SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION

INTRODUCTION
Any individual can learn very little by himself. Others play a very important role and contribute a lot
to his learning process. The presence of other persons is important because a person learns from the
knowledge gained by others. Therefore the process of getting education is always a social process.
The word Sociology is derived from the combination of the Latin socius meaning ‘companion’ and the
Greek logos - meaning ‘the study of’. So the word literally means the study of companionship, or social
relations. It is the science or study of the origin, development, organization, and functioning of human
society. It is the science of fundamental laws of social behavior, relations, institutions, etc.

Meaning of Sociology
Sociology as a field of discipline is generic and umbrella in nature as it deals with the totality of
human interaction and examination. It is a systematic study of social behaviours and human groups. It
delves primarily into the influence of social relationships on people’s attitudes and behaviours and on how
societies are established and changed. To a lay man, sociology is the study of man’s interaction within the
society but it extends beyond that as it deals with the organization and control of man’s behaviours and
attitudes within the society. As a field of study, sociology has an extremely broad scope because the society
comprises of several sub systems with inherent fragmentations of component parts in each of them for
sociological considerations.
Sociology is concerned about social facts in the economy, education, legal, security, politics,
medical, religion, family, technology, sports and so on. Within the province of these sub-systems both the
structural aspects of human society and every type of social relationship are being examined.
The scientific assessment of the social facts within the society serves as an avenue to curb
discomfort and instability in the society amongst the people. Hence, sociology as a field assists the
members of any society to solve attitudinal, character, behavioural and social problems to actualize a
healthy growth and development of such society. Sociologists therefore are people serving the society in a
variety of capacities as teachers, lecturers, researchers, journalists, workers in industry, personnel officers,
social workers, administrators, farm planners, parsons, criminologists, probation officers and so forth. It is
on the basis of this that the basic knowledge of sociology is compulsory for scholars in all field of endeavor
for better understanding of the society which they live.

Functions of Sociology
Sociology performs several roles within the society as an indispensable impetus to enhance its
continuity and stability.
1. It assists in the analysis and clarification of different types of relationships within the society
which produce such social. The word Education comes from the Latin educere meaning “to lead out.”
Webster defines education as the process of educating or teaching. Educate is further defined as “to
develop the knowledge, skill, or character of...” Thus, from these definitions, one can assume that the
purpose of education is to develop the knowledge, skill, or character of students. “The aim of education
should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable
us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with the thoughts of other men.” Bill Beattie. Institutions
and associations through which the behaviour of individuals are organized and controlled. It is the concern
of sociology to identify why certain undesirable behaviours manifested in human beings and how such
behaviour could be checked and reformed. For instance, within the society there are social deviants who
probably get initiated or apprehended into such unacceptable behaviours due to ignorance and other
varied reasons beyond the victims’ explanation. It is within the interest of sociology to probe into the
fundamental causes of unacceptable behaviours through critical analysis of the matter to control and
correct such misdemeanor. For instance, there is a case of unwarranted hostility and other related matter
in an individual which he manifests while relating with others, the need arises to analyze such behaviour for
reconstruction and reformation. For example, there was a case of a “medical student” who always excels in
all courses but he drinks alcohol and sleeps under the steer-case of his hostel. The University authority on
discovery his problem recommended some courses for him in sociology in other to control his behaviour
which logically reformed the student’s behaviour. Today he is a well behaved and renowned medical
practitioner.
2. Sociology exposes members of the society to how authority and power are derived within the
society and why certain values, customs, beliefs and practices are up-held. All human beings are
fundamentally the same when it comes to taste of power or occupation of privileged positions. Every
individual has propensity to cling into power and authority due to the benefits accruable from it. A dictum

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goes thus “nobody tastes honey and spit it away” Authority and powers are as sweet as honey. That
explains why human beings pursue them daringly to enjoy the values attached to them.
3. Sociology also attempts to establish the links between the different sub-systems in the society.
It studies the relationship, between the political system and the economic system or the relationship
between the educational system and the political system or the relationship between the legal system and
religious system and so forth. A dictum goes thus, when one finger touches oil it affects the others, there is
interrelatedness amongst all the systems in the society and that is why there should be healthy
functionality and relationship to foster growth and development. Any dysfunction in any system will
invariably affect other systems.
4. Sociology intimates individuals with the changes within the society and the effects of such
changes on human existence. Through sociology, it is revealed that the society is dynamic and transitory in
nature. In sociology, individuals become aware that the society is not static which calls for dynamism in
thoughts and actions amongst the people in order to be fully integrated from time to time. For instance,
there is computer revolution globally at present. Every individual within the global society is expected to be
computer literate in order to function effectively and to be fully integrated into the sub system within the
society.
5. Sociology examines human background and various forms of orientation within the society.
Within the societal setting there are diversifications of cultural background and upbringing. The
environment within which an individual is born and bread has significant influence in the values, beliefs,
traits and ideas which the person internalizes, conceptualizes, demonstrates, manifests and exhibits. With
the understanding of sociology an individual is blessed with rebuff view about other people’s background.
This will assist in tolerating and accommodating others with differences in cultural background and
orientation.
6. Sociology also operates within the realm of human needs. In the society, there are basic social
needs which individuals aspire to achieve for meaningful existence and purposeful survival. Sociology
sets it upon itself to identify various human needs in the society and explains how those needs are met and
satisfied. Sociology teaches people to only aspire to meet and satisfy those necessities of life that will assist
in living decent and meaningful life. It explains the danger in daring, aggressive and unwholesome approach
to satisfy one’s needs. For instance, an individual who is involved in armed robbery, fraud, stealing and

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other illegalities to satisfy his needs is regarded as an unacceptable member of the society. Therefore, it is
unethical and immoral.
Meaning of Education Using Sociological Perspective
Education can be variedly defined depending on the purpose it is meant to serve and the discipline
in perspective. In Sociology, education can be simply explained as an activity which goes on in a society
where its aims and methods depend on the nature of the society in which it takes place. It is to make an
individual understand the new society growing up around him of which he is an essential member.
Education in the specific term is a means of making individuals understand their society and its structures.
This will assist such individuals to open up for them a way of creating meaning out of their environment
and relationships with other individuals in the realm of language acquisition and thought to classify and
provide meaning to things, ideas and events.
A dictum goes thus; an educated man is positive in character and constructive at thinking. This
means that education is to provide well behaved individuals in the society and persons who have the ability
to analyze and organize ideas to be able to contribute meaningfully towards the development of the
society in which they live.
Education in any society is to help transmit to the young the culture of that society. In performing
this noble function, the parents, the teachers and other members of the society contribute. It invariably
means that every member of the society has the statutory function to transmit knowledge for the survival
of individuals. The home transmit informal education, the school delivers formal education while the open
society transmit non-formal education. It is unavoidably possible to live in any society without one form of
education or the other. Hence, education is a veritable tool for human growth and development.

Relationship between Education and Sociology

Education and sociology are issues used to classify and establish the interrelatedness between
education and the society. The terms educational sociology and sociology of education are used in the
discipline as approaches to the two extremes. The usage of the two terms rests on the preference of the
expert. However, in the contemporary world, sociology of education is commonly in use. This is because
educational sociology would imply an emphasis upon emphasizes sociological problems in the realm of
education which is the concern of sociologists.

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 In blending the two concepts to become either educational sociology or sociology of education, the
concern and focus is still on the society. Educational sociology is the application of general principles and
findings of sociology to the administration and processes of education. The approach means the application
of sociology to the institution of education as a separate societal unit. In the same vein sociology of
education depicts an analysis of the sociological processes involved in the educational institution. It
emphasizes the study within the institution of education. There is cross-fertilization of ideas, concepts,
terms and theories between educationists in closing the gap between the two fields.
As a matter of fact, experts in sociology of education are regarded as sociologists because of their
contribution to the existing knowledge in sociology. The experts in pure sociology have also contributed
immeasurably to the field of education which further strengthens the relationship between the two fields.
In the study of the various relations between education and society, the sociology of education is
concerned with such general concepts as society itself, culture, community, class, environment,
socialization, internalization, accommodation, assimilation, cultural lag, sub-culture, status, role and so
forth. It further involves in cases of education and social class, state, social force, cultural change, various
problems of role structure, role analysis in relation to the total social system and the micro society of the
school such as authority, selection, and the organization of learning, streaming, curriculum and so forth.
Emile Durkheim was the first person who indicated the need for a sociological approach to education. He
considered education “to be essentially social in character and in its functions and that as a result the
theory of education relates more clearly to sociology than any other science.” He emphasized that
education is not a static phenomenon but a dynamic and ever-changing process.
Educational sociology is by definition a discipline which studies education sociologically, with the
premise that it recognizes education as a social fact, a process and an institution, having a social function
and being determined socially. Educational sociology could appear only when it accepted the social nature
of education.

MEANING OF SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION

Sociology of Education may be defined as the scientific analysis of the social processes and social
patterns involved in the educational system. Brookover and Gottlieb consider that “this assumes education
is a combination of social acts and that sociology is an analysis of human interaction.” Educational process
goes on in a formal as well as in informal situations. Sociological analysis of the human interaction in

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education may include both situations and might lead to the development of scientific generalizations of
human relations in the educational system.
The sociology of education is the study of how public institutions and individual experiences affect
education and its outcomes. It is most concerned with the public schooling systems of modern industrial
societies, including the expansion of higher, further, adult, and continuing education. It is a philosophical as
well as a sociological concept, denoting ideologies, curricula, and pedagogical techniques of the inculcation
and management of knowledge and the social reproduction of personalities and cultures.
It is concerned with the relationships, activities and reactions of the teachers and students in the
classroom. It emphasizes sociological problems in the realm of education.

The History of the Sociology of Education

Modern sociology was born out of the Industrial Revolution and the increasing awareness of radical
shifts in the social structure of society, in particular in Europe and England. But it was during this period
that education as we know it was also expanding, so that in a way, industrialization and educational
expansion went hand in hand. Education did enter into the writings of the early classical sociologists,
although not always in well thought-out forms.

Classical Origins
Karl Marx (1818–1883) never fully developed or integrated education into his theory of capitalism
and social class. But he and Fredrick Engels did refer to education frequently in their writings about the
class struggle. They advocated education for all, but they were primarily concerned with the type of
education that was given to the children of the working classes and how this education served the interests
of the ruling class, the bourgeoisie, in maintaining their social dominance. Although Marx did not focus
directly on education in his theory of society, his ideas have formed the base of what later would become
known as neo-Marxist sociology of education. This perspective is very much related to forms of
reproduction theory, in which education is thought to serve as a mechanism for reproducing the class
structure of society, thereby reproducing the privileges of the dominant class.
Max Weber (1864–1920) is not normally regarded for his focus on education in his early sociological
writings. Nevertheless, his theory of social structure and the inter-play between social class, social status,
and power did acknowledge the importance of the mechanisms through which one social group could

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maintain its position in society. Credentials that reflected the possession of knowledge were one way in
which individuals could make a legitimate claim for membership in particular class, status, or power groups.
It follows implicitly that education, as a mechanism for the development and transmission of knowledge, is
an important social institution in this stratification process.
The notion of education as a source of knowledge and its manifestation in educational credentials
was also important in Weber’s notion of bureaucracy and the increasing rationality of society. Weber
believed that European society was developing a new kind of organization as forms of societal authority
changed from traditional structures (for example, a monarchy) to rational structures (an elected
Parliament). He thought this shift permeated the economic facets of society and particularly society’s
productive sectors. Industry and manufacturing gradually shifted from domestic and cottage production to
factory production, and this required a new form of organizational structure called “the bureaucracy,” or a
type of hierarchical authority structure based on rational and legal rules. For Weber, the bureaucracy
represented “the purest type of legal authority,” and the concept has since become the foundation for
sociological studies of organizations in modern society.
Weber’s ideas have had a major effect on studies of the social organization of schools, and within
them, the roles of principal and teachers and the hierarchical relationships between them. The study of
teachers as professionals and of workers owes much to Weberian sociology. The study of teacher burnout
and teacher accountability in the present trend toward high-stakes standardized testing is ultimately
rooted in Weberian principles of organizational sociology and the sociology of bureaucracy.
The third, and perhaps the most important, of the classical sociologists who influenced the
development of the sociology of education was Emile Durkheim (1858–1917). Durkheim held the chair of
sociology at the Sorbonne in Paris, where he taught future teachers. Over and above his sociological
writings, Durkheim wrote three works directly related to education in which we find the foundation of
modern sociology of education: Education and Society (1922), Moral Education (1925), and finally The
Evolution of Educational Thought: Lectures on the Formation and Development of Secondary Education in
France (1938). These works are primarily the lectures for three of the courses that Durkheim gave to
students, but they were preserved and published and today form the basis of any Durkheimian study of
education.
Durkheim was a functionalist, which means that he was interested in the role that various social
institutions played in society and in particular how they contribute to the maintenance of social order. This

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idea was important to his interest in and understanding of education. Durkheim believed schools were the
primary socialization agent for the production of future adults. This is reflected in his work on moral
education, which places the development of consensus and solidarity in society in the hands of the school.
Durkheim did not believe these functions of education came about without conflict. Indeed, in his work The
Evolution of Educational Thought, Durkheim traces the constant conflict between the church and state in
France over the control of education. He did not see this as a conflict between a particular religious or
theological dogma and the state, but rather as a conflict between the sacred and the secular, which he
regarded as “the germ of that great struggle” (Durkheim, 1938).
Durkheim described education as a contested social institution in society. On the one hand,
education established and maintained social consensus and solidarity through its socializing function, but
on the other hand, the self-interest of individuals and groups requires the state regulation of education.
Durkheim insisted education was responsible for the production of the ideal adult, yet he also recognized
that education was a profession for those who participated in it. Many issues and areas of research in
contemporary sociology of education are embedded in a Durkheimian understanding of education: the role
of merit in educational selection and attainments, the role of teachers in schools, and the study of
government and private.

Other Classical Sociologists

Other early social scientists recognized the importance of education. Three worth noting are
Herbert Spencer (1820–1903), Thorstein Veblen (1857–1929), and Karl Mannheim (1893–1947). Although
these social scientists did not have the same effect on the development of the sociology of education as did
Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, they nevertheless merit mention because of the specific insights that each
had about education.
Herbert Spencer was a contemporary of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, but is not normally
considered one of sociology’s founding fathers. As a British evolutionary sociologist, Spencer is best known
for his work First Principles (1862), in which he put forward a social Darwinist view of society. Like
Durkheim, he was one of the few early sociologists who wrote a separate work on education, Education:
Intellectual, Moral, and Physical (1861). He believed that education should act like other social institutions
for the beneficial evolution of society. His work and ideas, particularly those relating to laissez-faire

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government policies, are relevant to issues such as school choice, the drift in enrollments from government
to private schools, and the relationship between the vocational and academic curricula (Peel, 1971).
Thorstein Veblen was an economist interested in the behavior of social classes in industrial society.
He argued that education was a site where social class issues were resolved and that working class children
received an education which prepared them for their place in society while the leisure class children were
prepared for a life of leisure.
In this respect, Veblen’s ideas resembled those of later neo-Marxist thinkers concerning the function of
education in a class society. Veblen was also interested in large business corporations, and he studied how
American universities were increasingly coming under the influence of big business and were declining as
institutions of liberal education and intellectual curiosity.
Karl Mannheim, an immigrant to England from Germany after the Nazis rose to power, is primarily
known for his work in the sociology of knowledge. His ambition was to develop a sociological epistemology
whereby the truth of a statement could be explained in terms of the social location of its author.
Mannheim was also concerned with the use of sociology for changing and transforming society to avoid the
pitfalls of Nazism—and to create a society based on rationalism and planned thinking. For Mannheim,
education was an essential part of this process: “ . . . to educate the individual out of his dependence on
mass emotion . . .” (Coser, 1977). Mannheim believed that education could bring about an integrated
society with a common morality—almost the same type of integrated society which Durkheim believed
education could produce. Mannheim’s lecture notes were posthumously published and became one of the
first systematic books in the sociology of education (Mannheim & Stew-art, 1969). His contribution to the
sociology of education was more applied than theoretical. Because he related education to social planning
and social reconstruction, Mannheim frequently referenced Dewey in the United States, whom he admired
(Coser, 1977).
These three sociologists followed closely in the footsteps of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim and helped
lay the groundwork of modern sociology of education during the classical period. Their legacy can be found
in the wide diversity of theoretical approaches and empirical work undertaken by sociologists of education
today.

NEED TO STUDY SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION

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 Every society has its own changing socio – cultural needs and requires an education to meet these
needs. Today’s needs are conservation of resources, environmental protection, global citizenship etc.
Therefore education caters towards meeting of these different needs. Since the needs of the society
change education also changes. Hence there is need for studying sociology of education. It helps in
understanding:
1. Work of School and Teachers and its relation to society, social progress and development
2. Effect of Social Elements on the working of school and society
3. Effect of Social Elements on the life of individuals
4. Construction of Curriculum in relation to the cultural and economic needs of the society
5. Democratic ideologies present in different countries
6. Need for understanding and promoting international culture
7. Development of Society through the formulation of various rules and regulations and
understanding of culture and traditions
8. Need for Promotion of Social Adjustment
9. The effect of social groups, their interrelation and dynamics on individuals

FUNCTIONS OF EDUCATION IN SOCIETY

Acquisition of knowledge and development of the personality of an individual is no longer presumed
to be the main function of education.
Functions are assumed to occur without directed effort. From the sociological point of view, education has
the following functions:
1. Assimilation and transmission of culture/traditions: This needs to be done consciously and
selectively because traditions need to be selected for transmission as well as omission depending on
their value and desirability in today’s democratic set-up.
2. Development of new social patterns: Today the world is changing very fast due to development of
technology and communication. So along with preservation of traditional values, new values, social
patterns need to be developed where
3. Activation of constructive and creative forces: Education should help to build up a qualified and
creative workforce that can adapt to new technologies and take part in the ‘intelligence revolution’
that is the driving force of our economies.

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References:
Singh, Y. M. (1992). Sociological Foundations of Education, Sheth Publishers, Bombay
Durkheim, E (1926) Education and Sociology. Glencoe: Free Press.
Kenneth, B and Brian, C (1981) A Sociology of Education for Africa. Great Britain: George Allen and Unwin
(Publishers) Limited.
Maclver, R.M., Page, C.H (1957) Society in Introductory Analysis. London: Macmillan Press.
Musgrave, P.W. (1975) The Sociology of Education. Great Britain: Butler and Tenner Limited
Vide Maude, A. (1989) The Egalitarian Thrust in Co. C.B. and Dysan, A.E. (eds) Fight for Education: Black
paper (the Critical Quarterly Society (1989) pp. 7-9; Cox, C.B. and Dyson, A.E. (ed)
Berzer, P., and Luckman, T., (1972): The social Construction of Reality. Belgium: University Books Limited.
Kobiowu, S.V. (1994) Readings in the Social Foundations and Sociology of Education Ibadan: Ibukun-Olu
Printers.
Morris, I. (1978): The Sociology of Education. An Introduction: London: William Cloves Limited.
Brown R. (1973) Knowledge, Education and Cultural Change. London: John Brown Limited.
Kobiowu S.V. (1994) Reading in the Social Foundations and Sociology Of Education. Ibadan: Ibukun Olu
Printers.
Musgrave P.W. (1977): The Sociology of Education. Great Britain: Butler and Tanner Limited.
Durkheim, E. (1925). Moral education. A study in the theory and application of the sociology of education
(E. K. Wilson & H. Schnurer, Trans.). New York: The Free Press.
Durkheim, E. (1977). The evolution of educational thought: Lectures on the formation and development
of secondary education in France. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. (Original work published 1938)
Dworkin, A. G. (1987). Teacher burnout in the public schools: Structural cause and consequences for
children. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Floud, J., Halsey, A. H., & Martin, F. (1957). Social class and educational opportunity. London: Heinemann.
Garfinkle, H. (1967). Studies in ethnomethodology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

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