantaged. Standard exams are also administered to students to test their ability and enable the society to determine which jobs are appropriate for them after college. This sorting role of education institutions is thus crucial for the social system to function properly. Education also performs the functions of networking thus allowing individuals from different institutions to communicate. According to Cliffsnotes (2012), this leads to matchmaking of individuals with similar backgrounds, interests, education, and income potential. This is a socializing function of education which is important in the society as it allows people to interact and form lasting relationships such as marriage. Durkheim came up with a theory of deviance to explain how internal changes occur in a social system. According to him, changes occur through innovation or rebellion and the society must adapt to these changes or face dissolution (Layton, 1997). Education plays a great role in facilitating cultural changes; research in higher levels of education enables changes in knowledge as well as changes in values hence transforming the society as a whole. Education has also taken up some of the family roles such as sexuality, discipline and career development and incorporated them in the curriculum. Education institutions thus play crucial role in imparting family values for the good of the society. A functionalist’s perspective on education is to have a consensus perspective: examine society in terms of how it is maintained for the common good. A functionalist will put importance on optimistic phases of schools such as socialization the learning of skills and attitudes in school. Education helps preserve the world by socializing young people into values of realization, competition and equality of opportunity. Education also interacts with other social institutions such as the political and economic institutions for the survival of the system. It teaches patriotism among other political values for political institutions. Socialization is thus vital in enhancing stability of the social system. Skills establishment is also significant; education teaches the skills for the economy hence enabling the social system to perform its four functions crucial for survival as stated earlier (Johnson, 2008). The well-being of society as per Talcott is dependent on the willingness of members to make their contributions hence education organizes individual actions in ways that contribute to functional requirements but contribution to society depends on individual. The institutions are viewed as organs that make the body function hence education must perform its function for the social system to function properly. Education contributes to division of labor in society hence specialization and interdependence leading to organic solidarity (Mooney et al. 2012). Conflict Theory Conflict theory sees the purpose of education as “the means of maintaining social inequality while preserving the power of those who dominate society” (Cliffsnotes, 2012). Certainly, education is the foundation of any present society. It is the vehicle we use to pass along our understanding and values to future generations. To better comprehend our system of education, it is best to observe it from multiple viewpoints. The most determinant of social life according to Layton (1997) is the work people are doing. It enables them to acquire the basic necessities of life such as food, shelter, and clothing. It can also be noted that everything of value in the capitalist society results from human labor, but human labor is a product of the education institutions and wages are paid according to one’s skills and abilities. It is therefore the education system that contributes to inequalities in society; if one is not able to go to good schools with all the necessary equipments to equip the individual with necessary skills, the individual will have a low bargaining power in the labor market. The education system thus supports class structure in the society. While functionalists view education as source of social solidarity, conflict theorists view education as source of alienation. For example, in the classroom students have no say on the curriculum yet it is the one that determines their lives. The quality and inequality of education has been shown that the best teachers often times evaluate students on their sex, race and their social class. The education system sorts students for future job placements but unlike functionalists who argue that sorting is based on merit, conflict theorists argue that it is based on class and ethnic lines. This as Mooney et al (2012) puts it, is due to the fact that students from poor backgrounds rarely perform well as opposed to their counterparts from the wealthy class. They thus get low grades and end up in low class jobs and the cycle of inequality continues. Cliffsnotes (2012) argues that the affluent schools which are dominated by whites are well funded from property taxes hence they are able to get better teachers and technology hence an advantage to the whites over other races. This translates into inequalities in employment as the whites then end up in well paying jobs thus widening the gap between rich and poor. The tests given to students are also sometimes culturally biased thereby disadvantaging other races. Conflict theory holds that the sub-systems in place are preserved in order to benefit only those that hold power. Boss teachers use incentives and punishment to compel students to comply with rules and complete required assignments. The individuals in the education institutions view each other as two distinct groups; the teachers and the students though teachers are also under a boss. The teachers set the rules according to societal values and norms, set exams, and disciplines students who fail to obey the rules. The students are not involved in setting the curriculum hence are only takers of what is offered in schools whether it is good or bad and they have to obey the rules set by teachers. The capitalists are in control hence they set the curriculum in their own interests; students are taught history of prominent individuals and political ideologies that benefit the ruling class. Those in working classes are taught to accept their positions as lower-class members of society (Cliffsnotes, 2012). Conflict theory sees the determination of education as sustaining social unfairness and preserving the power of those who control society. Conflict theorists scrutinize the same purposes of education as functionalists. For functionalists, education contributes to ordered society or social solidarity through complex division of labor; however, conflict theorists view the education system as contributing towards maintaining the class divisions and struggles that exist in society (Mooney et al. 2012). Education especially research leads to improved technology or means of production and consequently other aspects of society. Changes in social systems are brought about by innovation or rebellion according to functionalists. For conflict theorists, changes in society are generated within an exploitative economic arrangement, as people become more educated they realize the gaps that exist between social classes and they start fighting for equality of opportunity. A solution can only be achieved if inequalities are eliminated through negotiations between conflicting groups. Symbolic Interactionist Theory Symbolic interactionists perimeter their investigation of education to what they unswervingly notice happening in the classroom. They emphasize on how teacher prospects influence student performance, awareness, and approaches. A study of a group of students examined with standard IQ tests revealed that when teachers expect a certain performance, it occurred (Cliffsnotes, 2012). These students were selected randomly by researchers and a prediction made on their performance. After observation for a period of time, the researchers conducted another test on them which showed a higher IQ as predicted. This shows that the expectation of teachers greatly influences the performance of students. Symbolic interactionists therefore view life as theatre performances where individuals are given roles to perform hence adjust their behaviors according to the roles. Humans therefore, are expected to adjust their behavior to the actions of others but sometimes roles and situations are ambiguous requiring us to create them before acting. In schools, scores are set and individuals are supposed to work hard to achieve them hence adjust their behavior accordingly. Unlike functionalists and conflict theorists, humans in this case are not conformists but active participants constructing their social world (Layton, 1997). Education performs the function of sorting people for future job placements. Conflict theorists approve to school testing for the most part IQ testing, which schools can use to sort students. The symbolic interactionists dispute that the tests, which claim to test intelligence, actually test cultural knowledge and therefore reveal a cultural prejudice as claimed by conflict theorists. To them, the IQ tests are predictions or expectations by the teachers of their students and help to change the performance of students. If students is aware that a certain grades are expected of him/her, he/she strives to achieve the grades hence mode their life or career. In most cases, teachers judge students based on their perceptions and as cliffsnotes (2012) observed, these labels attached to students affect them for the rest of their schooling. According to Mooney et al (2012) teachers are influenced by their values in choosing what to study and in assessing the level of students’ skills and this may affect the performance of students in future. The symbolic interaction can be functional in the classroom learning process. Even though sociologists have discussed the purpose and function of educational institutions, most agree that access to educational prospects has a philosophical effect on individual life chances and fulfillment. We’ll consider how specific education policies and practices like school choice, course diversity, school finance, and school assignment shape the range of educational opportunities afforded students. In America, education is free for all students regardless of race, religion, or ability. However, the private schools admit students of their choice and charge different fee rates and have no obligation to accept students with special needs. Public schools therefore, offer equal opportunities to all students hence increasing their life chances and fulfillment. Public school choices enable students to have choices in schools they can attend as well as curriculum options without sacrificing quality of education (Resnick, 2006). This opens doors for more opportunities for students and increased fulfillment. Course diversity enables to students to make choices about their future careers hence shape their destiny. Their opportunities are thus not limited to a few subjects that limit their growth and advancement. Giving students assignments is crucial as it prepares students to use information as workers, consumers, and citizens. It enhances their creativity and chance to prove their skills without supervision hence a sense of fulfillment. Conclusion Sociologists and educators often argue about the purpose of education. There are three main theories that characterize these views which are functionalist theory, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionist theory. Functionalist theory focuses on the way universal education serves the needs of the society. Through socialization, education transmits basic knowledge and skills to the next generation. Education functions according to Robert Merton can be manifest or latent. Manifest functions are the intended consequences such as good grades whereas latent functions are unintended such as extra-curricular activities. Education enables the members of society to continue suitably with life and tells men/women how to work, how to think properly, and how to make choices. Unlike functionalists who see education as a unifying factor, conflict theorists see the purpose of education as the means of maintaining social inequality while preserving the power of those who dominate society. The theory is based on social relations in a capitalist society where two classes exist; the dominant and the subordinate. In this case, the students are the subordinates as they have no say in the curriculum, method of teaching and are supposed to conform to norms and values of society or the institution. Change in society occurs only through advancement to the next stage of economic and social development. Contrary to functionalist and conflict theories, symbolic interactionist theory studies the behavior of individuals rather than social institutions. Symbolic interaction perimeter their investigation of education to what they notice happening in the classroom and emphasis on how teacher expectations influence student performance, awareness, and attitudes. Access to education has a philosophical effect on life chances and fulfillment hence education policies should be aimed at shaping education opportunities for children. References Cliffsnotes.com (2012) Theories of Education. Retrieved July 23, 2012 from, http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guide/topicArticleld-26957,articleld,26914.html Gordon, L (1990) Gender and Higher Education in the Progressive Era. Johnson, D.P (2008) Contemporary Sociological Theory: An Integrated Multi-level Approach. USA: Springer Layton, R (1997). An Introduction to Theory in Anthropology. Cambridge: CUP Mooney, L., Knox, D., Schacht, C (2012) Understanding Social Problem. 8th ed. Mason, OH: Cengage Resnick, M.A (2006) An American Imperative: Public Education. The Center for Public Education. Retrieved July 24, 2012 from http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/public-education/An-American-Imperative-Public-Education Read More