E-CONTENT

Batch- 2016

EDU-C- Sociological
Foundations of Education-I

Dr. Mohammad Sayid Bhat

Assistant Professor,
Department of Education,
Central University of Kashmir

Unit II: Education and Social System

 Concept of Social System
 Education as a Social System-its characteristics
 Relationship of Education with Kinship, Religion, Polity and
Economy
SOCIAL SYSTEM AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Human society is a set of connections of human relations, interactions and
interdependences. The interaction of persons takes place under such circumstances that such a
course of interaction may be called a system. System refers to the logical arrangements of parts.
Social system refers to the orderly collection of parts or components of society particularly
human interactions. Every individual in the practice of interaction influences each other. Their
interrelationship and interaction presume an exact model which is termed as social system.
The concept is nevertheless restricted to interpersonal interaction alone, it also refers to
the scrutiny of groups, institutions, societies and inter-societal bodies. It may, for example, be
engaged in the analysis of an educational institution, or the state, or the UNO as social system
which have configuration of interrelated parts.
David Papenoe says, “Social system refers to any kind of social grouping, from a group of
two friends to a large complex society.” It is extensively used in sociology because it makes us to
think of the way in which social units fit together into a whole and the basic similarities among
all forms of social interaction. We can took at the social system of a high school and see how it
extents with the social system of a business firm or we can compare family with a football team.
Each is a social element in which people follow a particular set of goals depending upon one
another in various ways and sharing a sense of common character as a group.
The theory of social system has been used most clearly and self-consciously in modern
‘Functionalism’ but it was understood as much in 19th century’s social thought. ‘A social theory
which delights social relations, groups or societies as a set of interrelated parts which focuses to
uphold some frontier or harmony of the parts is based unequivocally or absolutely on the
theory of social system.’
The main proponent of the most contemporary theory of social system has been Talcott
Parsons. The sociologist, Talcott Parsons has attempted to give a new scientific and a logical
clarification to the concept of social system in his books ‘The Structure of Social Action’ And ‘An
Outline of the Social System’.
Talcott Parsons has put forwarded various vital and precious thoughts about the social
system or social group. His thoughts in this regard are known as ‘Theory of social system’. This is
also known as sociological theory. According to Parsons, sociology functions in two fields: the
broader field and narrower field. According to these fields, the scope of sociology is understood.
In regard to sociological theory, he has said:
“That aspect of the theory of social system which is concerned with the phenomenon of
the institutionalization of patterns of value orientation in the social system with the conditions
of that institutionalizations and of change in the patterns with conditions of conformity with a
deviance from a set of such patterns and that motivational process in so far as they are involved
in all these.”
DEFINITIONS OF SOCIAL SYSTEM
There are different sociologists who have defined social system keeping in consideration
the different social settings, social processes and social organizations. Some definitions on social
system are given as under:

According to David Papenoe, “A social system is a set of persons or groups who interact
with one another; the set is conceived of as a social unit distinct from the particular persons
who compose it.”

A Dictionary of Social Sciences by Julius Gould and William-l-Kolb, "A social system is the
system constituted by the interactions of a plurality of individual actors whose relations to each
other are mutually oriented (i.e. are defined and mediated by a system of culturally structural
and adhered expectations."
According to Manjumdar, “A social system is defined in terms of two or more soul actors
engaged in more or less stable interaction within a bounded environment.”
Ogburn has simplified Talcott Parson’s definition on social system in the following way: “Social
system may be defined as a plurality of individual’s interaction with each other according to
shared cultural norms and meanings.”

CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL SYSTEM

 A social system has its own boundary with the help of which it can be distinguished
from other social systems.
 A term social system denotes a sociological concept that has been evolved to study
society.
 Individuals in a system behave in accordance with their shared cultural norms and
values.
 Individuals in the system act together in pursuant of common goals or rewards.
 Individuals in their actions take account of how the others are likely to act or behave.
 Social system as a concept may represent the entire society or a number of sub-
systems such as political system, economic system, judicial system etc. that are found
within the society.
 Social system consists of two or more individuals among whom we find an established
pattern of interaction.

ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL SYSTEM

According to Loomis, “The social system is composed of the patterned interaction of
members. It is constituted of the interaction of a plurality of individual actors whose relations
to each other are mutually oriented through the pattern of structured and shared symbols and
expectations. The common elements of social system are as under:
Belief and Knowledge
Any proposition about any aspect of the universe that is accepted is true may be called a
belief. According to D. Kerch and R.S. Crutchfield, “A belief is an enduring organization of
perceptions and cognitions about some aspect of individual’s world.” A belief may be true or
false. It may be verifiable or not. But the people who hold it consider it to be true. Belief
furnishes the cognitive basis for social action. The significance of belief is not determined by the
objective truth or falsity of the belief. The belief that there is no God will make the social
relationships of people different from the relations of those who believe in God. The belief that
capitalism is bound to decay may make people optimistic. We find a number of beliefs held by
the primitive people. Even today the people hold a number of beliefs. The Hindu social
structure is founded on beliefs about the existence of God, the theory of rebirth and the
doctrine of Karma. The Indian caste system is based on Karma theory. According to Loomis the
testing and validation of the cognitive aspect of belief is also important. It will make for
progress and provide dynamism to the social system.

Sentiment
Closely related to belief is the element of sentiment. Sentiments represent ‘what we
feel’ about the world. Sentiment is the chief element articulated in the internally pattern of a
social system. The sentiment of the external pattern is those which members bring from the
outside. Sentiments are acquired. They are the product of experience and cultural conditioning.
Our cultural values and social goals influence and control our sentiments. The sentiments of
love, benevolence, charity, nationalism, internationalism etc. are created by our cultural
conditioning. The sentiments may be of various kinds viz. intellectual, ethical, aesthetic,
religious etc.

End, Goal or Objective

The end, goal or objective creates social system. The members of a social system expect
to accomplish a particular end or objective through appropriate interaction. Had there been no
human needs, goals or ends, there would have been no society. The human needs, goals and
ends determine the nature of socials system.

Norm
Norms are the standards for determining what is right and wrong, appropriate or
inappropriate, just and unjust, good and bad in social relationships. Every social system is
possessed of its norms which the individuals are obliged to observe. Some norms are general
and may not be violated by anyone; other applies only to particular individuals and status roles
within the system. Particular norms may be especially crucial for special social systems. The
norms of ‘efficiency’ are of great importance in the economic system. The norm of ‘fair play’ is
of importance in athletic activity. The concept of social system implies order. Hence a major
criterion for delineating a social system is simply the existence of consensus with respect to the
appropriate ways of behaviour.

Status Role
Status is the position which an individual has in society. In a social system each
individual has a status. The place in a particular system which a certain individual occupies at a
particular time is his status with reference to that system. The element of status is found in
every social system. In the family we have the status of father, mother, son, daughter, etc.
likewise there are statuses in a club, school, union or factory. The status of an individual may be
ascribed or achieved. The ascribed status is one which an individual gets at his birth. It is
conferred to him by his group or society. It may be based on sex, age, caste or colour. The
achieved status is one which an individual achieves by his efforts, a man born in a low caste
family may by his effort, become the Prime Minister and achieve thereby a high status. There
are some functions attached to each status which are called roles. In a social system individuals
are expected to perform their roles in accordance with their statuses. There is a role fixed for
each status. The individuals may change but statuses remain unchanged. An individual acting as
principal may die. His place is taken by another individual.

Rank
Rank as used here is comparable with ‘standing’. It includes the significance an
individual has for the system in which the position is accorded. It is determined by the
assessment, placed upon the person and his acts in accordance with the norms and standards
of the system. A political leader now a days enjoys higher rank than a teacher in modern society
whereas in ancient times the teacher enjoyed higher rank than that of even the king.

Power
Power refers to the capability to control others. There might take place any conflict
among the different parts of the social system. Such conflict is damaging. Thus, a argument may
happen among the students and teachers which are injurious for the competence of the
institution. There should exist some authority with the capacity to control both the teachers
and students. Such power is vested to the head of the institution. Thus, each social system gives
power to some individual or body of individuals to confiscate worry from amongst the system.
In the state the ruler, in the family the father, in the union the president has such powers. This
power always resides in the status-role and not in the individual as such. It is the authority of
office. Thus, the authority of the principal, priest, father, president and policeman resides in the
particular office. As soon as an individual ceases to hold the office, he no longer exercises the
authority of that office. An ex-principal cannot direct the students and an ex-president cannot
call the parliament. Authority, therefore, implies some degree of institutionalization.
Sanction
Sanction refers to the rewards and penalties given out by the members of a social
system as a tool for including agreement to its norms and ends. Sanctions can be constructive
or harmful. The positive sanctions are the rewards which may include wages, profits, interests,
esteem, praise, privileges etc. the negative sanctions are the penalties and punishments.

Facility
A facility has been defined as a means used to achieve ends within the system. It is
essential that the individuals in a social system should be provided with sufficient amenities to
allow them to carry out their roles professionally. Facilities should not only exist but should also
be utilized. Mere existence of facilities is of no use unless these can be utilized. The ends, goals
or objectives of a social system can be realized only through the use of facilities. The utilization
of facilities highlights organized ends, beliefs and norms that might otherwise stay unclear. To
put it other way, a society depicts its ends, beliefs and norms by its collapse to make use of
certain existing facilities. The farmers may be having the facilities of tractors and fertilizers but
unless they utilize these facilities they may not be able to increase their production and save
time and energy. The use of tractors may require a reorganization of land system since the
facilities of a tractor cannot be utilized if the land is of a very small size. There may even be
some resistance to its adoptions. Unless these facilities are used, goal of self-sufficiency in food
cannot be achieved. If we use the nuclear energy for peaceful purposes; it shows our belief in
peace. But if it is used for manufacturing nuclear bombs it would show that we are making
preparations for war. Thus, it is the use of the facility rather than its intrinsic qualities which
determine its significance to social systems.

STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF SOCIAL SYSTEM

There are various structural components of the social system. According to Talcott
Parsons these are:
1. Kinship system,
2. Power system, and
3. Religion and value integration.
4. Stratification,

SOCIAL STRUCTURE
The word structure originally means, the construction of a building. Generally, structure
began to involve interrelations between the parts of any whole. It also began to be used in
anatomical studies. The term social structure became popular among the sociologists and social
anthropologists in the decade following World War II. During the period it became so stylish to
use this term that it came to be in practice to ‘almost any planned arrangement of social
phenomenon’.
 Since long, numerous efforts have been made to describe social structure but still there
is no agreement of opinion on its definitions. The following are some important views on social
structure:
According to Talcott Parsons, “Social structure is a term applied to the particular
arrangement of the interrelated institutions, agencies and social patterns as well as the statuses
and roles which each person assumes in the group.”
According to Ginsburg, “The study of social structure is concerned with the principle
forms of social organization, i.e. types of groups, associations and institutions and the complex
of these which constitute societies…. A full account of social structure would involve a review of
the whole field of comparative institutions.”
According to Johnson, “The structure of anything consists of the relatively stable inter-
relationships among its parts; moreover, the term part itself implies a certain degree of
stability. Since a social system is composed of the inter-related acts of people, its structure
must be sought in some degree of regularity or recurrence in these acts.”
According to MacIver and Page, “The various modes of grouping…. Together comprise
the complex pattern of the social structure…… In the analysis of the social structure the role of
diverse attitude and interest of social beings is revealed.”
According to Radcliffe Brown, “The components of social structure are human beings,
the structure itself being an arrangement of persons in relationship institutionally defined and
regulated.”
According to S. F. Nadal, “We arrive at the structure of society through abstracting from
the concrete population and its behavioural pattern or network (or system) of relationships
obtaining between actors and their capacity of playing roles relative to one another.”
The main aspects of social structure of Indian society are as under: family, caste, religion,
ethnicity, class and polity.

EDUCATION AS A SUB-SYSTEM OF INDIAN SOCIETY

In the context of education, ‘social system’ refers to the internal association and process
of education analyzed as a rational unit which is distinguishable from other aspects of society.
Education cannot be separated from its social setting because those engaged in education are
also the ones who bear with them the symbols and orientations that recognize them as
members belonging to different sections of society. Children bring with them a certain culture.
They have learnt certain patterns of speech, certain behavior and certain orientations to life
from their family and neighbourhood. Children do not plunge their enunciation or style of dress
soon after entering a school. These are often restrained yet deeply entrenched. Social
background is significant to the investigation of the relationship between education and
socialization because it familiarizes a child to enter into a certain patterns of relationship, or to
have certain responses to the school. Social background, however, is not the only feature. Peer
relationships are equally important.
Education is a process which helps in the achievement of determined living for every
individual in society. Educational arrangement acquires intricacy through a process of social
change. Education in this respect is a process which helps the members of the society to adapt
to the constantly changing aspects of society. Recently the sociological division has emerged
and it opens up new grounds in our traditional understanding of the perspectives of education
in moulding society. These premises are discussed as under:
One of the premises of sociology is that the individual is born into situations resulting
from the operation of forces, historical and modern. These forces might be philosophical, social,
political or economic. The second premise is that the individual, in the process of his
socialization, gets himself acknowledged with the structure and goals of the society. Education
may be viewed as a self-contained social system with a distinctive organization and unique
patterns.
Education is an important subsystem of social system. It has a well-defined structure
and sets of roles and it affects other social systems. According to Clark, “Education system has a
definite bearing on the society which possesses it. The economy, political organization, social
stratification, culture, kinship and social integration of any society are closely linked with
education.”
Thus, from the above backdrop, education is an agent for transference and progression
of knowledge as well as socialization of individuals. It is a social sub-system and is accountable
for bringing about positive changes in other social system.

CHARACTERISTICS
The following are the characteristics of education as a sub-system:
 Education is a powerful and strong agent towards building social individualism.
 Education system emerges as a result of the working and dynamics of different
institutions of the society.
 Education system through its experiences enriches the discipline of education and gives
new illumination towards the solution of education problems.
 Educational institutions such as schools and colleges provide opportunities for meeting
the needs of man to pass on the desirable characteristics of his culture in the form of
values, norms etc.
 It also helps to mould the society in the desired direction.
 It develops respect for social norms as well as values, knowledge and understanding in
an individual for making him responsible and effective member of the society.
 It studies the interaction system which emerges from the structure and functioning of
human groups, and also helps the child to understand these interaction parameters.
EDUCATION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH INDIAN SOCIAL SYSTEM
The progression of industrialization where the economy shifts from agriculture to
manufacturing and then to service industry very considerably affects the nature of educational
institutions. Actually in such a situation the demands of the society vary from manual to
intellectual and from low to high degree of skills. In fact, with the advancing industrialization,
the educational porch of service rises and there is a continuous need for training persons in
professional skills. In the Indian situation education has become a major need for our economy.
Industrialization emphasizes research for pushing up more production, specifically at the level
of sophisticated electronics. In this situation some problems of sociological awareness may also
appear wherein the social structure and which may hamper development, in the sense that
educational institutions may overproduce technicians and skilled persons thereby increasing
unemployment. These are some of the basic approaches which distinguish mutual relations
between economy and education in a technological society.
India, being developing country, places a lot of stress on science and technology.
Science and technology have provided at marvelous increase to the Indian economy since
independence. Needless to say, education in India has been geared towards scientific and
technology advancement. When our country gives stress on science and technological higher
education much expenditure has to be incurred on education. Spending on education incurs
outlays on buildings, outlays on administration and other facilities, and expenditure on
teachers’ salaries, scholarships, books and laboratory facilities. This seems to be appropriate on
the ground that the rate of return from education is highest for the economy when education
invests in science and technology. In industrial society, education is required to produce new
technology through research, professional and scientific manpower through training. Thus,
industrialization and the ensuing economic concerns are forces that lead to expansion of the
educational system in educational societies.
Another factor that affects educational development is the economic status of the
people. B.V. Shah in his study ‘Social Change and College Students of Gujarat’ observes that
nearly 52 percent of the college students come from families which are engaged in white collar
jobs. Victor D’Souza in his study ‘Education, Social Structure and Democracy in India’ has
concluded that the socio-economic background of the parents is responsible for the quality of
education of children.
Economic structure as a determinant of educability clearly indicates that in the present
set up of the society, regardless of the fact that there is equal opportunity for all, persons
belonging to higher occupations or income groups get high quality of education. This leads us to
say that the students coming out of improved institutions would occupy higher occupational
roles in the society. Thus, in the future Indian society, the economic elites would carry on to
manipulate decision making process of the country at different levels.
KINSHIP IN RELATION TO EDUCATION
The kinship system refers to a set of persons recognized as relatives, either by virtue of a
blood relationship, technically called ‘consanguinity’ or by virtue of a marriage relationship that
is through what is called affinity.
Most of us tend to regard the kinship system into which we are born and in which we
are reared as natural. It will seem natural and right to us that certain close relatives should be
tabooed as marriage and sexual partners, and we feel quite certain that disastrous
consequences would follow any contravention of the taboos. We may similarly think it natural
that certain classes of persons are preferred as marriage partners or we may on the contrary
think it very unnatural that any person be so designated.
Kinship system represents one of the basic social institutions. It is universal and in most
societies plays a significant role in the socialization of its members and the preservation of
group cohesion. It is completely significant in the primordial societies and extends influence on
almost all their activities viz. social, economic, political and religious. Robin Fox defined kinship
as, “Kinship is simply the relation between kin that is persons related by real, putative or fictive
consanguinity.” Kinship usages are noteworthy in understanding kinship system as such.
Kinship usages serve two main purposes:
1. They make groups or special groupings or kin.
2. The kinship rules govern the role of relationship among the kins.
Kinship practice provides guidelines for interaction among persons in these social
groupings. It defines proper and satisfactory role relations. Thus, it acts as a watchdog of social
life.

Structural Principles of Kinship

The kinship system is governed by some basic principles which can be called the ‘facts of
life’. Robin Fox has given four basic principles of kinship. These are as under:
 The women have the children,
 The men impregnate the women,
 The men usually exercise control, and
 Primary kin do not mate with each other,

These doctrines highlight the basic organic fact on which kinship system depends. Men
and women indulge in sexual intercourse and as a result women bear children. This leads to
blood ties between the individuals and the special terms are used to recognize this relationship
viz. mother, father and son and so on. The relationship based on blood ties is called
consanguineous kinship, and the relatives of this kind are called consanguineous kin.

Types of Kins
 Kinship has got various ramifications. On the basis of nearness or distance, kins are
classified into primary kins, secondary kins and tertiary kins. Every individual who belongs to a
nuclear family finds his primary Kins within the family. There are eight primary kins. Outside the
nuclear family the individual can have thirty three types of secondary relatives. Tertiary kins
refer to the secondary kins of our primary kins. Anthropologists have spoken of 151 tertiary
kins.

EDUCATION AND KINSHIP

The family is an institution most closely connected with the process of socialization.
Apparently, one of its main function is to care and rear children born in it. We experience a
process of socialization first as infants living in families and later as we grow up, attend school
and work place. It is here that we develop a sense of ‘self’ and personal identity.
Socially competent behaviour encompasses a range of socially valued behaviours and
characteristics including cognitive development, internal locus of control, instrumental
competence and conformity to parental standards. The confluence model of intellectual
development adds a contextual dimension to the basic socialization theory. It is argued that
intelligence in children is increased to the extent that they are able to interact with persons
more mature than themselves. Thus, the younger siblings a child has, the more the child
interacts with less mature persons. Consequently, less intellectual development may be
expected. The reverse of this is also true. The child’s intellect is seen as a function of the
average of the intellect of his family members. Since this view emphasizes the importance of
verbal interaction it should be expected that verbal intelligence would be affected more than
non-verbal intelligence. This is the opportunity provided by the family to the child.
The school age child continues to live in the parental house and to be highly dependent
emotionally as well as instrumentally on his parents and other members of the family. But he is
now spending several hours a day away from home subject to the discipline and the reward
system which are essentially independent of that administered by the parents. Moreover, the
range of this independence gradually increases. As he grows older, he is allowed to range
further territorially with neither parental nor school supervision and to do an increasing range
of things. He often gets an allowance for personal spending and begins to earn some money of
his own. Generally however, the emotional problem of dependence- independence continues
to be a very significant one through this period, commonly with expressions by the child of
uncontrollable freedom.

Another reason which influences the child’s understanding in school is more direct,
involving parents visit to the school, explanations of the child’s experience in school, help in
completing child’s homework and so on. Keeping in view the relationship between education
and kinship, it is clear that families persuade the educational process in two ways. (i) they
provide the kind of interpersonal stimulation that leads to development in the child of
characteristics that are functional in a school setting, and (ii) they also guide, coach, explain,
give confidence and intervene on behalf of their children in orientation to the school
experience. They clearly help children to ‘obtain the knowledge, skills and temperament that
make them more or less able members of their society’.

EDUCATION AND CASTE

One major feature of the Indian social stratifications is the caste system. Castes may be
defined as a social class in which membership is strong-minded by birth and from which there is
almost no perpendicular mobility. Castes which are historically exploited for being socially
substandard have now been granted some constitutional safeguards and protection in India.
These constitutional efforts provide equal opportunities to the backward castes. Special
facilities in education are given to these sections by the government of India. But still, caste is a
leading social determinant of educability in India.
In the study of B.V. Shah, very few students come from the lower castes in Gujarat. “The
only 3 upper castes account for 88 percent of students in higher education”. Of course, it
should be admitted that the lower castes were unenthusiastic during the previous decades to
send their children even to the high schools. Today they have come ahead for elementary
schooling, but the reality remains that very few students of lower castes come to the higher
educational institutions.
Again to quote the study of Victor D’Souza who has conducted his study in Dandeli
(Madhya Pradesh), among the Hindu castes such as artisans and allied castes, the amount of
education is better than that in the category of warriors and trade castes. This is accounted for
by the human industrial setting of Dandeli which provides facilities to the artisan castes to
acquire skilled occupation relatively more easily to improve their educational background.
Concluding the findings D’Souza says, “The caste and occupational background of parents
influence the education of children as regard the degree of illiteracy, the amount of education
and the quality of education.”

EDUCATION AND RELIGION

Traditionally, education was conquered by religion. Religion legitimized the content and
process of education. The status and roles of the teacher and the taught and what is worth
teaching required legitimization from religion. Even the external linkages of the school, in terms
of the nature of its access and route through its various levels, were connected with social
stratification which was in turn largely determined by religion. Religions like Hindu, Muslim and
Jaina, communities managed education institutions as an act of charity. Later, during the early
decades of the 19th century, Christians also joined the line to proliferate their system of
education.
 Religion has played an important role in the improvement of education ever since the
beginning even before the formation of schools. The first school was Gurukula where the only
aim of education, was the religious persuasion.
During Vedic period, education was considered enlightenment. It was believed that
education that removes difficulties and enables us to comprehend the true value of life. A
person who does not acquire the light of knowledge may be actually described as blind. It was
also believed that if a man has to attain salvation ‘mukti’, it is possible only through education.
It is education which helps an individual to set free himself from the cycle of birth, death and
rebirth.
The history of education in Buddhist period is interrelated with the history of
monasteries and viharas because there were no self-governing educational institutions or
centers other than those religious centers. Buddhist education came into being in the 6th
century BC. The entire education scheme was controlled and supervised by the monks. It
comprised both religious and well as secular type of education.
Christianity is the religion that has most affected education. The pope commanded
more respect and power than the king, the church taxed the people and the church dictated
the laws of the land. The church is in charge of the people’s souls, so they took accountability
for everything else.
In a society where religion and knowledge in general and science in particular do not go
hand in hand, it seems essential to briefly explain the place of education in Islam. Islam, in
theory as well as in practice has always promoted education. Characteristic mark of human
beings over the angels is knowledge:
"And Allah taught Adam all the names…” (Quran)
The first verses of the Quran began with the word:

‘Read. Read in the name of thy Lord who created; [He] created the human being from blood
clot. Read in the name of thy Lord who taught by the pen: [He] taught the human being what he
did not know.’ (96: 1-5).
Education in Islam, is usually divided into two broad categories: there is a well-known
saying ‘al-ilm iman: ilmu- adyan wa ilmu abdan’- knowledge (education) is of two kinds: the
knowledge related to religions and the knowledge related to (human and physical) bodies."
What has been said above on the significance of education consigns to both, the religious as
well as the secular education. Mullas work as teachers who teach in Madrasas, Maktabas and
in Khankas. They are permitted to develop the curriculum for the schools.
In conclusion, religion has a significant part to play in education all over the world. The
spiritual aims of education can only be attained through the process of education. There are
still some lasting reminders, though, such as colleges once built for religious purposes but now
the prominent secular education centers. Some examples are Harvard University, 1636, College
of New Jersey, later named Princeton, founded by Presbyterians in 1746, Kings College, later
named Columbia University, founded by Anglicans in 1754 and the College of Rhode Island,
later named Brown University, founded by the Baptists in 1764, Darul-Ullom Deoband in 1866
and Darul Ulum Nadwatul Ullom in 1893. But needless to say, the contributions given to
education by religion can never be replaced or taken back and maybe it is better that way.
In Indian context the relationship of education with religion can be summarized in the
following three points.
1. All the aims of religion can only be attained through the process of education.
2. An ideal religious Indian society can only be created through education.
3. All religious philosophies can be understood, perpetuated and followed by only through
the reflection of education.

EDUCATION AND CLASS

There is no denying that it is very hard to divide social class from family as a factor in
influencing socialization. All the factors viz. family, peer group, gender, class, race and caste are
interrelated and interacted with each one. A social class to which a student belongs to has an
important bearing on the patterns of child rearing, language and socialization and in turn,
education in school and beyond it. Hence, the issue of social class and its relationship with
family socialization and its implications on the schooling process needs to be understood in
detail. One writer who has determinedly pointed out the significance of social class in
understanding educational opportunity, educational achievement and patterns of disparity is
Halsay. He has argued that liberal policy makers ‘failed to notice that the major determinants of
educational achievement were not schoolmasters but social situations, not curriculum but
motivation, not formal access to the school but support in the family and the community’. In
this context, an understanding of the terms, ‘material disadvantage’ and ‘cultural disadvantage’
becomes very significant.
Often at school, the middle class child is clearly at an advantage as his level of curiosity
is high. Since he is trained to think labour and plan for the future, he is able to make the most in
school where the center is on linking the present to a far-away future. The social structure of
the school creates a framework that he is capable to accept, respond to and utilize. The child
belonging to the working class is bewildered and weak in such a situation and is not able to
make the methods and goals of the school personally momentous.
Predominantly working class schools, for instance, emphasize the importance of
following rules, offer curriculum which train students for blue collar and grey collar jobs and
usually have the least academically oriented facilities. Schools in the well-to-do suburbs, on the
other hand, use relatively open teaching systems in which teachers are less strict and less rule
bound. Students take ‘harder’ courses are offered more electives, participate more in school
planning and are prepared for positions were they will have less direct management and will
have to be motivated by a more corporate form of ‘team sprit’ and more delicate influence
relationship.

EDUCATION AND POLITICS

The main goal of every society is to continue to exist. This is also factual of any individual
group or sub-culture. Secondly, society is concerned with the quality of life which is dependent
on the level of health, constancy, adjustment and impartiality preferred by the society. In order
to carry on to exist, there are minimum necessities for survival. The existing tasks are carried
out by social institutions viz. the family, the educational system, the economy, the polity, the
health and welfare system and the religious and moral systems. Each of these social institutions
is a major area of organized social activity required for social stability. Although each of these
institutions influences the cognitive and affective and psychomotor maps of all members of a
society, their utmost brunt is on the young members of society.
The formulation of a national education plan and its flourishing conduct is the important
responsibility of the state. The educational plan should be such as to utilize the interests of all
the classes of the society. Education begins in the family and continues throughout the
schooling of the child. It is the duty of the state to see that proper education of the child takes
place both in the family and in school. If the family and the school do not accomplish their
responsibility properly, it is the duty of state to make proper arrangements for the education of
the child. For these it should make suitable rules and regulations and generate such situations
that the family and the school are forced to execute their obligations in this regard.
The forces which shape the future of education in India are political in nature. According
to T. B. Bootomore, “The present India has two elite groups- the high officials and the national
political leaders- who have predominant influence and are indeed responsible for India’s effort
to become a modern industrial nation.” The people who have political authority are trying to
get political mileage out of educational policy. As a result of the educational facilities
increasingly given to the minority groups, a new class of men with power is also emerging. The
new faces which come into view in power structures are members of minorities and scheduled
castes, scheduled tribes. These groups are also granted security and safety measures besides
sufficient facilities of education.
Thus, at this point those who are educated in schools and universities and the gifted
ones of the masses are not in a position to influence educational policy. But when the country is
passing through the process of modernization, more and more services of the technically skilled
and specialists will be required at the levels of decision-making and execution, and thus, their
role in politics will become important.
The influence of politics on education is not just restricted to the Indian context, but can
be seen in other countries also. The Soviet Union that emerged after Russian revolution in 1917
had the communist agenda, and it relied heavily on education to solve its political, economic
and moral problems. All the policies had the aim of communism and the educational
institutions are to play a leading role in this.
Nazis, in Germany also gave particular attention to education. They completely
controlled the German educational system and private schools were taken over. They were
thus determined to mould the new generation to accept Nazi principles.
The education system of the country cannot be seen as operational in segregation as a
impartial category. It would be misleading to presume that the process involved in education
planning is rational. They are influenced by the wider political, cultural and economic domains.
Education can be efficient instrument to be responsible for and further entrench their power in
the society. Education has served different ideologies. The process of education planning
involves creation, distribution and reaction and it takes place under the shaping influence of the
economy, politics and culture. The information that is accessible in schools for distribution is
related to the overall categorization of information and authority in the society.

1. REFERENCES
2. Abraham Francis &Margin John (2002): Sociological Thought, McMillan India Ltd.
3. Beteille, Andra: Sociology (2000): Essays on Approach and Methods, OUP.
4. Bhat M.S. Educational Sociology (2013), APH Publications, New Delhi.
5. Cooklzoyd Allen (2008), A Sociological Approach to Education.
6. Harlambos, M. Sociology: Themes and Perspectives OUP, New Delhi.
7. Jan Robert Sen. Sociology: New York Worth.
8. Jayapalan N (2001): Sociological Theories, Atlantic Publishers and Distributors.
9. Krishna Kumar (1989): Social Character of Learning, Sage Publications.
10. Krishna Kumar (2008): A Pedagogue’s Romance: Reflections on Schooling, (Oxford
University Press.
11. Krishna Kumar, co-editor S. Shukla; Chankya (1984): Sociological Perspective on
Education Radiant and Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.
12. Prem Late Sharma (2008): A Handbook of Sociology of Education: New Delhi: Sarup &
Sons.
13. R.D. Bhat Sociology of Education; N. D. Kanishka.
14. Ramesh Chopra (2005): Academic Dictionary of Sociology.
15. Rao, Shanker, C.N. (2002): Sociology, Primary Principles: S. Chand & Co.
16. S. S. Mathur; A Sociological Approach to Indian Education, Vinod Pustak Mandir, Agra.
17. Srinivas, M.N.: Social Change in Modern India, McMillan, India Ltd.
18. Vidya Bhushan, An Introduction to Sociology, Kitab Mahal Allahabad.