Social Dimension of Education

Parsons:

Key concepts:

a) Voluntaristic Action: Action that balances utilitarian elements with normative elements. It’s his response to the inadequacies of earlier approaches which focused on only one or the other.

b) Pattern Variables

These are basic social dilemmas facing actors, which we have to negotiate in various ways.

a. Gratification ((Discipline: Actors emotional Involvement

b. Private (( Collective: Local or collective reference for action

c. Universalism ((Particularism: Action toward a particular other or a class of others.

d. Achievement ((Ascription: Action oriented toward achievements or characteristics

e. Specificity ((diffuseness: Breadth of possible roles entailed in an action

c) Later focus on social context and the functional requisits to make this system work. The system was defined by three elements:

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And action was then put into motion by the four “functional requisites” of all social systems

i. Adaptation: how a social system relates to the material environment. This is economics

ii. Goal attainment: the ability of the group to identify and pursue common goals. Political organization(s) are here.

iii. Integration: dimensions of cohesion and solidarity in a group

iv. Latent pattern maintenance: Sphere of general goals.

Position of Social theory

- Should be systematic, rests on a theory of the whole social system, includes elements of social action – activity from egos point of view – must be sufficiently abstract/general to make variables direct.

- Need some prerequisites

o Need to work out the elements of the “action” scheme

o Need to figure out the functional requirements of social systems

▪ Relates to problem of order and action

o Need to figure out the “structuring” elements of the system

▪...