The Sociological Theories Impact on Education

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Recommended: Compare and contrast functionalism and conflict theory

Education is the most important part of a person’s life. According to Vissing, social institutions impact educational structures, processes, and outcomes (Vissing, 2011). Education help people gain knowledge and skills to function in everyday life. Educational institutions are designed to transmit information, provide skills, shape attitudes and beliefs, and instill norms and values (Vissing, 2011). Education is important in the functioning of state and local governments. Functionalism, conflict, and interactionalism are sociological theories that are important for people to know. These theories are important in helping to understand education and why education is important.

Vissing states, “Some people feel that schools are falling behind and failing in their

mission to adequately educate students to compete in an international economic sphere,

while others allege that schools teach more creatively and provide more detailed infor-

mation than ever before to more students.” (Vissing, 2011)

The truth to those points depends on how a person looks at it. In this paper the three major theories will be analyzed, compared, and contrasted to show the impact each one has on education.

Functionalist theory focuses on the ways that universal education serves the needs of society (www.uwosh.edu). There is a variety of manifest and latent reasons schools are functional for society. They are socialization agents that teach students culturally relevant core values and norms in what Durkeim called a moral education that would help create a more cohesive social structure (Vissing, 2011). “Moral Education” helped form a more cohesive social structure by bringing people together from diverse backgrounds. Individualism is the mos...

... middle of paper ...

... attends may influence later educational opportunities (Vissing, 2011).

Reference

Block, A.A. (1997). I’m only bleeding: education as the practice of social violence against

children. New York: Peter Lang.

Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed. (3rd ed.) New York: Continuum Press.

Parsons, T. (1951). The social system. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.

Puri, Usha. Education: Theory and Practice. Delhi, IND: Global Media, 2006. p156

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford

Rosenthal, R. & Jacobson, L. (1992). Pygmalion in the classroom (Expanded ed.). New York:

Irvington

www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff Sociology: Theories of Education. Cliffnotes.com

http://www.cliffnotes.com/study_guide

Vissing, Y (2011). Introduction to Sociology. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint

Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu

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