1st of August, 2019 SoE
Attendance
Functionalism
Till now we studied general topics.
Function of Education in Modern Complex Society.
Terms and concepts in sociology
Stop me when you feel you've not understood.
I am calling it basic outline because this theoretical approach is used to understand why/how society emerges from a mass of individuals. We can see individuals everywhere. Its one way to theorize society. Why in society there are certain institutions, structural features. Sociology and anthropology. These are very closely linked subjects, esp. Social anthropology and sociology.
I will present a general outline of this topic. Teacher needs to present argument in full, but as of now a general outline will be presented and we will enrich it later.
Also, we aren't doing MA sociology. So we will look at education from the lens of sociology.
Keep taking notes. This is how you will understand what you've not understood.
First thing is, that a society functions like a system. And they create a parallel. Society functions like a biological system. This is a metaphor. In our body we have several systems.
For eg. Digestive system, reproductory system, circulatory system.
If there is one change in one system it will impact other systems as well. These systems are coming together to create the human body. They are inter-dependent.
Different sub-systems support each other. Its a part as well as a whole. When various part come together its called a whole. These various systems and organ have various forms/structure.
These structural features have some function. Everything has some function. Take the example of fingers. Thumb looks different because it has different function.
We have four limbs, two legs and two hands. ( Tetrapods )
In humans upper limbs have different function as compared to the lower limbs. In monkeys and cats a similar thing exists. We have appendix which has no function. If appendix grows doctor removes it without a second thought. In other cases, the organ must be repaired. Appendix doesn't have any function. Each organ has a function. Social systems are like biological system, according to functionalist approach.
Political system, economic system, judicial system, education system, administrative system. All these systems are like different parts of the body. One change in a system will impact other systems as well. This is not very hard to imagine. If there are changes in the economic system, other systems will also get affected. If you follow politics, till 1990s the proprietary firms had good presence in politics. But now there are corporates. They have bigger say in politics. Gurgaon Vs. Rohtak. Major corporations have come up. Like human body, if there is one change in one system, there is subsequent changes in other systems. These are organic.
The second idea is that there is progressive differentiation. They evolution starts with simple , single celled organisms. Every function would be carried out in the single cell. Differentiation...
[photo of amoeba]
Amoeba, a single celled creature.
[ photo of cow ]
A mammal has various organs. The limbs of cow are not similar to humans.
We can make distinct sounds. Thanks to Biology.
Coming back to functionalism. Each part should have a function
Coming to education.
Social world.
Durkeim tries to understand the transition of society from simple to complex.
Solidarity. Mechanical solidary means where people...
It is important to pass knowledge, value and skills.
In animals genes are passed. In humans we pass more than the genes. Imagine hunting gathering society. Next generation needs to be trained.
Specialised role.....
Hunters and gathers were like amoeba. Family was the unit of production. Nurturnace.
The form was not different.
Fuctions (specialised) : Warriors, farmers, weavers.
So at this stage we see that people felt that there is some kind of training.
Now in society we have further differentiation. There are policyies.
Everybody needs education.. We have a lot of differentation.
Pedagogic space beyond extended family.
Mass Schooling: Moderm.
Modern society has this idea of mass schooling.
Meta-Question: What is sociology?
Every form has a function. If there is change in one system it will affect other systems.
Each structural feature has a different function.
Ask Questions!
If survival of the fittest were true, no baby would survive.
Have you heard about Eugneics movement. ( Holocaust )
Idea of progressive differentation
****
Durkeim Bhaiya asked two questions:
The modern society has evolved in different ways:
Simple society and complex society.
For any society solidarity is important.
Complex Society: Greater interdependence. This interdependence is NOT visible.
I am dependent on so many institutions. I need to go to market to buy clothes. All of you.
See my dependence on others. In a smaller community a person would know a lot of things. Not as I am dependent of others, others are also dependent on me. We teach our kids. Interdependence is greater now. We are dependent of so many institutions.
What are the things you've consumed? Where did those things come from?
This interdependence is greater now. Division of labour. Deeper specialisation.
Q: Is it good? Deeper specialisation.
We have specialised institutions performing the functions. Somewhere that interdependence is not visible. We have various service providers. You have blacksmiths, barber, cobbler. You could see them. Now I don't know who had woven my clothes. As interdependence increases, its visualisation has decreased. In the previous society there was a mechanical solidarity.
But in this (present) kind of society, we have organic solidarity. This solidarity needs to be built. The important function of education, according to Duru( Durkehiem ) Bhaiya is to create solidarity.
This kind of training, habit, to get associated with a person, who is neither your friend nor relative, is built in school. Family shall treat you in a special way. In a neighbourhood you make associations/ friendships according to your comfort, choice.
There will be general rules in the school, just like the society.
School creates one set of rules for everyone and subjects everyone to those rules without any discrimination. One set of rules applicable to everyone. Accepting the general rule is something that school teaches. If there is violation of the rule, punishment should be there. S/he should realise that the action is bad for the society. He was not in favour of punishing a child out of anger. Punishment should not be out of anger. The child should be explained. Only then punishment will be effective.
Its important that the child associates with a person s/he does not know. Child must follow the rules. This is the way he feels.
What the are functions for society as a whole?
New Value Consensus:
- Acceptance and commitment to General Law and will of society
- Acceptance of the fact that status in modern society is achieved, not given by birth (ascribed)
School is a critical and key institution in modern society. There are no other institutions providing equality. School class functions as social system. Achievement over entitlement.
Ascribe: by birth.
Achieve: by one's own hard work
Status: in a traditional society is ascribed but in a modern society is achieved.
He was in favour of meritocracy. In a class same teacher teaches everyone. Assessment is same, curriculum is same. Hence its a level playing field. He said that school is most important institution for role allocation in a modern society. Unlike a feudal society where roles are assigned according to your birth. You life course has been fixed before your birth.
The modern society believes in the value of achievement . Family cannot bring this value. In family you have different roles. Elder son, younger daughter etc. Your status depends on a lot of things. Everyone has different roles ascribed to them. In family you don't achieve your status. In the school you must achieve your status. School has the function of role allocation in the society. In a modern, meritocratic society, anybody can become anything that they want. He is giving some answer to the question.
School creates new kind of value consensus. The person who is failing will also consider this system as fair. The person who is unskilled labour will also respect this system.
Q. What are the functional relationships between education and others parts of the social system?
Duru Bhaiya : People need to be treated according to the universal laws.
Suppose you are in a queue to buy a ticket.
Aap jaante nahi ho mai kaun hoon!
In modern society your position is achieved.
Function of school with respect to economic system: You need to learn things which are needed in the job market. Only specialised institution can create a skill set.
One of teachers in DU said:
DTC bus conductor, biggest star of our time, Amitabh Bacchhan. He was the son of Harivansh Rai Bacchhan. Kirodimal College. The function of education is to allocate various roles.
Functionalism
Till now we studied general topics.
Function of Education in Modern Complex Society.
Terms and concepts in sociology
Stop me when you feel you've not understood.
I am calling it basic outline because this theoretical approach is used to understand why/how society emerges from a mass of individuals. We can see individuals everywhere. Its one way to theorize society. Why in society there are certain institutions, structural features. Sociology and anthropology. These are very closely linked subjects, esp. Social anthropology and sociology.
I will present a general outline of this topic. Teacher needs to present argument in full, but as of now a general outline will be presented and we will enrich it later.
Also, we aren't doing MA sociology. So we will look at education from the lens of sociology.
Keep taking notes. This is how you will understand what you've not understood.
First thing is, that a society functions like a system. And they create a parallel. Society functions like a biological system. This is a metaphor. In our body we have several systems.
For eg. Digestive system, reproductory system, circulatory system.
If there is one change in one system it will impact other systems as well. These systems are coming together to create the human body. They are inter-dependent.
Different sub-systems support each other. Its a part as well as a whole. When various part come together its called a whole. These various systems and organ have various forms/structure.
These structural features have some function. Everything has some function. Take the example of fingers. Thumb looks different because it has different function.
We have four limbs, two legs and two hands. ( Tetrapods )
In humans upper limbs have different function as compared to the lower limbs. In monkeys and cats a similar thing exists. We have appendix which has no function. If appendix grows doctor removes it without a second thought. In other cases, the organ must be repaired. Appendix doesn't have any function. Each organ has a function. Social systems are like biological system, according to functionalist approach.
Political system, economic system, judicial system, education system, administrative system. All these systems are like different parts of the body. One change in a system will impact other systems as well. This is not very hard to imagine. If there are changes in the economic system, other systems will also get affected. If you follow politics, till 1990s the proprietary firms had good presence in politics. But now there are corporates. They have bigger say in politics. Gurgaon Vs. Rohtak. Major corporations have come up. Like human body, if there is one change in one system, there is subsequent changes in other systems. These are organic.
The second idea is that there is progressive differentiation. They evolution starts with simple , single celled organisms. Every function would be carried out in the single cell. Differentiation...
[photo of amoeba]
Amoeba, a single celled creature.
[ photo of cow ]
A mammal has various organs. The limbs of cow are not similar to humans.
We can make distinct sounds. Thanks to Biology.
Coming back to functionalism. Each part should have a function
Coming to education.
Social world.
Durkeim tries to understand the transition of society from simple to complex.
Solidarity. Mechanical solidary means where people...
It is important to pass knowledge, value and skills.
In animals genes are passed. In humans we pass more than the genes. Imagine hunting gathering society. Next generation needs to be trained.
Specialised role.....
Hunters and gathers were like amoeba. Family was the unit of production. Nurturnace.
The form was not different.
Fuctions (specialised) : Warriors, farmers, weavers.
So at this stage we see that people felt that there is some kind of training.
Now in society we have further differentiation. There are policyies.
Everybody needs education.. We have a lot of differentation.
Pedagogic space beyond extended family.
Mass Schooling: Moderm.
Modern society has this idea of mass schooling.
Meta-Question: What is sociology?
Every form has a function. If there is change in one system it will affect other systems.
Each structural feature has a different function.
Ask Questions!
If survival of the fittest were true, no baby would survive.
Have you heard about Eugneics movement. ( Holocaust )
Idea of progressive differentation
****
Durkeim Bhaiya asked two questions:
The modern society has evolved in different ways:
Simple society and complex society.
For any society solidarity is important.
Complex Society: Greater interdependence. This interdependence is NOT visible.
I am dependent on so many institutions. I need to go to market to buy clothes. All of you.
See my dependence on others. In a smaller community a person would know a lot of things. Not as I am dependent of others, others are also dependent on me. We teach our kids. Interdependence is greater now. We are dependent of so many institutions.
What are the things you've consumed? Where did those things come from?
This interdependence is greater now. Division of labour. Deeper specialisation.
Q: Is it good? Deeper specialisation.
We have specialised institutions performing the functions. Somewhere that interdependence is not visible. We have various service providers. You have blacksmiths, barber, cobbler. You could see them. Now I don't know who had woven my clothes. As interdependence increases, its visualisation has decreased. In the previous society there was a mechanical solidarity.
But in this (present) kind of society, we have organic solidarity. This solidarity needs to be built. The important function of education, according to Duru( Durkehiem ) Bhaiya is to create solidarity.
This kind of training, habit, to get associated with a person, who is neither your friend nor relative, is built in school. Family shall treat you in a special way. In a neighbourhood you make associations/ friendships according to your comfort, choice.
There will be general rules in the school, just like the society.
School creates one set of rules for everyone and subjects everyone to those rules without any discrimination. One set of rules applicable to everyone. Accepting the general rule is something that school teaches. If there is violation of the rule, punishment should be there. S/he should realise that the action is bad for the society. He was not in favour of punishing a child out of anger. Punishment should not be out of anger. The child should be explained. Only then punishment will be effective.
Its important that the child associates with a person s/he does not know. Child must follow the rules. This is the way he feels.
What the are functions for society as a whole?
New Value Consensus:
- Acceptance and commitment to General Law and will of society
- Acceptance of the fact that status in modern society is achieved, not given by birth (ascribed)
School is a critical and key institution in modern society. There are no other institutions providing equality. School class functions as social system. Achievement over entitlement.
Ascribe: by birth.
Achieve: by one's own hard work
Status: in a traditional society is ascribed but in a modern society is achieved.
He was in favour of meritocracy. In a class same teacher teaches everyone. Assessment is same, curriculum is same. Hence its a level playing field. He said that school is most important institution for role allocation in a modern society. Unlike a feudal society where roles are assigned according to your birth. You life course has been fixed before your birth.
The modern society believes in the value of achievement . Family cannot bring this value. In family you have different roles. Elder son, younger daughter etc. Your status depends on a lot of things. Everyone has different roles ascribed to them. In family you don't achieve your status. In the school you must achieve your status. School has the function of role allocation in the society. In a modern, meritocratic society, anybody can become anything that they want. He is giving some answer to the question.
School creates new kind of value consensus. The person who is failing will also consider this system as fair. The person who is unskilled labour will also respect this system.
Q. What are the functional relationships between education and others parts of the social system?
Duru Bhaiya : People need to be treated according to the universal laws.
Suppose you are in a queue to buy a ticket.
Aap jaante nahi ho mai kaun hoon!
In modern society your position is achieved.
Function of school with respect to economic system: You need to learn things which are needed in the job market. Only specialised institution can create a skill set.
One of teachers in DU said:
DTC bus conductor, biggest star of our time, Amitabh Bacchhan. He was the son of Harivansh Rai Bacchhan. Kirodimal College. The function of education is to allocate various roles.
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