HED4809 Assignment 2 2025 (Answer Guide) - Due July 2025

HED4809 Assignment 2 2025 (Answer Guide) - Due July 2025 The Role of Sociological Theories in Understanding Education, Social Inequality, and Class Consciousness Introduction Sociology offers valuable theoretical frameworks for examining the structure and functioning of societies. Among the most prominent are Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Marxist Theory. These perspectives offer different lenses for analyzing how institutions such as education contribute to the maintenance or transformation of social structures. This essay explores these three key sociological theories with a focus on their relevance to understanding social inequality, class consciousness, and the educational system. Functionalism, rooted in the work of Emile Durkheim, views society as a system composed of interdependent parts that function together to maintain stability and social order (Giddens et al., 2021). Education, in this view, plays a vital role in promoting cohesion and preparing individuals for societal roles. Conflict Theory, heavily influenced by Karl Marx, posits that society is characterized by conflict due to the unequal distribution of resources and power. Education, from this perspective, is seen as a tool used by dominant groups to maintain their status (Collins, 2019). Marxist Theory delves deeper into the economic foundations