PSE4801
Assignment 4 2025
Unique #:
Due Date: 2025
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, THE SCHOOL AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION AND INSTRUMENT FOR
TRANSMITTING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND INSIGHT
1. INTRODUCTION
Schools are not merely spaces for formal education; they are central institutions
within society that shape, influence, and mirror broader social dynamics. As
organisations, schools function systematically, possessing a hierarchical
structure, clearly defined roles, and routines that govern the day-to-day
experiences of learners and educators. Beyond their organisational features,
schools serve as key socialisation agents—transmitting cultural norms, values,
and expectations from one generation to the next. Socialisation refers to the
process through which individuals internalise societal values and behaviours, and
schools are pivotal in this lifelong process, particularly during the formative years
of childhood and adolescence (Dreeben, 1976).
Through formal curricula, hidden norms, peer interactions, and institutional
practices, schools prepare learners to integrate into the broader social fabric.
They are instrumental in legitimising knowledge, fostering identity, and shaping
worldviews. Importantly, how schools function and their role in society have been
theorised differently depending on philosophical and sociological perspectives.
Functionalism views schools as structures that maintain social order and
cohesion, conflict theory highlights how schools reproduce social inequalities, and
interpretivism focuses on the lived experiences of learners and educators within
school environments. This essay explores these perspectives to critically examine
the role of schools in transmitting knowledge, skills, and insight to learners.
2. THE SCHOOL AS A FUNCTIONAL SOCIAL INSTITUTION
The school, as a central social institution, plays a vital role in maintaining the
structure and cohesion of modern society. Functionalist theorists argue that
schools exist to equip individuals with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions
necessary for participation in economic, political, and cultural life. At a
foundational level, schools transmit formal knowledge such as literacy, numeracy,
science, and history—elements deemed essential for productive citizenship and
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
Assignment 4 2025
Unique #:
Due Date: 2025
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, THE SCHOOL AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION AND INSTRUMENT FOR
TRANSMITTING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND INSIGHT
1. INTRODUCTION
Schools are not merely spaces for formal education; they are central institutions
within society that shape, influence, and mirror broader social dynamics. As
organisations, schools function systematically, possessing a hierarchical
structure, clearly defined roles, and routines that govern the day-to-day
experiences of learners and educators. Beyond their organisational features,
schools serve as key socialisation agents—transmitting cultural norms, values,
and expectations from one generation to the next. Socialisation refers to the
process through which individuals internalise societal values and behaviours, and
schools are pivotal in this lifelong process, particularly during the formative years
of childhood and adolescence (Dreeben, 1976).
Through formal curricula, hidden norms, peer interactions, and institutional
practices, schools prepare learners to integrate into the broader social fabric.
They are instrumental in legitimising knowledge, fostering identity, and shaping
worldviews. Importantly, how schools function and their role in society have been
theorised differently depending on philosophical and sociological perspectives.
Functionalism views schools as structures that maintain social order and
cohesion, conflict theory highlights how schools reproduce social inequalities, and
interpretivism focuses on the lived experiences of learners and educators within
school environments. This essay explores these perspectives to critically examine
the role of schools in transmitting knowledge, skills, and insight to learners.
2. THE SCHOOL AS A FUNCTIONAL SOCIAL INSTITUTION
The school, as a central social institution, plays a vital role in maintaining the
structure and cohesion of modern society. Functionalist theorists argue that
schools exist to equip individuals with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions
necessary for participation in economic, political, and cultural life. At a
foundational level, schools transmit formal knowledge such as literacy, numeracy,
science, and history—elements deemed essential for productive citizenship and
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
