MODULE

in

SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF
EDUCATION
Saturday 11:00PM – 2:00PM

DR. LOVELIE V. VERCELES

09214616466
[email protected]

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Social Dimensions of Education
Overview

This module is made for you to understand the existing social science theories.
Our primary goal is to relate these theories to the education system we follow and
implement today.

As we embark on these theories, you will be engaging with teachers and co-
student teachers for you to gain actual and real-life perspectives. This could be helpful
for your personal and professional growth.

I hope that this course will help you enrich and expand your knowledge and
perspective on the said areas.

Objectives

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

1) Identify social science theories
2) Differentiate social science theories
3) Engage with teachers and co-student teachers through various learning activities

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 LESSON 1: SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES
Learning Task 1: Knowledge Test

Instruction: Encircle the letter that corresponds to the best answer.

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE about consensus theories?

A. Social change occurs in a rapidly and disorderly fashion
B. It emphasizes social order, stability, and social regulation
C. It sees equilibrium as the presence of conflict in society
D. It focuses on social change

2. Functionalism has four functional imperatives in all action systems.

They are ______________.
A. adaptation, goal attainment, integration, latency
B. adaptation, change, integration, latency
C. change, integration, adaptation, latency
D. change, adaptation, conflict, latency

3. In any society, the key principles from the functionalist perspective includes the
following _____________.
A. social system, social structure, consensus, cooperation, and equilibrium
B. equilibrium, consensus and cooperation, social structure, social system
C. interdependency, social structure, consensus and cooperation, equilibrium
D. interdependency, consensus, cooperation, equilibrium

4. Modern functionalists believe that schools play a significant role in

____________________________>
A. maintaining a democratic society
B. providing citizens with the knowledge and dispositions to participate actively in
politics
C. teaching students how to learn so that they may adapt new work roles and
requirements.
D. providing students with skills and dispositions to work.

5. Symbolic Interactionists are focused on __________________________.

A. maintaining harmony in society
B. developing socialization and interaction between students and students & students
and teachers
C. refining students ability to think
D. observing how other people respond to everyone

6. The focus of Symbolic Interactionists in teaching is to _______________________.

A. maintaining harmony in society

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B. developing socialization and interaction between students and students & students
and teachers
C. refining students’ ability to think
D. observing how other people respond to everyone

7. The “looking glass self” of Charles Cooley suggests that __________________.

A. individuals behave as how people see them
B. individuals are labeled persons
C. feedbacks are important
D. feedbacks are affective

8. In a classroom situation where students are discussing whether government efforts

to establish peace in Mindanao will be beneficial to the whole country, the teacher may
use the most effective strategy in teaching which is ______________________.
A. Debate
B. Visualization Exercise
C. Consensus taking
D. Conflict Resolution

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Learning Task 2: Understanding the Theories

1) CONSENSUS AND CONFLICT THEORY

In order for you to fully understand the Consensus and Conflict perspectives,
take a look and analyze the Comparison Table.

CONSENSUS THEORY CONFLICT THEORY

The word “Consensus” is a term used for The word “Conflict” is a term used for
general or widespread agreement among clash between ideas, principles and
all members of a particular society. people.

Emphasize shared norms and values as Emphasize the dominance of some social
fundamental to the society groups
See social order based on tacit See social order based on manipulation
agreements and control of dominant groups
View social change as occurring in a slow
View social change as occurring in a rapid
and orderly fashion and disorderly fashion
Consensus theorists examine value Conflict theorists examine conflicts of
integration in society interest
The theory focuses on the maintenance or
The theory focuses on the heterogenous
continuation of social order in the society.
nature of society and the differential
distribution of political and social power.
The theory emphasizes on social order, The theory emphasizes on the struggle of
stability and social regulation. social classes to maintain dominance and
power in social systems

Figure 1: Comparison Table of Consensus and Conflict Theory

2) STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM

Structural Functionalism states that society is made up of various institutions

that work together in cooperation. The emphasis of this theory is on social order and
social stability. It is a work of Talcott Parsons and his colleagues.

It has four functional imperatives embodied in the AGIL scheme:

 Adaptation – a system must cope with external situations and needs
 Goal Attainment – a system must define and achieve its primary goals
 Integration – a system must regulate the interrelationship of its
component parts
 Latency – a system must furnish, maintain, and renew the motivation of
individuals and cultural patterns

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 CULTURAL SYSTEM SOCIAL SYSTEM
Performs the latency function by providing Copes with the integration function by
actors with the norms and values that controlling its component parts
motivate them for action

ACTION SYSTEM PERSONALITY SYSTEM

The behavioral organism that handles the Performs the goal-attainment function by
adaptation function by adjusting to and defining system goals and mobilizing
transforming the external world resources to attain them

Figure 2: Structure of the General Action System

The Functionalist Perspective is primarily concerned with why a society

assumes a particular form. It states that whatever the characteristics of the society is,
those characteristics developed because they met the needs of that society in its
particular situation.

Key Principles:
 Interdependency
 Functions of Social Structure and Culture
 Consensus and Cooperation
 Equilibrium

The component parts of a social structure:

 Families
 Neighbors
 Associations
 Schools
 Churches
 Banks
 Countries

Schooling performs an important function in the development and maintenance

of modern, democratic society, especially with regard to equality of opportunity for all
citizens. Thus, in modern societies, education becomes the key institution in a
meritocratic selection process.

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3) INTERACTIONIST THEORIES

Interactionist Theories are critiques and extensions of the functionalist and

conflict perspectives. It believes that the said theories are very abstract and emphasize
structure and process at a societal level of analysis. The main proponents involved in
the Interactionist Theories are George Herbert Mead, Charles Horton Cooley, and
Blumer.

The Symbolic Interactionism, a theory of Mead and Cooley, views the self as
socially constructed in relation to social forces and structures and the product of
ongoing negotations of meanings.

An important concept used by symbolic interactionists is the looking-glass self.

This is developed by Charles Cooley. The basic notion of the looking-glass self can be
summed up as “We see ourselves as others see us”. In other words, we come to develop
a self-image on the basis of the messages we get from others, as we understand them.

SUMMARY

Education is one of the major institutions that constitute society. There are
various social science theories that relate to education – consensus, conflict,
structural functionalist and interaction theories.

Conflict theory deals with the emergence of conflict within a particular

human society while consensus is a concept of society in which the absence of
conflict is seen as the equilibrium state of society based on a general or widespread
agreement among all members of a particular society. The consensus and conflict
theories are reflected in the works of certain dominant social theorists such as Karl
Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber and other social theorists.

Structural Functionalism is concerned with the functions of schooling in the

maintenance of social order. It provides that society is made up of different
institutions or organizations that work together in cooperation to achieve orderly
relationship and to maintain social order and social stability.

Symbolic Interactionists are interested not simply in socialization but in

interactions between students and students and between students and teachers. All
types of interactions refine our ability to think.

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Learning Task 3: Sum It Up!

Instruction: In your own words and understanding, write down your learnings on the
space provided.

The Consensus and Conflict Theory states that

The Structural Functionalist Theory states that

The Interactionist Theory states that

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Learning Task 4: Experiential Activities

ACTIVITY 1 – INTERVIEW A TEACHER

Conduct an interview with a teacher using the given guide questions. The interview
output shall be written or encoded in a piece of paper. The output shall include
photos/documentation.

Guide Questions:
A. How can academic conflict affect or contribute to the learning of a student?

B. How do teachers make sure that students - regardless of age, race, ethnicity, learning
styles, and social class – are equally treated inside the classroom?

C. What learning strategies/options could we use to address the needs of students who
are not performing well in the classroom?

ACTIVITY 2 - INTERVIEW A STUDENT TEACHER

Conduct an interview with a student teacher using the given guide questions. The
interview output shall be written or encoded in a piece of paper. The output shall
include photos/documentation.

Guide Questions:
A. What is your opinion about “Academic Favoritism”?

B. What can you do to avoid inequality inside the classroom?

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Module Requirements
Interview Outputs
Submission Date: March 6

Rubric for Interview Output

Criteria 5 3 1
Completeness The students reported The students reported The students reported on
on all five guide on four guide questions three guide questions only.
questions only.
Photo/Documentatio The students included The students included The students did not
n complete and clear few and unclear include photos or
photos or documentation of the documentation.
documentation of the interview.
interview.
Presentation of The students The students presented The student presented
Answers presented complete complete but some incomplete interviewee
and understandable understandable answers.
interviewee answers. interviewee answers.

Computation of Grades

Requirements Total
Recitation/Participation 20%
Attendance 10%
Average Quizzes 20%
Assignment/Paper Works/Projects 20%
Periodic Test 30%
Total 100%

References
1. Vega, Violeta A. et al. (2015). Social Dimensions of Education. OBE K12 Based:
Lorimar Publishing.

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Learner’s Feedback/Reflection

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