Riza C.

Camacho

1211114

Theory 4 (Social Dimensions of Education)

Saturday, 1:00-4:00PM

The School

According to Merriam dictionary, education is the action or process of teaching someone

specially in a school, college or university; the knowledge, skill and understanding that you get

from attending school, college, or university. Primarily, children are given simple education at

home. The continuation of education, more complex teachings, is provided by the school. As

defined by Merriam, school is an organization that provides instruction; an institution for

teaching of children. School serves as the training ground for the young minds to be exposed, to

explore, to experience and above all to be educated. The school plays a very vital role in the

life of so many individuals. It is a place where young minds can be honed to become future

assets of the society. The school not only provides shelter of/for learning but also shields

students from unwanted unthorough incidents. Guided by the teachers, as the second parents,

the school open up a lot of opportunity for children to showcase their talents and skills. It serves

as a platform for a child to explore, experience and be educated.

Functions of school

McNergy and Herbert (2001) described that the school as a first and foremost a social

institution, that is an established organization having an identifiable structure and asset of

interacting and communicating with others. Not only that, school is social institution because it

teaches students to be morally upright and be involved in worthwhile activities in the community.

1. Technical/Economic Functions:

• refer to the contribution of schools to the technical or economic development and needs of the

individual, the institution, the local community, the society and the inter-national community.

In here, school most probably prepares the learners for their possible occupational roles in the

society. Individuals are trained and later on endorsed to proper outlet where they can use their

learnings.

A. AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

 schools can help students to acquire knowledge and skills necessary to survive and compete

in a modern society or competitive skills

B. AT THE INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL

school are service organizations providing quality service

C. AT THE COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY LEVELS

 schools education supplies the high quality forces necessary in international competitions
2. Human/Social Functions

• refer to the contribution of schools to human development and social relationships at different

levels of the society

Socialization is a key ingredient in the stability of any society and it is essential for students to

be involved actively in the society he/she belongs, even at the young age. Thus, to socialize

children into the various roles, behaviors, and value of the society.

A. AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

 schools help develop students to develop their potentials psychologically, socially, and

physically

B. AT THE INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL

a school is a social system composed of different human relationships

to provide the environment of quality

C. AT THE COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY LEVELS

 schools serve the social needs or functions of the local community,

 support social integration of multiple and diverse constituencies of society,

 facilitate the social mobility within the existing social class structure

 select and allocate competent people to appropriate roles and position,

D. AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

 schools are expected to play an important role in preparing students for international

harmony, social cooperation, global human relationship and

elimination of national, regional, racial and gender biases.

3. POLITICAL FUNCTIONS

-refer to the contribution of schools to the political development at different levels of society.

Another function of the school is to inculcate patriotism among learners. Let students to foresee

politics, as sooner or later, for the future leaders might be a product of the school.

A.AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

 schools help student to develop positive civic attitudes and skills to exercise the rights and

responsibilities of citizenship.

B. AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVELS

 schools act as a place for systematically socializing students into a set of political norms,

values, and beliefs, or for critically discussing and reflecting on the existing political events.
 schools often become a political coalition of teachers, parents, and students that can

contribute to the stability of the political power structure.

C. AT THE COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY LEVELS

 schools play an important role to serve the political needs of the local community

 maintain the stability of the political structure

 promote awareness and movement of democracy

 facilitate the planned political development and changes

D. AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

 the growing awareness of international dependence reinforces the need for the contribution

of school education to international understanding, global common interest, international

coalitions, peace movement against war, and eliminations of conflicts between region and

nations.

4. CULTURAL FUNCTIONS

• refer to the contribution of schools to the cultural transmission and development at different

levels of society.

Children are able to showcase their understanding and love about the culture and tradition by

engaging to activities related to it. The function of the school is to open up opportunities for the

students to perform and apply their learnings in actual.

 schools help students to develop their creativity and aesthetic awareness and to be

socialized with the successful norms, values, and beliefs of society.

B. AT THE INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL

 schools act as a place for systematic cultural transmission to and reproduction of the next

generation, cultural integration among the multiple and diverse constituencies, and cultural

revitalization of the outdated poor traditions.

C. AT THE COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY LEVELS

 schools often serve as a cultural unit carrying the explicit norms and expectations of the local

community

 Revitalize the strengths of the existing culture such that the society or nation can reduce

internal conflicts and wastage

 transmit all the important values and artifacts of society to students

 integrate the diverse subcultures from different background

 build up a unifying force for national conflicts.

D. AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

 schools can encourage appreciation of cultural diversity and acceptance of different norms,

traditions, values, and beliefs in different countries and regions, and finally contribute to the
development of global culture through integration of different cultures.

5. EDUCATION FUNCTIONS

• refer to the contribution of schools to the development and maintenance of education at the

different levels of society.

The school with the help of the teachers of course, teach basic cognitive skills such as reading,

writing, mathematics and others. Primarily school transmits necessary information that the

learners will be needing to conquer the world.

A.AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

 it is important for schools to help students how to learn and help teachers to learn how to

teach

 Facilitating teachers’ professional development

B. AT THE INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL

 school serve as a systematic place for a systematic learning, teaching, and disseminating

knowledge, and as a center for systematically experimenting and implementing educational

changes and developments.

C. AT THE COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY LEVELS

 schools provide service for different educational needs of the local community
 facilitate development of education professions and education structures,

 disseminate knowledge and information to the next generation,

 Contribute to the formation of learning society

D. AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

 in order to promote mutual understanding among nations and build “build up a global family”

for the younger generation, schools can contribute to the development of global education and

international education exchange and cooperation

 schools can make an important contribution to education for the whole world

Robert Merton (sociologist), proposed that social institutions such as education in schools have

functions that are both manifest and latent. The manifest functions are the ones that society

intends those institutions to have. The latent functions are the ones that are not intended, but

which come about even so.

MANIFEST FUNCTIONS OF SCHOOLS

The manifest functions of education are the open and intended goals or consequences of

activities within an organization or institution

1.SOCIALIZATION

 from kindergarten through college, schools teach students the student role, specific academic

subjects, and political socialization

to their age, skill level and previous education experience

 in the college level, students focus on more detailed knowledge of subjects that they have

previously studied while also being exposed to the new areas --- study and research

2. SOCIAL CONTROL

 schools are responsible for teaching values such as discipline, respect, obedience,

punctuality, and perseverance.

 schools teach conformity by encouraging young people to be good students, conscientious,

future workers, and low-abiding citizens.

3. SOCIAL PLACEMENT

 schools are responsible for identifying the most qualified people to fill available positions in

society

4. TRANSMITTING CULTURE

 as a social institution, education performs a rather conservable function – transmitting the

dominant culture

 through schooling, each generation of young people is exposed to the existing beliefs, norms

and values of our culture

 we learn respect for social control and reverence for established institutions such as religion,

the family, and the government

 education serves the latent function of promoting political and social integration by

transforming its population composed of diverse ethnic and religious groups into a society

whose members share – to some extent at least – a common identity

6. AGENT OF CHANGE

 education can stimulate or bring about desired social change

 it promotes social change by serving as meeting ground where each society’s distinctive

beliefs and traditions can be shared

 numerous sociological studies have revealed the increased years of formal schooling are

associated with openness to new ideas and more liberal social and political viewpoints.

LATENT FUNCTIONS OF SCHOOLS

1. RESTRICTING SOME ACTIVITIES

 in our society there are laws that require children to attend school or complete a primary and

secondary education

 keep students off the street and out of the fulltime job market for a number of years, by

helping keep unemployment within reasonable bounds.

2. MATCHMAKING AND PRODUCTION OF SOCIAL NETWORKS

 because school brings together people of similar ages, social class, and race, young people
often meet future marriage partners and develop social networks that may last for many years

3. CREATION OF GENERATION GAP

students may learn information in school that contradicts beliefs held by their parents or their

religion

a generation gap is created when education conflicts with parental attitudes and beliefs