Education - Admission/Application Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... The social institutions thus work together unconsciously towards achievement of social equilibrium. The conflict theory based on the ideas of Karl Marx on the other hand, argue that the society is comprised of different groups and interests competing for power and resources resulting in inequalities between classes and class struggles in an attempt to maintain balance. In any social institution such as education, there exist two classes of people who are often in conflict such as the students and teachers. The symbolic interaction theory is based on the ideas of Max Weber and George Mead and it studies human actions rather than social systems. The thus believe that humans shape their social world rather than be shaped by it hence life is like role-playing in a theatre. Its focus according to Johnson (2008) is on observable interactions and not structural relationships that involve social institutions. ...
No human beings are able to continue suitably without education. Education has manifest functions as well as latent functions which enable individuals to become useful members of society. According to Layton (1997) the manifest functions are the recognized and intended consequences of education such as good grades and employment whereas latent functions are the unrecognized and unintended consequences such as extra-curricular activities and meeting new people. However, there may also be some social dysfunctions that result in undesirable consequences that disrupt operations of the society such as when students do not get good grades and consequently lack good jobs. This may result in problems for the society such as crime and other vices. According to Gordon (1990), to understand the education system we must consider how it functions to contribute to the healthy maintenance of the whole social system. Talcott Parsons indicated that a social system has four basic functions: adaptation, goal attainment, integration and pattern maintenance. The society must solve these problems in order to survive and therefore any social institution is expected to contribute towards meeting these functions. One of the functions carried out by education in maintaining the social system is pattern maintenance. Educational institutions help in maintaining the values of society by socializing students and transmitting values on them. Individuals are constrained by the norms and values present in the institutions which are dictated by society thus maintaining harmony. For example, in individualistic nations such as America, students are taught to be independent by performing individual work and being graded according to ...Download file to see next pagesRead More