A Research On C.Arnold Anderson's Comparative Education Thoughts Of Structural Functionalism

In the 1960s, comparative education research came into the period of diversity. The historical and philosophical tradition was subjected to criticism, social science (mainly sociology) became an important source of comparative education. The structural functionalism thoery of sociology had a broad and profound impact to comparative education research. Anderson is a relatively well-known sociologist and educator of comparative education. He served as a professor and founding director on the newly established Comparative Education Center at University of Chicago in 1958-1972. Through the activities in Comparative Education Center at University of Chicago, Anderson applied the structural functionalism thoery of sociology into comparative education research for the first time. He stressed the use of the social science survey techniques in comparative education research and the value of interdisciplinary research in comparative education. He has made outstanding contributions to comparative education research for the development of sociological methods.Anderson's Comparative Education Thoughts of Structural Functionalism was based on solid theoretical foundation in particular historical contexts, and it was most directly associated with the establishment of Comparative Education Center at University of Chicago. He claimed that comparative education was an approach to educational research, not a discipline. The lack of achievement data for pupils in different nations had been called the missing link in comparative education. He claimed that we should apply sociological methods to study the relationships of the educational system and the society. Anderson's Comparative Education Thoughts of Structural Functionalism concerned with overall study, focused on the interactions between structure and function, paid attention to the links between education and the society. It has provided a new perspective to comparative education research. It is of great significance for us to understand the structural functionalism theory of comparative education research.The dissertation comprehensively uses the literature method, historical method and factor analysis method, explores Anderson's comparative education practices on the base of plenty of historical meterials, summarizes the main contents and the characteristics of Anderson's Comparative Education Thoughts of Structural Functionalism, and further discusses its impact to comparative education methodology and comparative education research. The introduction presents the research background and the central theme, analyzes and reviews the related literatures both at home and abroad. On this basis, it introduces the purpose, content, method and meaning of this research. Except for the introduction, the dissertation mainly consists of five parts.The first part explains the theoretical basis of Anderson's Comparative Education Thoughts, historical functionalism in comparative education research, the debate of the methodology in comparative education and Anderson's academic background.The second part historically traces the formation of Anderson's Comparative Education Thoughts of Structural Functionalism in the practical activities through the dynamic investigation of Anderson's main research areas in Comparative Education Center at University of Chicago.The third part describes the main contents and the characteristics of Anderson's Comparative Education Thoughts of Structural Functionalism.The fourth part simply evaluates Anderson's Comparative Education Thoughts of Structural Functionalism and points out its contributions and shortcomings.The fifth part sums up its impacts to comparative education methodology and comparative education research.