SED2601 Assignment 2
(COMPLETE ANSWERS
2025 (209428) - DUE 25
June 2025
For assistance contact
Email:
,Question 1
1.1 Define the sociology of education. (2)
The sociology of education is a field of study that examines how social institutions and
individual experiences shape education and its outcomes, and also how education affects society.
It examines relationships between education, social structures, social inequalities, and social
change.
1.2 What is meant by the term 'education'? (2)
Education is the passing on or acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits.
It could be via formal education, informal education, or from one generation to the next through
the passing on of culture.
1.3 Discuss the following concepts:
a) Meritocracy (1)
Meritocracy is a social system in which individuals are rewarded and advance in the social
hierarchy based on their merit, capability, talent, and hard work rather than their social
class, property, or other ascribed characteristics.
b) Social class (1)
Social class is a division of a society into groups based on social and economic
status, often in regard to some combination of income, wealth, occupation, and education.
It typically implies a ranked hierarchy of individuals in a society.
c) Solidarity (1)
Solidarity is the unity or harmony of interest or action, especially among individuals having a
common interest; mutual support within a group. In sociology, it is often used with reference to
social cohesion and the forces which bind members of a society together.
d) Micro-sociological approach (1)
A micro-sociological approach focuses on the small-scale patterns of social interaction, typically
between individuals or small groups. It examines face-to-face interactions, individual actions,
and the meanings people assign to their actions.
e) Macro-sociological approach (1)
A macro-sociological approach focuses on large-scale patterns and structures of society, such as
social institutions, social systems, and populations. It examines how these larger structures
influence individuals and groups.
1.4 One
of the functions of the sociology of education is the transmission and assimilation of culture and t
raditions. How can this aim be carried out in the classroom? (6)
, The transmission and assimilation of culture and traditions can be achieved in the
classroom in the following manner:
Curriculum Content: Including subjects like history, literature, arts, and civics that teach students
about their national heritage, cultural values, and historical narratives. For example, learning
about national heroes, seminal historical events, or traditional art forms.
School Rituals and Routines: Adopting daily routines, ceremonies (e.g., flag salute, national
anthem), and whole-school events (e.g., cultural festivals, sports days) that reassert shared values
and a sense of collective identity.
Hidden Curriculum: The unofficial and unwritten things students learn about norms, values, and
behaviors acceptable to school and society. Examples include: respect for authority, punctuality,
teamwork, and competition.
Teacher as Role Model: Teachers implicitly and explicitly transmit cultural values through their
behavior, attitudes, and manner of interacting with students and managing the classroom.
They can model respect for diversity, critical thinking, or selected moral codes.
Socialization through Peer Interaction: Students learn cultural norms and values
through interactions with their peers, acquiring social rules, cooperating, and learning social
skills esteemed in their culture.
Language and Communication: Classroom language is one of the prominent methods of cultural
transmission. Learning the dominant language of a society is the key to cultural integration,
and classroom discourse can also impart cultural nuances and communication styles.
1.5 What are the criticisms of functionalism theory? (5)
Functionalism theory, despite all its contributions, has certain criticisms:
Overemphasis on Stability and
Consensus: Functionalism is criticized by critics as overemphasizing social stability and
consensus, and underestimating or ignoring social conflict, power struggles, and inequalities.
It is not quite successful in accounting for social change and dissent.
Conservative Bias: It can be argued to have a conservative bias, as it has the inclination to
legitimize the existing social order, viewing all institutions and
social patterns as performing some vital function. This can create reluctance for it to call for
social change.
Ignoring Individual Agency: Functionalism has the inclination to view individuals as products of
social structures without respect for their ability to act independently, make choices, and
challenge set norms (individual agency).
Teleological and Tautological Reasoning: Functionalist explanations can sometimes be
teleological (explaining phenomena in terms of their future purpose rather than their cause) or
tautological (circular reasoning, where a social institution exists because it serves a function, and
that function exists because of the institution).
Difficulty in Explaining Dysfunction: Although it identifies dysfunctions,
functionalism is at a loss in effectively explaining long-term social problems and inequalities that
seemingly serve no useful purpose for a significant section of society.
Question 2
(COMPLETE ANSWERS
2025 (209428) - DUE 25
June 2025
For assistance contact
Email:
,Question 1
1.1 Define the sociology of education. (2)
The sociology of education is a field of study that examines how social institutions and
individual experiences shape education and its outcomes, and also how education affects society.
It examines relationships between education, social structures, social inequalities, and social
change.
1.2 What is meant by the term 'education'? (2)
Education is the passing on or acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits.
It could be via formal education, informal education, or from one generation to the next through
the passing on of culture.
1.3 Discuss the following concepts:
a) Meritocracy (1)
Meritocracy is a social system in which individuals are rewarded and advance in the social
hierarchy based on their merit, capability, talent, and hard work rather than their social
class, property, or other ascribed characteristics.
b) Social class (1)
Social class is a division of a society into groups based on social and economic
status, often in regard to some combination of income, wealth, occupation, and education.
It typically implies a ranked hierarchy of individuals in a society.
c) Solidarity (1)
Solidarity is the unity or harmony of interest or action, especially among individuals having a
common interest; mutual support within a group. In sociology, it is often used with reference to
social cohesion and the forces which bind members of a society together.
d) Micro-sociological approach (1)
A micro-sociological approach focuses on the small-scale patterns of social interaction, typically
between individuals or small groups. It examines face-to-face interactions, individual actions,
and the meanings people assign to their actions.
e) Macro-sociological approach (1)
A macro-sociological approach focuses on large-scale patterns and structures of society, such as
social institutions, social systems, and populations. It examines how these larger structures
influence individuals and groups.
1.4 One
of the functions of the sociology of education is the transmission and assimilation of culture and t
raditions. How can this aim be carried out in the classroom? (6)
, The transmission and assimilation of culture and traditions can be achieved in the
classroom in the following manner:
Curriculum Content: Including subjects like history, literature, arts, and civics that teach students
about their national heritage, cultural values, and historical narratives. For example, learning
about national heroes, seminal historical events, or traditional art forms.
School Rituals and Routines: Adopting daily routines, ceremonies (e.g., flag salute, national
anthem), and whole-school events (e.g., cultural festivals, sports days) that reassert shared values
and a sense of collective identity.
Hidden Curriculum: The unofficial and unwritten things students learn about norms, values, and
behaviors acceptable to school and society. Examples include: respect for authority, punctuality,
teamwork, and competition.
Teacher as Role Model: Teachers implicitly and explicitly transmit cultural values through their
behavior, attitudes, and manner of interacting with students and managing the classroom.
They can model respect for diversity, critical thinking, or selected moral codes.
Socialization through Peer Interaction: Students learn cultural norms and values
through interactions with their peers, acquiring social rules, cooperating, and learning social
skills esteemed in their culture.
Language and Communication: Classroom language is one of the prominent methods of cultural
transmission. Learning the dominant language of a society is the key to cultural integration,
and classroom discourse can also impart cultural nuances and communication styles.
1.5 What are the criticisms of functionalism theory? (5)
Functionalism theory, despite all its contributions, has certain criticisms:
Overemphasis on Stability and
Consensus: Functionalism is criticized by critics as overemphasizing social stability and
consensus, and underestimating or ignoring social conflict, power struggles, and inequalities.
It is not quite successful in accounting for social change and dissent.
Conservative Bias: It can be argued to have a conservative bias, as it has the inclination to
legitimize the existing social order, viewing all institutions and
social patterns as performing some vital function. This can create reluctance for it to call for
social change.
Ignoring Individual Agency: Functionalism has the inclination to view individuals as products of
social structures without respect for their ability to act independently, make choices, and
challenge set norms (individual agency).
Teleological and Tautological Reasoning: Functionalist explanations can sometimes be
teleological (explaining phenomena in terms of their future purpose rather than their cause) or
tautological (circular reasoning, where a social institution exists because it serves a function, and
that function exists because of the institution).
Difficulty in Explaining Dysfunction: Although it identifies dysfunctions,
functionalism is at a loss in effectively explaining long-term social problems and inequalities that
seemingly serve no useful purpose for a significant section of society.
Question 2
