Consensus and Conflict Theory

1. Samar College
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Catbalogan City
Student: Sosing, Mary Joy T. Instructor:
Course: BSEd. – Math 1 Subject: Prof.Ed. 3
Day & Time: Saturday 7:30-10:30 Date: Nov. 21, 2015
Social Dimensions of Education
INTRODUCTION
Sociologist see education as one of the major institutions that constitutes society. While theories guide
research and policy formulation in the sociology of education, they also provide logical explanations for why
things happen the way they do. These theories help sociologists understand educational system.
Origin of Sociology of Education
 The sociology of education is the study of how social institutions and individual experiences
affects education and its outcome.
 It is relatively a new branch and two great sociologist Émile Durkheim and Max Weber were
the father of sociology of education. Émile Durkheim's work on moral education as a basis for
social solidarity is considered the beginning of sociology of education.
 Sociology
 The word Sociology originates from latin prefix :socius, "companion"; and the suffix -
ology, "the study of", from Greek lógos, "knowledge" .
 Sociology is the systematic study of society. Sociology encompasses all the elements of
society is social relation, social stratification, social interaction, culture.
 Society
 people in general thought of as living together in organized communities with shared
laws, traditions, and values.
 : the people of a particular country, area, time, etc., thought of especially as an organized
community.
 Education
 Education is a broad concept, referring to all the experiences in which learners can learn
something.
 It is a social endeavour designed to get the maximum from the ability of each of the
member of the society. Education is covers both the teaching, learning of knowledge and
values.
 Education consists of systematic instruction, teaching and training by professional
teachers.
CONSENSUS AND CONFLICT THEORY
 The proponents of consensus and conflict sociological and social theories are:
 Karl Marx
- Marx's class theory rests on the premise that "the history of all hitherto existing
society is the history of class struggles." According to this view, ever since human
society emerged from its primitive and relatively undifferentiated state it has remained
fundamentally divided between classes who clash in the pursuit of class interests.
 Emile Durkheim
- Durkheim discusses how modern society is held together by a division of labor that
makes individuals dependent upon one another because they specialize in
different types of work. Durkheim is particularly concerned about how the division of
labor changes the way that individuals feel they are part of society as a whole.
 Max Weber
- Max Weber believed that it was social actions that should be the focus of study in
sociology. To Weber, a “social action’” was an action carried out by an individual to which
an individual attached a meaning. Therefore, an action that a person does not think
about cannot be a social action.
 Talcott Parsons & Robert Merton
 Louis Althusser & RalphDahrendorf
 Herbert Mead& Herbert Blumer
 Dahrendorf (1959, 1968)
 Recognize that society cannot exist without both conflict and consensus
 Consensus
 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.

2.  Consensus Theories
 Emphasizes on social order, stability and social regulation.
 See shared norms and values as fundamental to society, focus on social order based
on tacit agreements, and view social change as occurring in slow and orderly fashion.
 Consensus Theorists
 Examine value integration in society.
 Conflict
 A disagreement or clash between opposing ideas, principles, or people.
 Conflict Theories
 Focuses on the struggle of social classes to maintain dominance and power in social
systems.
 Emphasize the dominance of some social groups by others, see social order as based
on manipulation and control by dominant groups, and view social change as occurring
rapidly and in a disorderly fashion as subordinate groups overthrow dominant groups.
 According to Horton and Hunt (1984) focuses on the heterogeneous nature of society
and the differential distribution of political and social power.
 Emerged out of the sociology of conflict, crisis and social damage.
 Conflict Theorists
 Emphasize social change and redistribution of resources.
 Examine conflicts of interest and coercion that holds society together in the face of
these stresses.
 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 powerful
groups often minority groups, are allocated to lower ranks in society.
 The conflict perspective assumes that social behavior is best understood in terms of conflict or tensions
between competing groups.