SOCIO-ANTHROPOLOGICAL

FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION

Pretzel K. Zuniga, PhD, PTRP

Sociology

 study of patterns of human behavior

 study of groups and societies and how they affect the people
 synonymous to (social) anthropology as both study the
interrelationship of man to his environment
 Relationship of Sociological Foundation
to Education
 The emphasis of the sociological foundations is on the group.
 It is imperative to maintain good human relations in the group in order to be
able to work together with success.

 The sociological foundations are concerned with the human relation’s

factor–the behavior of individuals and their relations to each other. If the
ultimate purpose of the social sciences is the improvement of human
relations, that of education is the improvement of individuals; and therefore
of human relations.
 The individuals and the group are two aspects of the same thing, hence
cannot be separated. Man is a social being and exists as part of the group.
Personality is developed in the group through interactions with others. ”
 Society

 derived from the Latin word “socios” or “socialis” – meaning fellow,

companion, or associate.
 a group of individuals with well defined limits which persists in time, thus
enabling them to develop a set of common ideas, attitude, norms, and
sanctions, interaction, and of techniques for living and fitting together
(human arrangements)
 an organized group of population (Kessing)
 composed of human beings and the institutions by which live together in
the culture (Linton)
 Socialization

 mean function of society where in patterns of behavior and aspects of

personality are inculcated
 the process whereby the individual acquires the social and cultural
heritage of his society (Bertrand)
 process of internalizing the norms of standards of the group among a
group
 leads to learning the individual’s social position, in society which in turn
determine his status. With status go certain right and privileges associated
with a given social position.
Components of Socialization

1. Status
 the
position assigned by a person in a group or
organization
2. Role
 behavior expected of someone who holds a
particular status
Stratification

 the system or process of assigning individuals their

respective ranks in a society based on income or wealth,
education, occupation, and life style.
 the classification of group members according to
certain criteria differ due to the nature of the group, e.g.
low, middle, high.
 a system by which a society ranks categories of people
in a hierarchy
Stratification

 Kinds of Stratification
1. “closed system” – allow for little changes in social
position, e.g. “caste”
2. “open system” – permit considerable social mobility,
e.g. “class”
Social Mobility

 the movement of a person from one status or social class

to another.
 may be achieved through such factors as education,
good works, wealth, increased income, occupation, sex,
and beauty, and other means.
 Connotes that a person who belongs to a lower class,
may go up the middle class if he studies, finishes a
course, and gets employed.
 Social Mobility
Educational Implications

1. since upward mobility can be achieved through education, every one should go to
school.
2. there should be free and compulsory basic education (elementary and secondary)
3. the elementary school curriculum should have common content so as to give those from
the lower class opportunity to go upward.
4. scholarship for higher education should be given by the government to poor but talented
students.
5. the educational system should select and encourage those with special talents (in art,
music, etc.) to develop them and aid should be given where needed and to the
deserving.
6. etiquette and good manners should be taught to all so that even those from the lower
class will feel at ease at special activities with the upper class.
 Social Institutions:
THE FAMILY
 a socially sanctioned group of persons united by kinship,
marriage or adoption who share a common habitat generally
and interact according to well-defined social roles that
maintain and protect its members and perpetuate the society.
(Bertrand)
 a relatively small domestic group of kin who functions as a
cooperative unit for economic and other purposes (Popenoe)
 characterized by being
1. relatively universal
2. relatively permanent
3. distinct in terms of function
 Social Institutions:
THE FAMILY
Educational Implications:

1. since the family is a very important institution, education for the family life should be part
of the curriculum
2. people who intend to get married should be oriented regarding their obligations so that
the marriage will be successful
3. since the average Filipino family is big, the school should teach the advantages of small
families.
4. enculturation being a function of the family should pass on only worthwhile values,
customs, mores, beliefs, and traditions.
5. it is not only the children who need an education, but also the parents
6. young people should not rush into marriage, but should give themselves time to find out
whether they are really in love and suitable for each other.
Anthropology

 derived from the Greek words anthropus meaning

“man”, “human” and logus, meaning study
 the science of man and his work
 the scientific study of physical, social, and cultural
development and behavior of human beings since their
appearance on earth. (Jacobs and Stem)
Culture
 the sum total of what man has learned in living together
 shared products of human learning
 a complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, art,
law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities and
habits acquired by man as a member of society.
 a social heritage, transmitted and shared from one
generation to another
 Culture
Educational Implications:

1. cultures differ and one should not judge another culture by using his own culture as basis
2. to avoid prejudices, there should be more contact between cultures
3. travel, education, and reading about other societies are ways of bringing about tolerance
and understanding between nations
4. with more diffusion between cultures, one global society may result
5. society can be improved by improving the culture.
6. since culture is made by man himself, he should develop worthwhile values and wee out
those beliefs
7. since culture is learned, the school should inculcate in the young. Good aspects of the
culture
8. since the culture changes, the change should be for the better and society should decide
what those changes should be
Language and Writing

 a vocal symbolism of speech, with its related bodily

gestures and mechanical signals which give precision
and finesse to communicate
 a way of speaking, distinct every culture

 a set of techniques for the graphic representation of

speech
 Language and Writing
Educational Implications:

1. since language is an agent of culture, one should study the language well and speak it
correctly
2. the more language a person knows, the better educated he is and the easier he can
adjust to other people.
3. to understand people, it is necessary to know their language
4. since English is the language spoken through most of the world, one should study it well.
5. reading books and magazines is one way of increasing one’s vocabulary.
6. a person should learn to write legibly and clearly, as this is a mark of the well educated
7. fluency in speaking and writing comes with practice; so one should take every opportunity
to speak and write well
Religion
 recognition of belief in some source or power that
transcends humans and is capable of assessing or
harming them.
 a kind of human behavior which can be classified as
belief and ritual concerned with supernatural beings,
powers, and forces
Religion
Educational Implications:

1. it is important for every one to have a religion in view of the role that
religion plays in one’s life
2. since religion influences behavior, one should choose one’s religion
wisely
3. since the nature and function of all religions are the same, there
should be tolerance of all religions
4. one should study one’s religion well and live it.
5. apply the teachings of religion to self, family community, and the
world.
OPEN DISCUSSION

 Discussin your own perspective the

importance of socio-anthropology in
educating ourselves and others and in
Pt/client interaction.