RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIOLOGY
AND EDUCATION
Restin Jose (No. 21, Mathematics)
INTRODUCTION
Nowadays widely realized that the sociological dimension
plays an important role in human affairs and that education is a major force in
the processes of enculturation and social change. Education is asocial process. It brings about
socially acceptable behavior patterns in individuals, and socializes the child.
Social structure, social process, social control, and social changes have their
influences on education. Thus, education and sociology are inter-related.
The sociological tendency has also made a very strong impact in
the field of social education. Social education of the individual implies an
education which acquaints the individual with every aspect of his environment
and trains him to fulfill his responsibilities as a citizen. Social education
aims not only at the complete development of the individual but also at
evolving social unity and other social ideals in him. According to educational
sociologist, education is a social process which socializes the child and
causes certain changes in his behavior. In this way, even in defining
education, the sociologist have stressed its social aspects The objective of education is to evolve those
social qualities and asocial feeling in the child which will enable him to
understand his responsibility to society and nation and to become the ideal
citizen of his country, and train him to fulfill his duties. Such aims of
education as education for citizenship and education for social life are
influenced by the sociological tendency.
SOCIOLOGY
Sociology is one of the latest additions to social sciences. Auguste
Comte (1798-1857), the French philosopher is considered as the father of
modern sociology. He coined the word ‘Sociology’ by joining the
Greek word socius, i.e. society, and the Latin word logos,
i.e. science or study. Thus by sociology he meant a scientific
discipline or science about society. It’s one part, i.e., social statics
dealt with “the laws of action and reaction of the different parts of the
social system”, while its other part dealt with “the development and change of
whole societies as the units of analysis.”
According to J.S. Roucek, sociology is a science, which
aims to discover, through empirical research, knowledge about the social life
of man and its relations to the factors of culture, natural environment, the
functioning of groups, culture, changes and the effect of different patterns of
culture on personality”. The renowned British scholar Herbert Spencer
(1820-1903) was the first person to write a systematic book dealing with the
sociological analysis of society. His
work The Principles of Sociology is considered to be a classic
even today. According to him, the scope
of sociology would include the study of family, politics, religion, social
control, industry, associations, and communities, division of labour, social
stratification, knowledge, science, art and aesthetics. Sociology should study
the inter-relations among the different elements and parts of society which one
often finds woven together in some intricate yet meaningful pattern of thought
and action.
The meaning of sociology can be summarized as follows:
·
Sociology as
a science of society
·
Sociology as
the study of social relationships
·
Sociology as
the study of human behavior in groups
·
Sociology as
the study of social structure
·
Sociology as
the study of social patterns
·
Sociology as
the study of social action
·
Sociology as
the study of the different forms of human interrelations
EDUCATION
Education is a process which draws out the best in man with the
aim of producing a well-balanced personality – culturally refined, emotionally
stable, ethically sound, logically correct, mentally alert, intellectually
competent, technically advanced, morally
upright, physically strong, socially efficient, spiritually mature,
vocationally self sufficient and internationally liberal.
The word education is derived from the Latin word
Educare which means ‘to bring up’, ‘to nourish’, ‘to
raise’ etc. There is yet another Latin word educere, which
means ‘bring forth’. Education, therefore, means both to bring
forth as well as bring up. According to another explanation ‘E’ means ‘out
of’ and duco means to lead i.e. ‘to
educate’ means ‘to lead forth’ or ‘to extract out’ the best in
man.
Different scholars and philosophers diversely defined education. Plato
viewed man as a combination of body and soul. Education has to develop the
physical and spiritual qualities of man. Aristotle defined ‘education as
the creation of a sound mind in a sound body’. Rig Veda says’ education is
something which makes a man self-reliant and self less’. According to Pestalozzi,
“education is a natural, progressive and harmonic development of all the
faculties of the individual – head, heart and hand”. Gandhiji said, “By
education I mean, an all-round drawing out of the best in child and man –body,
mind and spirit”.
The general functions of education can be summarized as follows:
·
All round
development of personality
·
Control,
redirection and sublimation of instincts
·
Character
formation and development
·
Progressive
development of innate powers
·
Preparation
for adult life
·
Vocational
and social efficiency
·
Creation of
good citizenship
·
Self
preservation
·
Complete
living
·
Transmission
of knowledge
EDUCATIONAL SOCIOLOGY
Education produces change in the
behavior pattern of the individuals. This change in the behavior pattern of the
individuals will produce changes in society.
This relationship between education and sociology has given birth to a
new branch of sociology known as Educational sociology. George Payne is
known as the father of Educational sociology.
Educational sociology is the
study of the interaction of the individual and his cultural environment. It is
evident that it studies the effect of cultural environment on the individual,
and also the ways and means by which this cultural environment can be changed.
Educational sociology is the study of those phases of sociology that are
significant for educative processes, especially the study of those that point to
valuable programme of learning and control of learning processes. Putting it
simply, this discipline is sociology in the field of education. It carries out
experiments to make the application of sociological principles more active and
effective.
Educational sociology starts with
the assumptions that education is an activity which goes on in the society and
the society in its turn determines the nature of education. Modern educationist agrees that the process
of education is made possible by family, school, community and other parts of
society. The educational system of a society will bear resemblance to the
nature of society itself, although this does not imply that society cannot be
changed through education. In fact, both society and education influence each
other and educational sociology makes a study of this interaction.
Influence of Sociology in
Education
It is evident from the foregoing account of the sociological
tendency in education that sociology has had wide spread influence upon the
meaning, objectives, the curriculum, the methods of teaching, the school
organizations, etc,. These influences
can be enumerated as follows:
1.
Meaning
Of Education
According to educational
sociologist, education is a social process which socializes the child and causes
certain changes in his behaviour. In this way, even in defining education, the
sociologists have stressed its social aspects.
2.
Objective
Of Education
According to them, the objective
of education is to evolve those social qualities and asocial feeling in the
child which will enable him to understand his responsibility to society and
nation and to become the ideal citizen of his country, and train him to fulfill
his duties. Such aims of education as education for citizenship and education
for social life are influenced by the sociological tendency.
3.
Organization
Of Curriculum
Educational sociologists have
provided a number of valuable suggestions about reorganizing the curriculum of
education. They suggest that the curriculum should be based mainly on social
ideals and values, and should provide for the introduction of social subjects
and collective activities
4.
Method
Of Teaching
The sociological tendency also
laid stress on the inclusion of social elements in the methods of teaching so
that education can evolve essential social qualities in children. Educational
sociology gives suggestions for changes in teaching methods from the viewpoint
of social dynamics.
5.
Administrative
Techniques
Before the impact of the
sociological tendency, efforts at administration and discipline were
individualistic but the sociological influence laid stress on the social or
collective methods. Collective methods stress the fact that administration and
discipline should be collective, not individual. It is seen in many circumstances
that much better discipline can be established through the influence of social
control and public opinion than is possible through individual methods.
6.
Child
Education Movement
As a result of the sociological
tendency, there began a movement for the education of infants. Many infant
schools were established in America and in many European countries. Most of
them aimed providing education to the children of labours. In England, Robert
Owen drew attention to the ill-effects of not educating the children of labours.
7.
Adult
Education Method
The sociological influences
insisted upon the fact that no individual in society should be left uneducated
and hence many movements for adult education began; schools and colleges for
such people were run during evening and nights. Much important work has been
done in this direction in India.
8.
Monitor
Method
The influence of the sociological
tendency can be clearly seen in the monitor method introduced by Dr. Andrew
Bell. In this method the onus of teaching fell on the children, for
children of higher classes were required to teach children of junior classes.
As a result one single educator could teach a much larger number of educands.
On the basis of this monitor system, many monitorial schools were established
in a number of countries.
9.
Social
Education
The sociological tendency has
also made a very strong impact in the field of social education. Social
education of the individual implies an education which acquaints the individual
with every aspect of his environment and trains him to fulfill his
responsibilities as a citizen. Social education aims not only at the complete
development of the individual but also at evolving social unity and other
social ideals in him. Agencies of social education are literacy, lectures,
exhibitions, meetings, tours, etc, In India much useful work has done in the
villages towards providing social education.
10.
Responsibility
of the states
According to the sociological
tendency, it is the responsibility of the state to provide education. Hence, it
is for the state to make every individual, through education, capable of
earning his lively hood, of developing his personality, of fulfilling his
social duties. Without proper education of the masses, democracy can be never a
success. Hence, the state should provide primary, secondary, University and
professional education.
SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION
Sociology of
education is one of the most recent sub-areas of sociology. Although early
educationist like Socrates, Quintilian, Abelard, Pestalozzi, Froebel, and
Thomas Arnold had stressed upon the social aspects of education in their
writings and speeches, yet it was only towards the close of the nineteenth
century that a formal study of the sociological aspects of education begun to
interest educationist and sociologist.
Sociology of
education may be defined as the scientific analysis of the social processes and
social patterns involved in the educational system. Educational process goes on
both in formal as well as informal situations. Sociology of education is that
branch of knowledge, which presents a sociological theory of education,
developed through the various analytical studies of the interactions between
individuals in the formal, informal and non-formal educational situations. An
analysis of the social role or roles also comes under the purview of analytical
studies included in the field of sociology of education.
Sociology of
education is a later development in the sociological study of education. It can
be said to be a refinement of or improvement upon educational sociology.
According to Floud and Halsey, “since 1945 there has grown a vocal group of
professional sociologist with purist inventions towards the sociology of
education … determined to reject the tradition which made it a branch of
applied sociology and insist that education is intrinsically worthy of
scientific investigations by sociologists interested in problems of comparative
social structure and dynamics as against methods of educational policy or human
betterment.”
EDUCATION AND SOCIOLOGY
1.
Socialization
According to W.F Ogburn, “socialization is the process by which
the individual learns to conform to the norms of the group”. Bogardus defines,
“socialization as the process of working together, of developing group
responsibility, or being guided by the welfare nee of others”. Lundberg says
the socialization consist of the “complex processes of interaction through
which the individual learns the habits, beliefs, skills, and standards of
judgment that are necessary for his effective participation in social groups
and communities”.
2.
Social
Change
Social change is the change in society. Society is a web of social
relationships. Hence, social change is a change in social relationships. It is
the change in these which alone we shall regard as a social change. Social
change is a term used to describe variations or modifications of any aspect of
social processes, social patterns, social interactions, or social organization.
Describing social change in detail, Merril and Eldredge have said “social
change means that large numbers of persons are engaging in activities that
differ from those which they or their immediate engaged in some time before”.
3.
Social
Stratification and Culture
Social
stratification means the differentiation of a given population into
hierarchically superimposed classes. It is manifested in the existence of upper
and lower society layer. No society is unstratified. Social stratification is
the horizontal division of society in to higher and lowers social units. Every
society is divided into more or less distinct groups. Even the most primitive
societies had some form of social stratification.
Culture is a way of
life that is learned and shared by human beings and is by one generation to the
next. According to E.B Taylor, “culture is that complex whole which includes
knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, laws, customs and other capabilities and
habits acquired by man as a member of society”. Culture is not inborn in
individuals. It is formed as a result of interaction with other individuals.
RELATION BETWEEN SOCIOLOGY AND EDUCATION
The relation
between sociology and education has always been a subject of debate. One
concept says education is meant to overcome the inequalities of society
,whereas the other says the prime function of education is to promote the
equilibrium status of the society i.e. it tries to maintains equality or
inequality whatever state is prevent in the society. The sociologist who
favours the second theory says that education is a social effort hence it runs
the way society wants. According to them the second theory is a propagated myth
by the promoter of first theory. The first theory is said positive and second
is leveled as a negative thought.
1.
Social
Aims of Education
Sociology shapes
education and thus forms a vital force in the entire framework of education.
The educational sociologist laid greater stress on a social aims in education.
He always thinks in terms of society in fixing the aim of education. The social
aim of education is to inculcate social qualities, social feelings and
responsibilities in children. The aim of education is not merely he acquisition
of knowledge but to make the individual “socially acceptable and responsible,
technically efficient and personally well adjusted”.
2.
Structural
Function and Social Reproduction
Structural functionalism
is a sociological paradigm which addresses the issue of social functions,
various elements of the society is meant to play. This is based on the view of Durkhreim
according to which society tends to maintain equilibrium through moral
values. The prime function of educational institutions is to maintain the
status of society. It is the general moral value which keeps the society
intact. According to social structuralism all social institutions particularly
educational institutions plays important role to maintain the state of
equilibrium in society. Other social institutions like government, religion and
economy also helps in maintaining this equilibrium and keeps the society
healthy. Society is called healthy when every member of the society accepts the
general moral values and obeys them. Structural functions believe that role of educational
institutions is to incorporate common consensus among the new member of the
society. According to Durkhreim in educational institutions the
behaviour is regulated to accept the general moral values through curriculum
and hidden curriculum. Educational institutions also sort out learners for
future market. It plays the role of grading learners out come to fit them to different
future jobs.
3.
Conflict
Theory and Social Reproduction
The perspective of
conflict theory, contrary to the structural functionalist perspective, believes
that society is full of vying social groups with different aspirations,
different access to life chances and gain different social rewards. Relations
in society in this view are mainly based on exploitation, domination,
subordination and conflict. This is the opposite view of society than the
previous idea i.e. structural functionalism that most people accept continuing
inequality. Some conflict theorist believes education is controlled by the
nation which is controlled by a powerful social group, and its purpose is to reproduce
existing inequalities, as well as legitimize acceptable common ideas which
actually as reinforcement to the privileged position of the dominant group.
Education is one of
the most powerful social institutions as it has access to the children. Right
from the beginning in their life education institution has great control. Education
institutions decide the future perspective of children. But the question arises
that what is the dominant force behind educational institutions. Who decides
the way educational institutions should run. As we know society has many social
groups with different social aims and aspirations, different status and life
chances. As the aspiration of different group are varied and may be
conflicting. So there is a conflict for becoming the dominant force of
educational institutions. And obviously the dominant groups will be the force
behind educational institutions.
Educational institutions
follows the directions of dominant group to maintain the status of society i.e.
lower, middle and upper class children become lower, middle and upper class
adults respectively. This is acyclic processes the dominant group roots the
values, and aims favoring themselves in educational institutions. Dominant
group also promotes the myth through other institutions like government,
economy that education is for all and provides a means of achieving wealth and
status. Conflict theorists believe this social reproduction is a cyclic process
because the whole education system is flooded with ideologies provided by the
dominant group. According to this theory people always tries to go up in level
of society.
4.
Concept
of Cultural Capital
Cultural capital denotes the accumulation of knowledge,
experiences, skills one has had through the course of their life that enables
him to succeed more so than someone from a less experienced background. Piere
Bourdieu has built his theoretical framework around the important concepts
of Cultural capital. This concept is based on the idea that social structures
determine individual’s chances, through the mechanism of the Cultural capital.
He used the idea of Cultural capital to explore the differences in outcomes for
students from different classes. He explored the conflict between the orthodox reproduction
and the innovative reproduction of knowledge and experiences. He found his conflicts
are intensified by considerations of which particular Cultural capital is to be
conserved and reproduced in schools. He argues that it is the culture of
dominant groups, and therefore their cultural capital, which is embodied in
schools, and that this leads to social reproduction. The Cultural capital of
the dominant group, in the form of practices and relation to culture, is
assumed by the school to be the natural and only proper type of Cultural
capital and is therefore legitimated. Students who posses this legitimate
Cultural capital gain educational capital in the form of qualifications.
CONCLUSION
Sociology and
Education are interrelated disciplines. The relation between Sociology and
Education can be enumerated as follows:
Sociology is
the science of society and Education is an implicit aspects of social system.
Sociology is
the study of a social system and Education is the function of a social system.
Sociology
provides norms and guide lines for individual behaviour and Education aims at
modifying behaviour.
Sociology
develops methods and techniques of social interaction while Education utilizes
the same to bring about the desired behavioural and attitudinal change.
Sociology contributes
much to the planning, organizing, executing and evaluating of the Educative
process.
Sociology
prescribes socially appropriate functions for the educational system and
Education adopts the principles of sociology to improve its functioning.
Sociology prepares
plans and programs for social development while Education implements the same
to develop well integrated and wholesome individuals.
Sociology
develops laws and principle as a social norm while Education adopts therefore its
improvement.
Sociology endeavors
to understand men in action and education attempt to mould human nature in the
direction provided by the sociological innovation.
REFERENCES
Chandra, S.S., Rajendra K. Sharma (2007), Sociology of
Education, Atlantic Publishers
& Distributers, New Delhi.
Ruhela,S.P, Vyas K.C (1970), Sociological Foundations of Education in Contemporary
India, Dhanpat Rai &
Sons , New Delhi.
Sivarajan, K (2003), Education in the Emerging Indian
Society, Calicut University, Calicut.
Thankachan, T.C,(2012), Philosophical and Sociological Bases of Education, V Publishers,
Kottayam.
