Chapter 6 - Theories in Sociology of Education

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts, theorists, and terminology found in the sociology of education lecture notes, focusing on functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism.

Sociology

The study of companionship, social relations, and the origin, development, organisation, and functioning of human social behaviours affected by social interactions amongst groups, organisations, societies, and the world.

Auguste Comte ($1798-1857$)

French philosopher regarded as the father of sociology who first used the term in $1843$ during a systematic restructuring of methods and parameters.

Education

Derived from the Latin word educere, meaning 'to bring out that which is within'; the process of imparting knowledge, developing reasoning, and preparing individuals intellectually for mature life.

Sociology of education

The scientific analysis of the social processes and social patterns involved in the educational system to understand the relationship between educational institutions and society.

Micro level (Sociology of Education)

A level of research seeking to identify how variation in school practices, such as different teaching methods, leads to differences in student performance.

Macro level (Sociology of Education)

A level of work identifying how various social forces, such as politics, economics, and culture, create variation in schools as organisations.

Functionalism (Structural functionalism)

A theoretical perspective grounded in the natural and physical sciences focusing on how society's parts or sub-systems make functional contributions to maintain stability and equilibrium.

Manifest functions

Intentional and obvious functions of human behaviour, such as a school conveying basic knowledge and skills to the next generation.

Latent functions

Unintentional and not obvious functions, such as schools providing mass entertainment, social control, or the socialisation of people into a society's mainstream.

Mechanical solidarity

A form of social cohesion found in traditional, simple societies where people maintain similar values and beliefs and engage in similar types of work.

Organic solidarity

A form of social cohesion occurring in industrialised, complex societies where people are interdependent but subscribe to a range of values and beliefs.

AGIL model

Talcott Parsons' model representing the four basic functions social systems must perform to survive: Adaptation, Goal attainment, Integration, and Latency.

Technical system

The bottom level of an organisational structure where the actual product is manufactured, involving workers, teachers in classrooms, and scientists in laboratories.

Managerial system

The middle level of an organisation that mediates between the organisation and the task environment and administers internal affairs.

Institutional system

The top level of an organisation whose function is to relate the organisation to the larger society.

Collective conscience

The shared values and beliefs functionalists believe are pivotally important for achieving social order and societal well-being.

Conflict theory (Marxism)

A theoretical framework maintaining that conflict is inevitable among individuals and social classes because of different amounts of material and non-material resources available to them.

C. Wright Mills

The founder of modern conflict theory who argued that wealthy or elite people control the social structure, leading to conflict when the interests of the non-elite are disregarded.

World systems theory

A theory proposing competition among countries where core countries extract resources from peripheral countries using technology to turn them into consumer goods.

Symbolic interactionism

A theoretical perspective focusing on the self and society, emphasizing the subjective meaning of human behaviour, social processes, and pragmatism.

Herbert Blumer

The scholar who coined the term 'symbolic interactionism' and specified that humans act toward things based on the meanings those things have for them.

The self (Interactionism)

Regarded as a mirror allowing individuals to reflect on themselves as objects, developed through the opinions of significant others and generalised others.

Chicago school

A division within symbolic interactionism associated with Blumer that advocates the use of qualitative methods in studying reality construction within natural settings.

Iowa school

A division within symbolic interactionism associated with Manford Kuhn that advocates the use of quantitative methods in studying the products of social interaction.