Semester 1 2025 - DUE 2025; 100% correct solutions and
explanations.
Understanding Education, Inequality, and Social Class
Through Sociological Theories
Introduction
Sociology provides essential theoretical frameworks for
understanding the dynamics of society and the structural patterns
that shape human behavior and relationships. Among these
frameworks, Conflict Theory, Functionalism, and Marxist
Theory stand out as pivotal lenses for analyzing how societies
function and change over time. These theories offer unique
perspectives on issues such as social inequality, class
consciousness, and the role of educational institutions.
Conflict Theory, rooted in the ideas of Karl Marx and expanded
by various scholars, centers on the role of power struggles and
systemic inequality in shaping society. Functionalism,
influenced by Emile Durkheim and other early sociologists,
views society as a stable, integrated system where institutions
function to maintain equilibrium. Marxist Theory, a more radical
extension of Conflict Theory, focuses specifically on class
conflict, the influence of economic structures, and the
reproduction of capitalist ideologies.
This essay explores how these sociological theories help us
understand key societal structures, particularly education. It
begins by comparing Conflict Theory and Functionalism, then