Interactionalism Versus Functionalism
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/350058/education_and_sociology_interactionalism.html?cat=4
Interactionists and functionalists view schools in two very different ways. While the interactionist is primarily concerned with relations and transactions in the school house, the functionalist is curious about the relation between the school itself and the rest of society. Does it incorporate and educate all members of society, or is it ｓ ｅｌｅｃｔive in doing so? Which functions should a school carry out, and which means does a school use to accomplish its educational mission?
The interactionist is essentially concerned about the daily grind of the student, as well as the types of transactions that occur between the student and his or her teacher, peer, and other figures that are involved with the student. In doing so, the interactionist-minded sociologist generally disregards some more basic physical factors, such as whether the school is urban or rural, a large educational complex or a one-room shack, or if the school has a highly bureaucratic system or not. Rather, the interactionist would be more concerned with the transactions that occur between the student and others. Perhaps a prime concern to the interactionist would be the roles that people play in the students' education, the efficacy of the student's education, and the quality of the child's academic experience. Such interactionist questions would be "does the teacher carry out his or her role as a teacher effectively?" "Are the students receptive to the lessons they are taught?" Are the parents involved in their children's educational affairs?" "To which degree do the parents actively contribute to their children's schooling?" "Do the students get along with each other?"
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/350058/education_and_sociology_interactionalism.html?cat=4
Interactionists and functionalists view schools in two very different ways. While the interactionist is primarily concerned with relations and transactions in the school house, the functionalist is curious about the relation between the school itself and the rest of society. Does it incorporate and educate all members of society, or is it selective in doing so? Which functions should a school carry out, and which means does a school use to accomplish its educational mission?
Functionalists tend to look at a school from the perspective that regards a school's feasibility to cope with society and all of the requirements society places upon the school to produce educated and capable adults. A functionalist wants to find out how a school correlates with other social institutions, has a desire to figure out how well the school can actually teach its students, and aims to determine how inclusive the school is in representing the local population in its student body and faculty. The functionalist is also interested in discovering how much flexibility the school has in being able to impart certain culturally based teachings into its curriculum and, if so, how certain cultural values and norms are integrated in the educational curriculum and overall educational philosophy. Though the consideration of all these functionalist topics are always a concern in most parts of the world, they are of particular use in locales such as the Middle East, where religious fundamentalism and anti-Western sentiment are often major components of some of this region's academic curriculum.
Both the interactionist and functionalist perspectives work hand-in-hand when evaluating the role of education in children's lives and also within society. Along with other sociological perspectives that are often employed when analyzing the role of schools in society, it is important to understand how sociologists use interactionalism and functionalism in understanding the greater role of education so that society can continue to better understand how it is that academic institutions work within our communities. Furthermore, with an increased awareness of how educational systems work (or do not work) within society, we can continue to make the proper adjustments to our schools necessary so as to provide the best possible education to our children.
Resource:
Kornblum, William. Sociology in a Changing World. 6th ed. Belmont: Thompson, 2003.
