SOCIOLOGICAL

FOUNDATIONS OF
EDUCATION

Prepared by
FERDINAND BULUSAN, MAEd
CSU Andrews

Competencies

1. Determine the roles of the teachers as active members of the

community and as global citizens responsible for the outcomes
of their actions and for developing other citizens.
2. Analyze historical, economic, socio-cultural, geographical,
environmental, political and social-psychological factors that
affect the role of the school as an agent of change.
3. Interpret educational problems in the light of philosophical and
legal foundations of education.
4. Apply the four pillars of learning in responding to the aspirations
of the community: learning to know; learning to do; learning to
live together; learning to be.

Content Coverage

1. Social Science Theories & Education

2. Four Pillars of Learning
3. Intercultural communication
4. Gender and development
5. Globalization and education
CONTENT UPDATE
I. Social Science Theories & Education
 Definitions of the Theories
 Consensus Theory (Dahrendorf)
- A general or widespread agreement among all members of a
particular society
- Emphasizes on social order, stability and social regulation
- Views social change as occurring in a slow and orderly
fashion
- See shared norms and values as fundamental to society

 Conflict Theory (Marx)

- A clash between ideas, principles and people
- Emphasizes on the dominance of some social groups by
others
- See social order as based on manipulation and control by
dominant groups
- Views social change as occurring rapidly and in a disorderly
fashion
- Focuses on the struggle of social classes to maintain
dominance and power in social systems

 Structural Functionalism (Parsons)

- States that the society is made up of various institutions
that work together in cooperation
- Four Functional Imperatives (AGIL Scheme):
Adaptation – a system must cope with external
situational exigencies
Goal attainment – a system must define and
achieve its primary goals
Integration – a system must regulate the
interrelationship of its component parts
Latency – a system must furnish, maintain, and
renew both the motivation of
individuals and the cultural patterns
that create and sustain the motivation

- Functional Requisites of a Social System

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 1. Social system must be structured so that they operate
compatibly with other systems.
2. To survive, the social system must have the requisite
from other systems.
3. The system must meet a significant proportion of the
needs of its actors.
4. The system must elicit adequate participation from its
members.
5. It must have at least a minimum of control over
potentially disruptive behavior.
6. If conflict becomes sufficiently disruptive, it must be
controlled.
7. A social system requires a language in order to survive.

- Key Principles of the Functionalist Theory

1. Interdependency
2. Functions of Social Structure and Culture
3. Consensus and Cooperation
4. Equilibrium

 Interactionist Theories (Mead & Cooley)

- Critique functionalist and conflict theories for being very
abstract as they emphasize on the structure and process at
a societal level of analysis
- See the importance of analyzing the processes as these carry
with them many implicit assumptions about learning and
children
- Interaction: the process in which the ability is both developed
and expressed; refines our ability to think.
- 2 Types of Interactionism
1. Symbolic Interactionism – views the self as socially
constructed in relation to
social forces and structures
and the product of ongoing
negotiations of meanings
(“Looking-glass-self”)
2. Non-Symbolic Interactionism – require mental processes

 Relation of the Theories to Education

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  Education performs an important role in the development and
maintenance of a modern society, especially on the equality of
opportunity for all citizens.
 Schools provide citizens with the knowledge and dispositions to
participate actively in civic life.

II. Four Pillars of Learning

Came from “Learning the Treasure Within”, the report of the
International Commission on Education for the 21 st Century, chaired
by Jacques Delors, published by UNESCO in 1996
Stresses that each individual must be equipped to seize learning
opportunities throughout life, both to broaden her/his knowledge,
skills and attitudes, and adapt to a changing, complex and
interdependent world

 Learning to Know
- To acquire the instruments of understanding, the passport of
lifelong education, for learning throughout life
- Implies learning how to learn by developing one’s concentration,
memory skills, and ability to think; more on mastery of learning
tools than acquisition of structured knowledge
- Underpinned by pleasure that may be derived from
understanding, knowledge, and discovery
- Students need to develop learn-to-learn skills; Teachers as
facilitator, catalyst, monitor and evaluator of learning
 Learning to Do
- To be able to act creatively in one’s environment
- Entails acquisition of a competence that enables people to deal
with a variety of situations, often unforeseeable, and to work in
teams
- Requires finding peace within ourselves, expansion of acceptance
and understanding of others, and living the values that lead to
peaceful and just society
- Focuses on the development of competence, life skills, personal
qualities, aptitudes and attitudes
- Represents the skillful, creative and discerning application of
knowledge

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  Learning to Live Together in Peace and Harmony
- To participate in and cooperate with other people in all human
activities
- A dynamic, holistic and lifelong process through which mutual
respect, understanding, caring and sharing, compassion, social
responsibility, solidarity, acceptance and tolerance of diversity
among individuals and groups are internalized and practiced
together
- Can be achieved by developing understanding of others and their
history, traditions and spiritual values.
- Recognizes growing interdependence and a common analysis of
the risks and challenges of the future
 Learning to Be
- To better develop one’s personality and to act with ever greater
autonomy, judgment and personal responsibility
- The complete fulfillment of the human person, in all richness of
the personality, the complexity of forms of expressions and various
commitments – as an individual, member of a family or
community, citizen and producer, inventor of techniques and
creative dreamer
- Believes in the holistic and integrated approach to educate the
human person towards the full development of the dimensions:
physical, intellectual, aesthetic, ethical, economic, socio-cultural,
political, and spiritual

III. Intercultural Communication

Characterized by the growing number of contacts resulting in
communication between people with different linguistic and cultural
backgrounds
 Communication & Language
 Types of Communication
1. Verbal – use of language
2. Non-verbal – use of gestures, facial expressions, and other
body movements
 Language
- An abstract system of word meaning and symbols for all
aspects of culture
- Inclusive of speech, written characters, numerals, symbols
and gestures, and expressions of non-verbal communication

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 - The key factor in the success of the human race in creating
and preserving culture
- A reflection of the kind of person one is, the level of
education attained, and an index to the behavior that may
be expected
- Influences culture
 Culture
A set of learned behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, values, and ideals
that characterize a particular society or population (Ember, 1999)
The learned norms, values, knowledge, artifacts, language, and
symbols that are constantly communicated among people who
share a common way of life (Calhoun, et.al., 1994)
The sum total of symbols, ideas, forms of expressions, and
material products associated with a system (Johnson, 1996)
 Characteristics of Culture
1. Culture is learned.
2. Culture is shared by a group of people.
3. Culture is cumulative.
4. Cultures change.
5. Culture is dynamic.
6. Culture is ideational.
7. Culture is diverse.
8. Culture gives a range of permissible behavior patterns.
 Components of Culture
1. Communication – language, symbols
2. Cognitive – ideas, knowledge, beliefs, values, accounts
3. Material – tools, medicines, books, transportation, technologies
4. Behavioral – norms, mores, laws, folkways, rituals
 Organization of Culture
Cultural trait – Culture complexes – Culture pattern
 Cultural Transmission
1. Enculturation – learning one’s own culture
2. Acculturation – learning new traits from another group
3. Assimilation – an individual loses entirely of previous
group identity and takes on that of another
group.

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  Importance and Functions of Culture
1. Culture helps the individual fulfill his potential as a human
being.
2. Through the development of culture, one can overcome
physical disadvantages and allows provision of needs.
3. Culture provides rules of proper conduct for living in a
society.
4. Culture provides an individual his/her concepts of family,
nation or class.
 Cultural Relativism
An approach to the question of the nature and role of values in
culture
An anthropological approach which posits that all cultures are of
equal value and need to be studied in a neutral point of view

 Social Institutions
Structures and mechanisms of social orders and cooperation that
govern the behavior of its members
A group of social positions, connected by social relations,
performing a social role
 Characteristics of an Institution
1. Institutions are purposive.
2. Institutions are relatively permanent in their content.
3. Institutions are structured.
4. Institutions are a unified structure.
5. Institutions are necessarily value-laden.
 Functions of Institutions
1. Simplify social behavior for the individual person
2. Provide ready-made forms of social relations and roles for
the individual
3. Act as agencies of coordination and stability for the total
culture.
4. Tend to control behavior
 Essential Tasks
1. Replacing members or procreation
2. Teaching new members
3. Producing, distributing, and consuming goods and services

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 4. Preserving order
5. Providing and maintaining a sense of purpose
 Major Social Institutions
1. Family
2. Education
3. Religion
4. Economic institutions
5. Government

IV. Gender & Development

Shapes the lives of all people in all societies

Influences all aspects of our lives, the schooling we receive, the social
roles we play, and the power and authority we command

 Theories of Gender Development

 Social Learning Theory – parents, reinforce appropriate gender role
behaviors
 Cognitive Development Theory – children engage in symbolic
thinking, acquire their gender identity,
then begin the process of acquiring
gender-appropriate behaviors
 Gender Schema Theory – schema helps a child to develop gender
identity, formulate an appropriate gender
role, and develop an integrated schema or
picture of what gender is and should be
 Gender Stereotyping
The beliefs humans hold about the characteristics associated with
males and females
 Gender & Equality
Gives women and men the same entitlements to all aspects of
human development, including economic, social, cultural, civil
and political rights, the same level of respect of power to shape the
outcomes of these choices
 Gender Inequality
 Four themes that characterize feminist theories about gender
inequality:
1. Men and women are situated in society not only
differently but also unequally.
2. Inequality results from the organization of society, not
from any significant biological or personality differences
between men and women.

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 3. No significant pattern of natural variation distinguishes
the sexes even if individual human beings may vary
somewhat from each other in their profile of potentials
and traits.
4. All inequality theories assume that both men and women
will respond fairly easily and naturally to more egalitarian
social structures and situations

V. Globalization & Education

 Global Education and Globalization
 Globalization refers to an increasing interconnectedness and
convergence of activities and forms of life among diverse cultures
throughout the world.
 Globalization links individuals and institutions across the world
with unprecedented interconnection.
 Education systems constitute the core of the globalization
process.
 Global education extends students’ awareness of the world in
which they live by opening them to the diverse heritage of human
thoughts and action, and creativity.
 Core Values for Global Education
 Peace and non-violence
 Social justice and human rights
 Economic well-being and equity
 Cultural integrity
 Ecological balance
 Democratic participation
 Core Skills and Competencies
 Self-worth and self-affirmation
 Affirmation of others
 Critical thinking
 Effective communication skills
 Non-violent conflict resolution and mediation
 Imagination
 Effective organizing

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  Issues on Globalization
 Socio-cultural Issues – massive migration, managing
difference, global changes in culture
 Economic Issues – educational and employment opportunities,
neo-liberal framework
 Political Issues – constraints on national/state policy due to
external demands from transnational
institutions -
 Globalization and Its Impact on Education
Education as a service industry is part of the globalization process
Globalization may mean a more competitive and deregulated
educational system.
Schools should be sites for “counter hegemonic movements”.
 Content of Education – curriculum upgrading, productivity
orientation
 The Fall Out of Globalization – internationalization of
education, finances, privatization of
secondary and higher education

SOURCES:

Bilbao, P. P. B.B. Corpuz, A. T. Llagas, and G. G. Salandanan. (2006). The teaching

profession. Quezon City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
McNergney, R. F. and J. M. McNergney. (2001). Education: The practice and profession of
teaching. USA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Vega, V. A., N. G. Prieto, and M. L. Carreon. (2006). Social dimensions of education. Quezon
City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.

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CONTENT CHALLENGE
DIRECTIONS: Read each item carefully. Then choose the best answer.

1. Which social science theory is satisfied when people tend to agree and cooperate on a
certain issue?
A. Conflict Theory
B. Consensus Theory
C. Interaction Theory
D. Structural Functionalist Theory

2. Who advocated on the theory that presents the struggle of social classes to maintain
dominance and power in social systems?
A. Blumer
B. Dahrendorf
C. Marx
D. Mead

3. What is believed to be the state of a society if there is absence of conflict and no

disagreements manifest between members of a society?
A. Consensus
B. Equilibrium
C. Interaction
D. Symbiosis

4. Which functional imperative by Parsons is being described when a system must clearly
identify its primary tasks and work out ways to achieve them?
A. Adaptation
B. Goal attainment
C. Integration
D. Latency

5. What is the assumption of a functionalist perspective about why society chooses a particular
form or set-up?
A. That a society takes its particular form because that form works well for that society given
its particular situation.
B. That a society chooses a particular form based on the prevailing trends common in other
societies.
C. That a society tends to reject a particular form if it makes it subordinate to other societies.
D. That a society prefers a particular form because it is always useful in different situations.

6. Which pillar of education is being strengthened by a teacher who provides learning

opportunities for his/her students to develop their social skills and capacities to work with
other members of the class?
A. Learning to know

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 B. Learning to do
C. Learning to live together
D. Learning to be

7. Which is the result of successfully learning to live together?

A. There will be group consensus.
B. There will be peace and harmony.
C. There will be excellence in work habits.
D. There will be a continuous drive to discover new knowledge.

8. What should teachers do so that the pillar of learning to be could be strengthened?

A. Give tasks where the students would grow holistically
B. Focus on the cognitive and affective development of students
C. Point out to the students the basics of becoming a complete person
D. Facilitate activities that emphasize on the students’ behavioral competence

9. A teacher facilitates an inquiry task to be participated in by at least 4 members per team.

What pillar of learning is strengthened in this situation?
A. Learning to know
B. Learning to do
C. Learning to live together
D. Learning to be

10. What is being stressed by the 4 Pillars of Learning?

A. The importance of equipping individuals with the learning tools for adaptation and
interdependence.
B. The acquisition of updated knowledge about oneself, family, community and the world.
C. The acquisition of competence that enables people to work in teams in peace and
harmony.
D. The value of equality, fairness and social justice to achieve harmony ant peace across
the globe.

11. Which reflects the quality of a person?

A. Language
B. Educational attainment
C. Occupational skills
D. Structural context

12. What is not true about the relationship of culture and language?
A. The more languages one speaks, the richer his/her cultural background becomes.
B. The structure of a language determines the way in which speakers of that language view
the world.
C. No amount of training can produce the more advanced uses of language found in people,
no matter what their culture.
D. An understanding of language can provide individuals with a better appreciation of the
different cultures of people with whom they may relate.

13. Which transmission of culture involves the process of learning some new traits from another
culture?

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 A. Acculturation
B. Assimilation
C. Enculturation
D. Pluralism

14. Under which component of culture would books belong?

A. Behavioral
B. Cognitive
C. Communication
D. Material

15. Which exemplifies the function of culture where individuals can overcome their physical
disadvantages?
A. The invention of the cellular phones enables family members to communicate with one
another even between great distances.
B. The establishment of rules of proper conduct for living in a society ensures orderliness
and social justice.
C. The development of one’s full potentials as a human being.
D. The creation of new needs and the arrangement of means to acquire them.

16. Which illustrates cultural relativism?

A. Practices that are considered taboo in a certain group but are acceptable to other groups.
B. Learning the folkways and social traditions of one’s own group.
C. A Tuguegaraoeño moves to a point where s/he speaks only Visayan and assumes the
folkways of the local group.
D. When students migrate from rural to urban areas, they learn some of the urban customs
and routines.

17. Which does not provide an understanding of multicultural education?

A. Teachers integrate content concepts that give emphasis to a particular ethnicity.
B. Every student must have an equal opportunity to achieve her or his full potential.
C. Every student must be prepared to competently participate in an increasingly intercultural
society.
D. Teachers must be prepared to effectively facilitate learning for every individual student, no
matter how culturally similar or different from themselves.

18. Which of these is the political function of schools?

A. Teach basic cognitive skills
B. Prepare students for their later occupational roles
C. Help students assimilate diverse cultural groups into a certain order
D. Socialize children into the various roles, behaviors and values of the society

19. Which social institution is concerned with the satisfaction of the material wants of a society?
A. Economic
B. Educational
C. Government
D. Religious

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20. Which gender development theory believes that parents reinforce appropriate gender role
behaviors?
A. Cognitive Developmental Theory
B. Gender Schema Theory
C. Interactionist Theory
D. Social Learning Theory

21. What does gender stereotyping mean?

A. The identification of factors that may influence the gender preference of a person
B. The beliefs humans hold about the characteristics associated with males and females
C. The actions done to equate the accessibility of guidance programs to improve gender
concepts
D. The training that promotes sensitivity between and among men and women as to their
capabilities and rights.

22. Which is the current understanding of the word “gender”?

A. Sexlessness
B. Prejudice against sexes
C. Discrimination against sexes
D. Subjectivity to sex preferences

23. Which situation does not manifest gender equality?

A. Men helping women advance their causes
B. Recognizing that women can improve themselves
C. Girls are enrolled in regular schools which used to be for boys only.
D. A glass ceiling which determines the peak of women’s advancement in the levels of
management

24. Which is a socio-cultural issue concerning globalization?

A. Economic coordination has become increasingly regulated well-regulated
B. The challenge to engage and work through contrasting models of language and kinship
C. Constraints on national/state policy-making posed by external demands from
transnational institutions
D. Narrowing income of gaps between developed and developing countries through
improvements in basic education

25. Which does not contribute to the fall out of globalization?

A. Finance-related issues
B. Hiring of teachers
C. Internationalization of education
D. Privatization of secondary and higher education

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