Introduction to Social Dimensions of Education

***Education and Society***

Education plays a significant role in society. Educational institutions take part on society in different aspects; such as on the peoples intellectual development, politics, economics and several other fields. Sociologists see education as one of the major institutions that constitutes society. While theories guide research and policy formation of education, they also provide logical explanations on why things happen as they do. These theories help sociologist understand educational systems.

Definition of Terms
Society a structured community of people bound together by similar traditions, institutions, or nationality Culture shared beliefs and values of group of people Consensus A general or widespread agreement among all members of a particular society Conflict A clash between ideas, principles and people

There are several theories that deal with the formulation of the foundation of education in relation to the society. Among of these theories are the conflict and consensus theories. 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 between the consensus theory and the conflict theory.

The consensus and conflict sociological theories are reflected in the works of certain dominant social theorists such as Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber.

Consensus Theory
Emphasizes on social order, stability and social regulation Social change occurs in a slow and orderly fashion and considered shared norms and values as fundamental factors towards society. Concerned with the maintenance or the continuation of social order, in relation to accepted norms, values, rules and regulations as widely accepted by the society.

 Consensus is a concept in society in which there is a belief that the absence of conflict means the equilibrium state that is based upon widespread agreement by all of the members of the society itself. 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.

oAccording to HORACE MANN, education should be the great equalizer. oHorace Mann was the one who started the free public school movement in the United states in 1848.

Conflict Theory
The conflict theory emphasizes that the order in society are based upon the manipulation and control by any dominant groups. Focuses on the struggle of social classes to maintain dominance and power in social systems. Conflict theories ask how schools contribute to the unequal distribution of people into jobs in society so that more powerful members of society maintain the best positions and the less powerful are allocated to lower ranks in society.

 The theorist of the conflict theory looks on how some of the institutions in society such as religion, government, media, as well as education are in one way or another help in maintaining some privileges of some groups against the other groups.

 As the consensus theorist tries to examine on the integration of values in society, the conflict theorist examines about the conflicts of interest between social groups in society. Some sociologists believe that society cannot exist without having both conflict and consensus in society, hence, they are considered as prerequisites on each others existence. They further considered that there is no conflict in society if there is no some prior consensus that exists.

Electronic Sources
http://yellowsplat.blogspot.com/2011/06/socialdimensions-ofeducation.html http://expertscolumn.com/content/consensus-andconflict-theory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology_of_education

See you next meeting!!!