SOCIAL WORK

Social Work Education



Sociology in Education

Introduction

This paper identifies the central concerns and issues in Sociology of Education. Further it explains various concepts in Sociology of education and explore the significance of these theories in shaping the educational system. In addition, the paper uses the empirical evidence to explore and relate it to social work education. It also draws out the relevance between the sociology of education and social work education. This paper draws out the lesson for the students of social work degree.

Discussion

Issues in Sociology of Education

Sociology of Education includes issues, such as: - Gender; - Language; - Ideologies; - Cultural diversity; - Family structure; - Continuing education (primary, secondary school);

The sociology of conflict and social inequality

The sociology of conflict sees education as an entity producing social inequality among its existing surrounding in society. Pierre Bourdieu said that education serves two functions:

Social reproduction and maintaining relations of power and privilege among members of a social stratum from one generation to another.

Cultural reproduction called the process by which a dominant knowledge passes from one generation to another.

Bourdieu attributes this phenomenon of the transfer of these inequalities to a concept called cultural capital; this says that it inherited attitudes like they owe to their predecessors and the fact that children and young people have access to it because of its environment. The sociology of conflict has much relevance to a theory promoted by experts, which states that within education a concept is promoted called hidden curriculum. Experts say this is to teach students to stay in place and recognize social inequality thus encouraging ongoing social. Some conflict theorists found a clear relationship between students' academic and socio-cultural level. The government spends less on education in rural areas and parents in rural areas have fewer resources to provide mandatory pre-education to their children. Such happenings lead to stagnation of social status (Cookson, P. & Sadovnik, 2002)Education also tends to generate inequality and gender-stereotyping. Such professions must exercise both men and women.

Concepts in Sociology of Education

Functional Approach

Functionalists suggest that we should start with a logical analysis of the concept of society and ask what would happen if a company, large or small, simple or complex, is to survive and develop. Obviously, they say, this company must recruit new members as older generations disappear. You must feed and clothe. There must be a common language and must have some degree of agreement on basic values ??among members to avoid open conflict. Therefore, if a company has to be developed has to solve certain problems.

In the functionalist theory to problem-solving mechanisms are called institutions. Examples of these institutions are the family, which helps solve the problem of supply of new members, financial institutions, which serve to feed and clothe the population, political institutions, which coordinate the activities of different sectors of the society, religious institutions, which contribute to maintaining the basic values ??and education, which helps solve the problem of the formation of ...