SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION

 The word Sociology is derived from the combination of the Latin socius - meaning ‗companion‘ and the Greek logos - meaning ‗the study of‘. So the word literally means the study of companionship, or social relations. It is the science or study of the origin, development, organization, and functioning of human society.         It is the science of fundamental laws of social behavior, relations, institutions, etc.

The word Education comes from the Latin e-ducere meaning ―to lead out.

‖ Webster defines education as the process of educating or teaching. Educate is further defined as ―to develop the knowledge, skill, or character of...‖

Thus, from these definitions, one can assume that the purpose of education is to develop the knowledge, skill, or character of students.

―The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with the thoughts of other men.‖ Bill Beattie.

Relationship between Education and Sociology

Emile Durkheim was the first person who indicated the need for a sociological approach to education. He considered education ―to be essentially social in character and in its functions and that as a result the theory of education relates more clearly to sociology than any other science.‖ He emphasized that education is not a static phenomenon but a dynamic and ever-changing process.

Educational sociology is by definition a discipline which studies education sociologically, with the premise that it recognizes education as a social fact, a process and an institution, having a social function and being determined socially. Educational sociology could appear only when it accepted the social nature of education.

Meaning of Sociology of Education

 Sociology of Education may be defined as the scientific analysis of the social processes and social patterns involved in the educational system.

The sociology of education is the study of how public institutions and individual experiences affect education and its outcomes. It is most concerned with the public schooling systems of modern industrial societies, including the expansion of higher, further, adult, and continuing education. It is a philosophical as well as a sociological concept, denoting ideologies, curricula, and pedagogical techniques of the inculcation and management of knowledge and the social reproduction of personalities and cultures.

 It is concerned with the relationships, activities and reactions of the teachers and students in the classroom. It emphasizes sociological problems in the realm of education.