School As a Social System

School Function
L-1
 What is a social system?

Do you have any idea of social structure?

Do you have any idea of Social functions?
 Social structure and functions
Various social group (Upper class, Middle class,
poor)
How we keep up with that class? May be norms,
values help us to sustain this structure
Social Functions: Adaptation, goal attainment,
integration, latent pattern maintenance
Who contribute to perform these functions?
(Social institutions: Family, Economic, Political,
Educational, Religious etc)
Why do we respect our elders?
 A Social System
Social System is the interaction and
interrelationship between Social structure and
functions.
 A Social System
Interaction between the elements and forces
in the internal and external environments of
the system. (Hanson, 1996)
 Social System
A social system consists in a plurality of individual
actors interacting with each other in a situation which
at least has a physical or environmental aspect, actors
who are motivated in terms of a tendency to the
optimization of gratification and whose relation to
their situations, including each other, is defined and
mediated in terms of a system of culturally structured
and shared symbols (Talcott Parsons, 1937).
A social system may be defined as a plurality of
individuals interacting with each other according to
shared cultural norms and meanings (Ogbum and
Nimkoff )
 Focusing points in the definitions
Emphasis has been placed on interrelationship or
interaction among individuals within the framework of
a normative pattern. That is, individuals do not behave
with one another erratically or in a haphazard manner.
On the contrary, their mutual interaction is very much
patterned. They play their roles in terms of the statuses
they occupy in the society. The relationship among
individuals is thus structured. Likewise, social groups
function within the normative pattern of the society.
Here also haphazard or erratic functioning of social
groups is ruled out.
Social System
 Basic understanding of a system
Any system means the interaction and
interrelations between the existence elements
in the institutions or organizations. If there is
interaction, there are some outputs.
Therefore, all systems have their inputs and
outputs as there is always interaction among
the elements. This is called basic system
theory
 System Theory (Cont.)
Basic Systems Model
Environment

organization

Inputs Transformation Process outputs

(Feedback)
 System Model
Then what are the parts or components of
that model?
Parts of the Basic school System
Inputs, Interaction, Outputs, Feedback,
Environments
 School as system
Does a school follow this system?
 Parts of the Basic School System

Inputs: The human, material, financial, or information

resources used in the teaching and learning process
Interaction: Teaching and Learning process
Outputs: CGPA, Student achievement Graduate or other
services produced,
Environment- The external environment of the school
including the social, political, and economic forces that
impinge on the schools operation
Feedback: Information concerning the outputs or the
teaching and learning process that influences decision making
and the selection of inputs during the next academic year

Social Systems Model

For Schools Environment

Inputs Outputs
Transformation Process
Environmental Achievement
Structural System
Constraints
(Bureaucratic Expectations)
And Opp Job Satisfaction

Human and Absenteeism

Capital Cultural System Political System
Resources (Shared Orientations) (Power Relations) Dropout rate

Mission and Overall quality

Board policy

Materials and Individual System

Methods (Cognition and Motivation)
Discrepancy between
Equipment Actual and Expected
Performance
 The School

Thus we can say that the school is an

open social system. It has parts, and
the parts interact within the internal
environment and in response to
elements in the external environment.
Key Elements of the School as a Social System
Schools are social systems with the following key parts:
Structure: roles are expectations of positions that are arranged in a hierarchy.

Individual: the individual is a key unit in any social system; regardless of position,
people bring with them individual needs, beliefs, and a cognitive
understandings of the job.

Culture: represents the unwritten feeling part of the organizations:

its shared values

Politics: informal power relations that develop spontaneously.

Core: the teaching-learning process is the technical core of schools.

Environment: everything outside the organization; source of inputs.

Outputs: the products of the organizations, e. g. educated students.

Feedback: communication that monitors behavior.

Effectiveness: the congruence between expected and actual outcomes.

W. K. Hoy 2003, 2008, 2011
 Social Interaction in Schools

All parts of the system are interdependent and

subject to influence by any other part.

The focus of the leader is on the whole, all parts,

and the relationships among all parts.
Hanson (1996)
 Social Interaction in Schools
Individual Behavior
Group Behavior
Formal Behavior
Informal Behavior
 Social Interaction in Schools

Individuals in schools function as members

of the faculty (the formal group), as well as
members of subgroups (informal groups)
that exist within the faculty.
 Internal and external interaction of a school
Teaching and learning Outcomes
Learners characteristics Literacy,
Learning time, Teaching method, numeracy and
Aptitude Assessments, Feedback, incentives life skills,
Perseverance Teaching and Learning creative and
School readiness materials emotional skills,
Physical infra and facilities values,
Prior knowledge
Social benefits
Barrier to learning Human resources: teachers,
principals, inspectors,
supervisors, administrators,
School governance

Context
Economic and labour market cond, Socio-cultural and religious factor, Aid-strategies,
Educational knowledge and support infrastructure, Public resources available for education,
Competitiveness of the teaching profession on the labour market, National governance and
management strategies, Philosophical standpoint of teacher and learner, Peer effects, Parental
support, Time available for schooling and homework, National standards, Public expectation,
labour market demand, Global expectation
 School Functions
Do you have any idea?
 School Functions
Other than transmitting of knowledge and
academic skills like reading, writing, and
arithmetic, they also serve other functions in
our society as well, and these can be
categorized as manifest and latent functions.
Manifest Functions: Socialization, Cultural
Innovation, Integration
 School Functions (Manifest)
In elementary school, parents expect their
children to learn new information but also
how to 'get along' with other children and
begin to understand how society works. So,
two of the most significant manifest functions
of schools beyond teaching subject knowledge
are socialization and the transmission of
cultural norms and values.
 School Functions (Latent)
A latent function is a function that people are
not aware of or doesn't come to mind straight
away and usually is not intended. For
example, schools often play a matchmaker
function: they put together individuals of
similar ages and backgrounds, and this results
in many of us finding romantic partners and
mates in primary, secondary, or post-
secondary school.
 School Functions
Conservation and promotion culture
All-round development of the individual
Development of higher values of life
Development of social responsibility
Citizenship training
Adjustability in society
Vocational training
Source: Aman Sharma (N.D)
 School as a social system
Concluding Remarks