Introduction to the Social Dimension of Education
By: G-one T. Paisones
1. How are the structural functionalism and symbolic interactionism related to education?
Structural functionalism stretched that the society is composed of various institutions that are dependents with each other.
Structural functionalism is dealing with the cultural, social, personality and actions system of every society. [PARSON]
Cultural system of a society provides pattern maintenance or harmony within the community. Social system of every society refers to the interaction, cooperation, social gathering of information towards the completion or attainment of goals. Personality and the action system are the behavioral and the fortitude organism that performs the actions of every society in a community.
The basic unit of the society is the FAMILY where love, cooperation, integrity, faith and knowledge begin. The society cannot exist without a family; hence family is the heart of society.
The second most important part of society is the SCHOOL. School performs an important function in building the society and the nation as a whole. School serves as an institution which provides intellect, knowledge and competitive education and skills of human resources as the product of the school-institution.
Therefore structural functionalism is related to education.
Symbolic interaction sees our selves as an engrave elements in social forces and social structures. Thus, the social self is an active part of society as a whole.
Therefore symbolic interactionism deals with socialization and interaction of everyone which is the main core of social dynamic fundamentals.
Symbolic interactionism states that human beings are endowed with a capacity for thinking and is shaped by social interaction that can be able to learn the meanings and the symbols that allow them to comprehend and interpret their actions and interactions. These tangled patterns of actions and interactions make up groups and society.
Indeed, symbolic interactionism is related to the process of education because every one of us had been engrave and part of the formed society of intellect-the school.
2. How would you distinguish consensus and conflict?
Consensus and conflict theories are can easily be distinguish through the table below:
Table 1 Consensus versus conflict
|
Consensus |
Conflict |
| Society |
General agreement among members. |
Clash between ideas, principle and people. |
| Parameter |
Social order, stability and social regulation. |
Resistance of social classes to maintain dominance and power. |
| Social Structure |
Maintenance or continuation of social order in society. |
Inequality in the distribution of resources. |
| Social Behavior |
Shared norms and values as fundamental to society |
Best understood in terms of tensions between the competing groups. |
| State of Society |
Equilibrium |
Heterogeneous |
| Social Change |
Occurring in a slow and orderly fashion |
Occurring rapidly and in a disorderly fashion |
| School |
Serves as an institution which provides intellect, knowledgeable and competitive education and skills of human resources as the product of the school-institution. |
School can contribute to the unequal distribution of people into jobs in society so that more powerful members of society maintain the best position and the less powerful groups allocated to lower ranks in society. |
| Religion |
Religion as an institution of believers which promotes unity and peace. |
Religion is the opium of the people. [Karl Marx] |
What are the influences on the conflict and consensus theories in the work as a teacher?
The influences on the consensus theory in the work as a teacher are the following:
- Ø order, stability and teaching regulation within the class premise.
- Ø agreement among students, parents and other faculties in the school.
- Ø Maintenance and continuation of strategically, technically and high-quality teaching.
- Ø Shared norms and values as fundamental to school practices.
While the influences on the conflict theory in the work as a teacher, are the following:
- Ø Clashing of ideas in other faculty and students.
- Ø Different principles compared in other faculty and students.
- Ø Resistance of students.
- Ø Personal interest.
- Ø Pressure between the competing groups of students.
- Ø discrimination in the teaching of the subject (or teaching-terrorism).
- Ø Inequality of giving fair grades (or favoritism).
According to Dahrendorf that “a society can not exist without both conflict and consensus, which are prerequisites for each other;” indeed, our-self as part of the society, also have conflict and consensus persuade within the dimensions of our ego.
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