(Module 1)

1. BTTE 3/PIE 3
SOCIAL DIMENSION OF EDUCATION
Lecture Note
Outline of DisAcussion
1. Relation of Society and Social Stratification to
Education
2. How Does Stratification or Social Status
Come into Existence in Society?
3. What are the Effects of Social Class or
Stratification of Society upon Education?
4. Social Science Theories of Education
5. Four Pillars of Learning

2. Relation of Society and Social Stratification to Education
 The need to study this is to know the effect of society and social stratification
to education. Stratification is always with the income of the families that
greatly affect the education of the children.
 Children of low income families that are found in the lower strata of the
society tend to be affected by the society and the financial stability. A low-
income family will have their children a harder way of reaching college. The
high cost of education and modern school makes it more difficult.
 Social stratification also affects the children in selecting the course they
would take. Low-income families tend to take low tuition fee courses, and
short-term course or vocational to have job opportunity. And in turn, they
disregarded their inborn talent, skills and ambition.
 Social stratification greatly affects everybody. It could be in many forms.
Even in communist countries, like China, people are affected by
stratification. Social classes exist in all types of society in different forms.
 In developed countries, social stratification is in different forms. It is because
some developed countries are dependent on the amount of labor.

3. In developed countries, ordinary construction worker could earn
more than the personnel working in the office.
 Stratification is associated with standards like the modes of behavior,
the pattern of consumption, expenditures and leisure time. It no longer a
question of wealth but of breeding, the mode of speech, culture, the type
of car and appliances.
 In developing countries, stratification is based in the occupation and
income generated by the families. This makes diploma a key or gateway
to a better position in the strata of society.
 Education became a vital importance to everyone and made education a
necessity and more expensive. A child’s advancement means
advancement of the whole family to the strata of society. This is known
as social mobility. Families tend to work on for each other to finish any
degree course for advancement in society and people are sensitive to
ones educational attainment.

4. How Does Social Stratification or Social Status
Come Into Existence in Society?
 According to Karl Marx, social stratification originated through
economic power. There are only two broad classes in the society.
The “Bourgeoisie” one who control the means of production and
the “Proletariat” one who are dependent to bourgeoisie in selling
their labor.
 Vladimir Illich Lenin believes in the idea of Karl Marx and the
disappearance of distinction between brain and manual labor.
 Max Weber did not define class in purely economic term but in
the life chances in the society. Stratification is based on power,
status, honor, housing, health, medical care, food and education.
Weber also believes that culture and value of the people are
important in social stratification.

5. Ralf Dahrendorf based social class or stratification on
culture and value of people and position:
 1. The Ruling Group -by virtue of position, are able to lay down
the law for others. They are the people who make the law. They
are usually in the highest position in the government.
 2. The Service Class- this is a group of people who help the ruling
class in the legislation or legislative task of executing the law.
They serve as the implementing agent.
 3. The Subjected Group - the group that follow the rules of law
made by the ruling group, implemented by the service class. This
group is subjected to both groups.
 4. Intellectuals- this group belongs to the group that does not
belong to the society, which is found outside the power of all
groups. They are freedom-seeking group outside the society.

6. What are the Effects of Social Class or Stratification of
Society upon Education?
 1. Education is based in status
 2. Equality of Opportunity by Legislation
 3. Education in Rural and Urban areas.
 4. Education and class in terms of birth and health.
 5. Equality of education with regards to age.
 6. Parent’s interest, aspiration and motivation for children in terms
of education.
 7. Parent’s attitude towards education.
 8. Positive correlation of the Parent’s IQ and the child’s IQ.
 9. Cultural environment of school.
 10. Well-educated parents
 11.Children in lower classes has been marked by inadequate power
of speech, writing and limited vocabulary power.

7. Social Science Theories of Education
 1. Consensus Theory and Structural Functionalism
Consensus Theories see shared norms and values as
fundamental to society, focus on social based on tacit
agreements, and view social change as occurring in a
slow and orderly fashion. Consensus theories emphasize
the dominance of some social groups by others, see
social order 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.
Consensus is a concept of society of 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.

8. Structural Functionalism by Talcott Parsons
 Parsons structural functionalism has four imperatives
for all “action” systems, embodied in his famous AGIL
scheme. These functional imperatives that are
necessary for all systems are:
Adaptation
Goal Attainment
Integration
Latency (pattern maintenance)
Parsons designed the AGIL scheme to be used at all levels in
the theoretical system of society.

9. Theoretical System of Society
 Action system- the behavioral organism that handles
the adaptation function by adjusting to and
transforming the external world.
 Personality system- performs the goal-attainment
function by defining system goals and mobilizing
resources to attain them.
 Social system- copes with the integration function by
controlling its component parts.
 Cultural system- performs the latency function by
providing actors with the norms and values that
motivate them for action.

10. Key Principles of the Functionalist Perspective
 1. Interdependency-means that every part of the society is
dependent to some on other parts of society, so that what
happens at one place in the society has important effects
elsewhere.
 2. Functions of Social Structure and Culture-the idea that
each part of the social system exists because it serve some
functions. Social structure refers to the organization of
society, including its institutions, its social positions, and
its distribution of resources. Culture refers to a set of
beliefs, languages, rules, values, and knowledge held in
common by members of the society.
 3. Consensus and Cooperation-to have certain basic values
that nearly everyone in the society agrees upon.
 4. Equilibrium- state of balance.

11. Conflict Theory
 According to Horton and Hunt (1984) focuses on the
heterogeneous nature of society and the differential
distribution of political and social power.
 Conflict theory grew out of the work of Karl Marx and
focuses on the struggle of social classes to maintain
dominance and power in social system. It is a theory or
collection of theories which places emphasis on conflict in
human society.
 Conflict is a disagreement or clash between opposing ideas,
principles, or people- this can be covert or overt conflict.
 The larger issue for conflict theory is the role of education
plays in maintaining the prestige, power, and economic and
social position of the dominant group in society.

12. Four Pillars of Learning
 1. Learning to Know-acquiring the instruments of
understanding; implies learning on how to learn by
developing one’s concentration, memory skills, and
ability to think.
Learn-to-Learn Skills:
Learning to read with comprehension
Listening
Observing
Asking questions
Data gathering
Note taking
Assessing, processing and selecting information

13.  Teacher’s Role:
Facilitator
Catalyst
Monitor
Evaluator
 Education must contribute to the all –around
development of each individual –mind and body,
intelligence, sensitivity, aesthetic sense, personal
responsibility and spiritual values..
 Education means reaching out to embrace the whole of
society and the entire lifespan of the individual (Edgar
Faure)

14. 2.Learning Throughout Life/Learning to Live Together
 This is the key to the 21st century –essential for
adapting to the evolving requirements of the labor
market and for better mastery of the changing time
frame and rhythms of individual existence.
 Learning to live together in peace and harmony
requires that quality of relationship at all levels is
committed to peace, human rights, democracy and
social justice in an ecology sustainable environment.
 Peace must begin with each one of us. Through quiet
and serious reflection on its meaning, new and
creative ways can be found to foster understanding,
friendship and cooperation among all people. (Javier
Perez de Cuellar, UN Secretary General)

15. 3. Learning to Do
 Represents the skillful, creative and discerning application of knowledge.
One must learn how to think creatively, critically and holistically, and how
deeply understand the information that is presented.

16. 4. Learning to Be
 This refers to the role of education in developing all the
dimensions of the complete person; the physical,
intellectual, emotional, and ethical integration of the
individual into a complete man.
 Conscienctisation –is the process of becoming aware of the
contradictions existing within oneself and in society and of
gradually being able to bring about personal and social
transformation.
 Universal Aims of Education
 Towards a scientific humanism
 Creativity
 Towards social commitment
 Towards the complete man

17. References:
 Ball, Stephen J. The Routledge Falmer Reader in Sociology
of Education. New York: Routledge Falmer, 2004.
 Bassis, Michael S., Richard J. Gelles and Anne Levine.
Sociology: An Introduction. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill,
Inc., 1991.
 Harper, Charles L. Exploring Social Change. New Jersey:
Prentice Hall, Inc., 1989.
 Javier, Jessie D., Rodrigo D. Costales, and Dionesio C.
Rivas. Introductory Sociology and Anthropology. Manila:
Rex Book Store, 2002.
 Koh, Tommy. The Quest for World Order. Singapore: The
Institute of Policy Studies, 1998.
 Palispis, Epitacio S. Introduction to Sociology and
Anthropology. Rex Book Store, Inc., Manila, 2007