Mabini Colleges, Inc.

Social Science Theories

and their Implications to
Education
Prof Ed 5-The Teacher and the Community School
Culture and Organizational Leadership
Intended Learning
Outcome:
At the end of the lesson,
the students must be able
to:
Explain three social science theories
and their implications to education.
 Select any of these
pictures and think of the
things that symbolize it.
Be prepared to share it
with the class.
Ask that someone for the
meaning he/she gave to
your symbol.
Is it the same meaning
that you originally gave?
Social Science Theories and their
Implications to Education
Sociologists today employ three primary
theoretical perspectives: the functionalist
perspective, the conflict perspective, and
the symbolic interactionist perspective.
Social Science Theories and their
Implications to Education
These perspectives offer sociologists
theoretical paradigms for explaining how
society influences people, and how people
influence society. Each perspective
‘uniquely conceptualizes society, social
forces, and human behavior.
Social Science Theories and their
Implications to Education
These perspectives offer sociologists
theoretical paradigms for explaining how
society influences people, and how people
influence society. Each perspective
‘uniquely conceptualizes society, social
forces, and human behavior.
1) Structural-functional theory
• Herbert Spencer, the proponent of structural-
functional views society as “a system of
interconnected parts each with a unique function.
The parts have to work together for stability and
balance of society.”
• Society is compared to the human body with
different but interrelated parts that perform
different functions. Just as the human body has
many parts, society has different but interrelated
components such as the family, the state, the
school, the church, mass media, economics. These
must coordinate and collaborate for society to
function well.
1) Structural-functional theory
• If one part of the human body does not function well, the
whole body is affected. In the same way, when one
component of society does not do its part, society will not
function well. The overall health of the organism (society)
depends upon the health of each structure.
• For instance, there is peace, stability, equilibrium, and
harmony in society if families do their part in bringing forth
children, in nurturing and socializing them; if education or
schools effectively transmit knowledge, skills, and values; if
politics governs citizens well; if economics takes care of food
production, distribution of goods and services and if religion
strengthens the moral fiber of the members of society.
1) Structural-functional theory
• Failure of one social institution to do its part means disruption
of stability in society. For example, the rise of single-parent
and dual-learner families means families have less time or
sometimes no more time left for the supervision of children in
their homework which may result in an increase of non-
performing students in school.
• In a high-tech world, educational institutions must teach
adults the new skills to relate to the tech-savvy young and the
world and to be more effective in the workplace. With more
women in the workplace, policies against sexual harassment
and discrimination were formulated. The Cybercrime Act of
2012 came about to address legal issues concerning online
interactions and the internet in the Philippines.
1) Structural-functional theory
• The functionalist theory of education focuses on how
education serves the need of society through the development
of skills encouraging social cohesion. The role of schools is to
prepare students for participation in the institutions of society.
Education is concerned with the transmission of core values
for social control. Education is concerned with socializing
people by bringing together people from different
backgrounds. The functionalist theory is focused on social
stability and solidarity.
1) Structural-functional theory
• Functionalists see education as a beneficial contribution to an
ordered society. Functionalism does not encourage people to
take an active role in changing their social environment, even
when such change may benefit them. Instead, functionalism
sees active social change as undesirable because the various
parts of society will compensate naturally for any problems
that may arise. For example, schools can compensate for the
lack of time and the lack of parental advice from home.
1) Structural-functional theory
Purposes of Schooling according to Functionalists
The purposes of schooling according to the functionalist, theory are:
1) Intellectual purposes acquisition of cognitive skills, inquiry skills
2) Political purposes – educate future citizens; promote patriotism;
promote assimilation of immigrants; ensure order, public
civility, and conformity to laws
3) Economic purposes prepare students for later work roles; Select
and train the labor force needed by society
4) Social purposes- promote a sense of social and moral
responsibility; serve as a site for the solution or resolution of
social problems; supplement the efforts of other institutions of
socialization such as the family and the church
An examination of the present curricula in basic and tertiary
education shows that these 4 functions are given attention to.
2) Conflict Theory
• According to this theory, there are always two opposing sides in
conflict situations. People take sides between maintaining the
status quo and introducing change then arrive at an agreement.
Conflict theory welcomes conflict for that is the way to the
establishment of a new society. Conflict theorists find potential
conflict between any groups where inequality exists: racial,
gender, religious, political, economic, and so on. Conflict theorists
note that unequal groups usually have conflicting values and
agendas, causing them to compete against one another. This
constant competition between groups forms the basis for the ever-
changing nature of society.
2) Conflict Theory
• The factory workers want to see change – better working
conditions, higher salaries. The factory owners naturally are
opposed to such. The resolution of the conflict, however, leads to a
compromise, a change in the way the factory is managed where
both workers and owners are happy.
How Proponents of Conflict Theory Regard Education
• According to the conflict theory, education is not truly a social
benefit or opportunity as seen by the functionalists. Rather,
education is a powerful means of maintaining power structures
and creating a docile workforce for capitalism. The purpose of
education is to maintain social inequality and preserve the power
of those who dominate society and teach those in the working
class to accept their position as lower-class workers of society.
2) Conflict Theory
How Proponents of Conflict Theory Regard Education
• Conflict theorists call this the “hidden curriculum”. The “hidden”
curriculum socializes young people into obedience and conformity
for them to be developed as docile workers. Functionalists
disagree strongly. They assert that if schools teach adherence to
policies, obedience to rules, respect for persons including
authorities, punctuality and. Honesty, civil rights it is because they
are the very principles dear to a democratic way of life. It is not
because they want to make the workers remain docile,
unquestioning, and subservient forever while those in power
remain in power.
3. The symbolic interactionist theory perspective
Three tenets of symbolic interactionist theory are:
1. An individual’s action depends on meaning. We act based on the
meaning we give to symbols. Symbols can be actions, objects, or
words. If a student understands that teacher believes in his/her
ability he/she tries his/her best to prove that indeed he/she is
able. If a teacher does otherwise, a student tends to behave in
accordance with the teacher’s poor perception.
3. The symbolic interactionist theory perspective
2. Different people may give different meanings to the same thing.
When teachers are strict, some students see it as an expression of
care. Others may rebel because they perceive teachers’ behavior as
limiting their moves and desires. A businessman may look at a tree
and starts estimating how much money he can get if he has the tree
cut down for lumber. A philosopher or a poet may look at it with the
thought, “They also serve who only stand and wait” like John Milton’s
from his poem “On His Blindness”.
3. The symbolic interactionist theory perspective
3. Meanings change as individuals interact with one another. A
negative meaning that you used to associate with the hospital when
you went to a hospital that looked more like a hotel than the usual
hospital you know is changed. After you have taught well your first
impression of teaching as boring is changed to teaching is exciting.
3. The symbolic interactionist theory perspective
Implications to Teaching
• Let us continue to teach for meaning. Let us promote and create
opportunities for genuine interaction among our students,
teachers, between students and teachers. Interaction does not
only mean dealing with warm bodies. Interaction includes reading,
listening, viewing. Other people’s views and meanings are
conveyed in what they have written, in speeches and lectures they
have delivered.
• Let us use positive symbols – in the form of gestures, words,
actions, and appearances – to express our trust, belief in our
student’s abilities, an affirmation of their being. In fact, our belief
in our students also has a positive effect on us. We find ourselves
more prepared in class, more caring, truly professional.
3. The symbolic interactionist theory perspective
The symbolic interactionist perspective, also known as symbolic
interactionism, directs sociologists to consider the symbols and
details of everyday life, what these symbols mean, and how people
interact with each other. As the term implies, symbolic interactionist
theory states that people interact with one another through symbols.
Language is a predominant symbol among people. According to the
symbolic interactionist perspective, people attach meanings to
symbols, and then they act according to their subjective
interpretation of these symbols. Verbal conversations, in which
spoken words serve as the predominant symbols, make this
subjective interpretation especially evident.
3. The symbolic interactionist theory perspective
The words have a certain meaning for the “sender,” and, during
effective communication, they hope and, have the same meaning for
the “receiver. In other terms, words are not static “things”; they
require intention and interpretation. The conversation is an
interaction of symbols between individuals who constantly interpret
the world around them. To ensure mutual understanding, the sender
of the symbol and the receiver of the symbol must give the same
meaning to the symbol or run the risk of misunderstanding. Faulty
communication can result from differences in the perception of the
same events and symbols.
 Thank You
Do you have any questions for me before we go?