ARTICLE21: SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES OF EDUCATION
Education is one of the major institutions that constitute society. There are various various social science theories that relate to education. These are; consensus, conflict, structural functionalist and interactionist theories. Conflict theory deals with the emergence of conflict within a particular human society and the larger issue for this theory is the role the education plays in maintaining the prestige, power and economic and social position of the dominant group in society. The conflict theorists are interested in how society’s institution like –family, government, religion, education, and the media may help to maintain the privileges of some groups and keep others in subservient position. The Consensus theory is seen as the equilibrium state of society based on a general or widespread agreement among all members of a particular society. This theory in which social order and stability/ social regulation form the base emphasis. It emerged out of the society of social order and social stability / social regulation. The consensus and conflict theories are reflected in the works of certain dominant social theorist such as Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber and other social theorist. Structural functionalism is concerned with the functions of schooling in the maintenance of social order. It asserts the society is made up of different institutions or organizations that work together in cooperation to achieve orderly relationship and to maintain social order and social stability. It has four functional imperatives for all “action” system- ADAPTATION,GOAL ATTAINMENT, INTERGRATION, LATENCY- to be used at all levels of theoretical system ( includes action system, personality system social system and cultural system). Interactionist theory about the relation of school and society are critiques and extension of the functionalist and perspectives. Symbolic interactionism is interested