With examples, the essay will discuss the understanding of the field of Sociology of Education and whether it will

is relevant to the career of a teacher. We will begin with defining the word Sociology alone in order to get a clear picture of what Sociology is. In understanding what Sociology is, we will look at the theories and concepts that it contains and relate it to the career of a teacher to see if it will be relevant. We will give a conclusion to see if Sociology of Education shall have any relevance in the career of a teacher. At www.en.m.wikipedia.org Sociology is the study of the development, structure and functioning of human society, and the study of social problems which uses various methods of empirical investigation. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines Sociology as the scientific study of the native and development of society and social behaviour. Sociology is the contemporary discipline which is theoretically multiparadigmatic. It descends from the historical foundations of functionalist of Emile Durkheim and conflict centred Karl Marx which can be likened to attachment theory where a teacher has to be attached to pupils for better results. According to Hazam and Shaver (in Cassidy & Shaver, 2008), could be conceptualised as an attachment process and that the major attachment styles popularised by Ainsworth (1969) in her classic experiment of the strange situation should be manifested in the attachment theory that a teacher needs to have towards pupils. If a teacher is not attached to pupils, then he will not mingle with them in a correct way as he will not know them. It is by attaching himself that will let him know the background of the children, what their needs are, how their families that they come from are doing and many other things that will bring out maybe even the behaviour of the child. Sociology of Education is an application of the knowhow obtained in the field itself in laying the foundation of a better society. We will pick Education Sociology as a branch of Sociology as a discipline where we will 1

look at problems of that affect education in our day to day lives from the Sociology perspective. Sociology is a component that was first employed in France by Auguste Comte between 1798 and 1857 as he is generally regarded as the father of discipline. This will bring us to the study of how public institutions, individuals like teachers and pupils whose experiences affect education with its outcome. Sociology of Education has also been a fundamental optimistic in human endeavours whose aspirations are for progress and betterment of human life. Banks supports it saying that; It begins therefore, with a consideration of education Systems in their relationship to such major social institutions as the economy, social stratification and social mobility. (Banks 1982:12) Sociology of Education sees education as an agent of transmission of culture which functional importance of education through school organisations with relationship between the school and school structure whereby a social class and neighbourhood interact with social forces within the internal organisation of schools as they explore to find out the social determines of educatability. In studying the society, it also results in the teacher gaining from what people are developing since the teacher and his career are community based and they will have to move at the same pace with development. Mass education is seen by some conflict theorists as a tool of capitalist society in wanting to control the entrance to higher levels of education by selecting and allocating functions in order to manipulate the public or society as Ballantine states that; some conflict theorists see mass education as a tool of capitalist society, controlling the entrance into higher levels of education through the selection and allocation of 2

function and 1983:12)

manipulating

the

public.

(Ballantine

Earlier, having mentioned Auguste Comte the French philosopher who coined the term sociology to describe his vision of a new science that would discover laws of human society resembling the laws of nature by applying the methods of factual investigation that had proved so successful in which we can relate to a teachers career and what relevance it will have. It has a relevance as it helps teachers to organise kill of how society influences behaviour in school. The relevance is there more and more as it makes teachers to understand the social behaviour of pupils in class as each individual is unique and has his/her own character and not to label any of the pupils as being dull, naughty or even bright in class. Sociology of Education also makes teachers adhere to authority as it brings order in society. It also helps teachers to understand the childrens background and why they act the way they do. There is also the relevance of providing tools to overcome many obstacles brought by pupils in schools. Since human relationship is very complex, Sociology of Education helps teachers to be aware of certain outcomes of a groups behaviour to understand attitudes, values and belief of those around them in order to affect teaching knowing who you are, your background and other social values that depicts much love for one, and love for brotherhood. Knowledge of this through teachers will help sensitise and enlighten development within a society all through Sociology of Education. The other thing that we need to mention is how equally Sociology makes teachers to formulate laws and rules in school to bring about law and order. Like in a balanced door position where a teacher or managers of the school welcome non-experts to come and propose something in the running of the school and contribute this and that but not allowing them to come very close as they may confuse everything schemed by the school structure for a better outcome. This may happen in Parents 3

Teacher Association meetings where everyone is let loose to contribute and a teacher is able to pick one or two things from the non-expert s contributing towards the good management of the school. In the so many relevancies Sociology of Education helps teachers set up a mode of competition among their learners because of the sociology background where all the animals compete for service on earth. In its good way Sociology of Education becomes relevant to the career as a teacher will need to know in which ways school and society will do their duties effectively. Sociology of Education also helps the teacher to understand a childs background and why the child acts in the way he/she does. The involvement of the family helps also children to succeed as they are supported in both social and education life as Ballantine says; Parenting styles and parental expectations play crucial roles in setting the childs education agenda. (Ballantine, 1983:216) Sociology of Education plays also a vital role as one of the specialised fields of social inquiry as it analyses institutions and organs of education. It helps to study the functional bond between education and other institutions of society, e.g. the economy, politics, religion and many others. There are strategies in place that are employed to meet the intended goals. These are strategies patterned to specifically and repeatedly act to chose and maintain a logical relationship with one another to serve the larger and long term than a smaller and short term objective. This goes with planning in a school so that a teacher and the school structure do not have problems in the near future going by the background of the school. These strategies involve mainly on how sociology will affect the running of an institution. As stated above, in our question of understanding of the field of Sociology of Education and whether it will be relevant to a teachers career, we have highlighted a lot of issues proving that Sociology of Education is relevant to the career since a teacher will be able to deal with any given situation 4

be it in society or at school due to the taught values and norms of the society which helps them with the knowledge to articulate issues acquired from the field amidst the community as they interact with the members of the community who happens to be the parents, children and non-experts who in turn also helps run the school since maybe their children or dependants will get educated from the same school in the near future or had gotten education from there some time back. In conclusion we say that Sociology of Education is relevant to a teachers career and it plays a very big role in a teachers and pupils life, and to the community as a whole where the school is found or built in helping deal with any situation that may arise in society.