Education as a Social Institution Essay

The social institution referred to as Education is comprised of the school system and it is in the school system where knowledge and skills are developed along with cultural and social values and norms. Additionally, through the school system culture and society continue and further those social values and norms thus fulfilling a need prescribed by society. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the theories of functionalism, conflict, and interactionism perceive the social institution of education. As the functionalism theory states, each social institution exists in order to fulfill a social need in addition without the social institution in question, social order would falter. The conflict theory states, a social institution creates and/or furthers social inequalities and assists in maintaining an ascribed social status in the social order however, as the social order is continuously in flux, the social order tries to find a balance in and for society. The interactionism theory tries to understand why individuals who maintain a presence within a social institution act and/or react to each other under certain stimulations (Vissing, 2011). The social institution of education is comprised of what we term as schools therefore throughout this paper the terms education institution, schools, and the school system will be used interchangeably and accordingly. Each individual within a society is introduced to and educated in a system of values and norms pertaining to their particular society beginning at an early age and continuing through the individual’s lifetime additionally, the school system plays a large part in that education as the youth of that particular society develop into adults. The instructors or teachers within the school system act as role models to elicit proper behavior and strengthen cultural and societal norms (Beaver, 2009). Along with the academic curriculum taught in schools, schools also act as a large socializing agent where students are introduced to their first tertiary peer group. Education is a social institution and through the school system it fulfills a social need because the school system is our first tertiary peer group, the school system introduces us to societal norms, and the school system imparts to society, knowledge and skills. As a socializing entity, school is a basic and necessary universal structure for society. Using an interactionism view, this is so, because it introduces us to, reintroduces us to, affirms, and/or reaffirms most of society’s values and norms through a tertiary peer group consisting of other students and the instructors. The school structure shows the student through example and instruction how to integrate into and act within the group setting and the value/reward system of participating in a team setting. This is accomplished through the instructions and guidance presented to them from the instructors. The student is also influenced by the expectations of the instructor, the expectations of their peers, and the manner in which their peers perceive them and their accomplishments (Vissing, 2011). Additionally, failing to meet academic schedules the student may appear irresponsible to their peers and the instructors as they academically fall behind others in their peer and age groups. It has been noted that students generally meet the expectations made of them, in other words if students are expected to perform well they do so, conversely, if they are not expected to perform well they do not (Vissing, 2011). Therefore, the student’s academic achievement level may be determined by the manner in which the instructors view the students and the student’s behavior and achievements. For example, if an instructor views a student as a trouble maker the student will be labeled and treated as such thus deterring the student from reaching his/her full potential. Looking at this issue with the view of the student as the priority, the student’s academic achievement may be a determinant or a direct result of the manner in which the student views school and why the student views the school in such a manner. A student will not excel academically if they do not enjoy attending school in general, or attending specific classes therefore, what are some causes for a student feeling this way. It is evident that the interactions between the students and instructors play a large role in how the students feel about classes and school in general. Two major factors come into play here and they are, the instructors â€Å"social and emotional support for students and the nature of [the instructors’] expectations for students’ academic performance† (Hallinan, 2008). This interaction between student and instructor is of great value as it influences how a student perceives themself and their environment within the school system. For example, students that perceive they are being overlooked or their capabilities are being undervalued by the instructor will perform poorly. Conversely, when an instructor shows the student some attention, and shows them they are capable and of value as a student, the student will perform to the best of their ability. However, for either of these scenarios to persist the instructor must be consistent with their interactions with the student. Moreover, if the instructor’s expectations and interactions are not consistent with regard to the student then the ability in predicting the student’s success in school or their feelings toward school becomes problematic. The predictability of a student’s feelings toward the school system becomes problematic under these conditions because the equation used in this case is a feedback loop based on how well the instructor matches their expectations to the student’s academic abilities. Moreover, the main variable in the equation of predicting a student’s feelings toward the school system is the student’s reaction to the instructor’s expectations of them when trying to determine how satisfied the student is with a class or school in general (Hallinan, 2008). What we see with the interactionism theory is how the instructor can influence the student’s outlook and ultimately the students’ academic outcome by how they interact with the student and their overall expectations of the student and their academic abilities. Additionally the interactionism theory shows how the students peer group may also account for their success or failure in school and individual classes because of the influence the peer groups perceptions of the individual student’s academic performances. Lastly the interactionism theory shows how the students overall feelings and self-perceptions toward the school system as a whole, individual classes, and their own academic performance may also affect the students success and/or failure. What the conflict theory shows is how the school system supports the continuance of the social inequalities between the elite class and the lower class individual in relationship to their achieved status in a culture/society while maintaining the status quo. This allows the elite class of a society to control and direct the school system and its curriculum in a manner that will ultimately benefit that upper class (Beaver, 2009). The conflict theory also acknowledges the competition between peers that promotes a more rounded comprehension of subject matter through stronger and/or competitive study skills and this concept of competition follows a student through school and into the workforce. Additionally, the concept of competition is promoted through a system of rewards both in the school system and in the workforce such as the honor role, the dean’s list, acceptance into honor societies, or becoming employee of the month or year. The school system accomplishes this with its curriculum so that the lower class student will accept the inevitability of a position in the working class and catering to the upper class student by grooming them to acquire and maintain positions in the ruling class (Beaver, 2009) (Vissing, 2011). Additionally, the conflict theorist proposes that the school system controls the thinking patterns and reasoning powers of the students and the manner in which the student acts and reacts in social situations (Vissing, 2011). In addition, through example the students are introduced and instructed in the social values and beliefs of their society and culture. This seeming agenda of the school system is better explained by Yvonne Vissing (2011) when she states, â€Å"this role of education [is called] the â€Å"hidden curriculum†. [It is because] inequality results in a variety of forms, including structured differences in quality of educational institutions available to the rich versus the poor† (p 167). However, this hidden curriculum is not a set curriculum but it is implied and taught in such a way as to be unnoticed by the student’s daily attendance in school system. To explain the hidden curriculum an example of comparison between two different societies will be used. In society-a one of the more important values is individualism; individualism implies the right to freedom of thought and action by the individual. Therefore, in society-a, the school curriculum is designed to promote self-identity and self-esteem. However, in society-b, the value of individualism is looked upon as an undesirable social trait and the students are taught through implication that to be singled out is shameful and social esteem is of more importance than self-esteem. Therefore, in society-b, the curriculum is designed in such a way that students are taught that group honor is of more importance than self-honor is (Davis, 2010). The conflict theory also shows how the business world has a large stake in the type of students the school system turns out and these needs are addressed through a school’s curriculum. Additionally, as the business world, which is directed and controlled by the elite, advises certain change in the curriculum in the school system to meet its needs the school system in some cases modifies and adjusts its curriculum to meet those changing needs. However, this raises the question, in fulfilling the needs of the business world does the school system always advance and groom the best candidate for a controlling position in the workforce or is there a bias in place where instead the most likely candidate is advanced and groomed for those positions (Beaver, 2009). According to Daniel Ashton, in England a collaborative program between government and education tries to address the issues between the school system (Educational Institution) and the business world. One of the issues that is being addressed is, the gap between industry and the school system relating to â€Å"workplace skills† and present educational curricula. The manner in which this gap is being addressed is with an assessment of a person’s natural abilities to assist in developing that person and those abilities to help â€Å"build a dynamic and vibrant society† (2009). It is worthy to note here that among the youth in lower class urban and rural America the perceived likelihood that a high quality education will be of any significance in their future working status is small. Additionally, this is because the sub-culture of the urban and rural lower class American is where they feel comfortable, and the middle/upper class urban/city culture of America is not only unfamiliar to them but also uncomfortable to them. Moreover, as the higher educational concepts are unfamiliar and have no real bearing on their daily lives the lower class student can at best only absorb the higher educational concepts by rote alone if at all (Becker, 1955). Even though many rural school systems persist in advancing the conceptual educational theories, many students in these rural areas still find it difficult to advance and succeed outside their natural comfort zone. Therefore, the ability to excel beyond the working class is deterred by the many technical and vocational training schools in these areas (Becker, 1955). We see with the conflict theory how it supports social and status inequalities through class stratification, the status structure, and through peer competition. Additionally it shows there is a hidden curriculum or agenda that controls the thought pattern of students headed into the workforce of society where they are expected to accept a status of the controlled or controlling members in the workforce based on their family status level in society. In addition, it shows how the business world has a stake in the level and focus of the curriculum administered to the student in relationship to the workforce and social skills the student has acquired upon graduation as they nter the workforce. Lastly, it shows how education is split into generalized higher education, specialized higher education, and vocational education and training in support of both professions and trades in the workforce and business world. Emile Durkheim’s view of education was that over time the school system became comprised of an ordered composite of social disciplines and social structures with the ability to intermesh with like and unlike social structures. However, Durkheim also postulated that society as a whole had a greater ability to modify its structure than that of the social structure of school system (Clark, 1973). Therefore, looking at Education through the school system from a functionalism point of view, the school system is a viable social structure as it fulfills many primary and secondary social and cultural needs. Some of these primary needs are the teaching and reinforcing of cultural values and norms, in addition to the teaching of â€Å"work ethics† and certain general and specific aspects about the work environment the students will eventually enter. One of the more important concepts schools teach in the area of the ‘work’ environment, both in school and out of school, is how to accept success and/or failure and how to move forward under both conditions (Beaver, 2009) (Vissing, 2011). It is also important to look at some of the secondary social needs fulfilled by the school system. In the early introduction to the school system, the student is immersed into a tertiary peer group where they begin to socialize with many others in their age range. In today’s society schools also act as a form of day care system and with extracurricular (sports) programs after the academic period the students are kept â€Å"off the streets and out of the competitive workforce until they have reached a certain age† (Vissing, 2011). In the attainment of viable and competitive employment in the current and future workforce, the school systems offer many specific elective disciplines for many professions and trades in society’s business industries. This system of elective classes assists the student in assessing and being assessed in their abilities and compatibility of a particular profession and/or trade. Additionally, to assist the student and satisfy the business industry the school system has incorporated specialized schools that follow a narrowed or focused curriculum in order to fulfill the burgeoning needs of particular industries in the business and economic worlds. However, these types of schools hold an additional outcome for the more generalized school and its students. Even though a larger number of people enjoy the financial benefits supplied in their profession of choice, the student who graduates from this type of school has a less rounded education than the student who graduates from a traditional school. Additionally, for the business world, the only purpose for this type of education is to fulfill its needs for semi-qualified workers and the benefit derived from this type of education for the worker is that of being employed in a trade and/or profession of their choosing and acquiring the achieved status they desired. Therefore, through this type of narrowed and focused education both the student and the business world are satisfied and share a sense of success (Tufts, 1909). The control of how and what is taught in the school system is directed and enforced by the dominant culture of a society. Therefore, in all school systems students are taught nationalism, nationalism is formed of the values and norms particular to each individual country and that countries culture/society, and each culture will present that nationalism with a bias leaning toward that particular nation/culture. For example, in the United States of America the schools teach about the struggle we had in becoming a nation, the meaning of our national flag and how we honor it with our pledge of allegiance to the nation it represents. What the school system does not teach is the degradation caused to the aboriginal peoples of this country by the dominant imperialist mindset of the people who conquered those aboriginal peoples. Our dominant culture may be intrigued by and even be sympathetic toward the culture and society that was decimated in the making of this dominant nation/culture however, that culture and its values and norms are of little significance in the indoctrination of the nation’s society of its dominant cultural values and norms (Becker, 1955). Although the primary function of the school system is the indoctrination of the student in knowledge and skills to be used later in the work arena it is the latent function of the school system, i. e. : the social interactions within the peer groups the students are introduced to, is of greater importance. The functionalism theory shows that as a bureaucratic structure the education institution is steeped in tradition, and is less likely to change than society is as a whole. The functionalism theory additionally shows the needs of society being fulfilled, through the social values, norms, national icons, work ethics, and accountability of the society it serves. Additionally, the functionalism theory shows how the values of accountability and ethics are accomplished with active peer group integration. In addition, work ethics accomplished through academic structure and schedules. Lastly, we see how the national icons on the dominant culture are instilled on a society with little regard to the subjugated culture that may have been in place prior to being overshadowed or have immigrated to that culture. Using three sociological theories and looking through the school system at the social institution referred to as Education we see how this institution affects society as a whole and fulfills certain social and cultural needs. With interactionism, we see how the expectations of the group affect the individual’s self-expectations and actions within the group, society, and particular culture. Interactionism additionally shows how the school system introduces and instructs students how to interact with each other and society in a positive and healthy manner. When we look at the school system with the conflict theory, we see how it supports the inequalities between the class stratification and the status structure in a society, both at the individual level and the collective level while maintaining the status quo. Additionally, the conflict theory shows how the elite class uses the business sector to influence the curriculum in the school system, which also contributes to the continuance of social inequalities. Moreover, the conflict theory shows how the school system has the power the control the thinking patterns of a society through a ‘hidden curriculum’. What functionalism shows us about the school system is the school system is a viable social structure as it fulfills many primary and secondary social and cultural needs. It additionally shows us some of those social needs, which are the teaching and reinforcing cultural values and norms. In addition, that the school system teaches students â€Å"work ethics† along with specific and general aspects about the work environment they will eventually enter. Moreover, when we look at the educational institution using the functionalism theory we see how the school system confirms the validity of education as a social institution by fulfilling certain needs of a culture and society. Lastly, we see the interrelationship between these three sociological theories and the educational institution. This is shown to us through our peer group, teacher, business, social, status and workforce expectations and interactions. Additionally, we are shown how the educational institution can and does affect our self-esteem, self-perception, and achieved status level.