Sociology 1010 Final Paper

Nathan Nichols
Summer 2016
Sociology 1010

Sociological Analysis
I am a member of the staff at Olympus High School. In this paper I will focus on the
history of the school. How and why I chose to attend and then ultimately work there. I will then
relate this group and try to explain it through the functionalist perspective.

History of Olympus High School

Olympus High school was opened in the fall of 1953 with an enrollment of about 100
students. Its original building was torn down and replaced opening in 2013 with an enrollment
of about 1500 students. There are about 80 staff and faculty members that teach and work at
Olympus. The current principal is Stephen Perschon, with two vice
principals Kristie Reather and John Workman. It is a part of the
Granite School District. I attended and graduated from Olympus
The original Building

from 2010 to 2014. Both my father and uncle

graduated from Olympus along with one of my

cousins. My brother is currently attending and plans on
graduating in 2017. I chose to attend Olympus because it
was my native school and of course all my friends would
be going there. While there I had a good time and

The new building as of 2013

became close to many of the teachers and staff. When I was a sophomore I started to help
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around in the school library. There I met the school's Media administrator. We started working
together and after being a student and helping him for 3 years he offered me a job there as a
media assistant/ IT tech.

A Functionalist Perspective and Olympus High School

Functionalist perspective, also called structural-functional theory, sees society as a
structure with interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of the
individuals in that society Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) The functionalist approach really
works well and explains Olympus. Both as a whole being a public school and the need and
importance of education, and internally as staff member there to assist the teachers in that noble
and needed function.
One of the signs of a healthy, diverse expanding culture is the level of education of the
people. That is why schools are such a vital part of our society and why they play such a huge
roll in our culture and our socialization. One of the greatest things about the U.S is our public
school system. It has its problems that need to be addressed but the concept of a national
standard of education is such a key role in a society. Olympus High School provides the last few
years of needed education before one can move on to higher education. Being in a brand new
building, Olympus is more important today than before. With new technology used and
taught. The students have a great opportunity to gain valued experience and exposure to
important lessons.

As a staff member it my job to help and maintain the technological infrastructure that
makes our new school work. My part in the sub culture of education is not as well known or as
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direct as teaching. But everybody from students to teachers to administrators rely on a working
infrastructure to do their jobs and function a 21st century school experience. I get dozens of
work orders a day from teachers and staff asking for help on their computer to find lost lessons
or to help with our online grading and management software. On top of my other
responsibilities. Parents and other adults that are beyond high school today have no idea how
different schools run and work now as compared to not even a decade ago.

Age, Socialization, and Race/Ethnicity

Age
The age difference between me and the rest of the faculty has not been a cause for
problem, but it does make a difference. Olympus is an older school in teacher and staff ages. I
am the youngest staff member there who interacts with the teachers. With that the teachers take
great pride in their ability to learn and apply new teaching and technology, but there is still that
older mentality of just sit down and do it. Which causes a little conflict with the students
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now. Young adolescents to adults today have a different mindset when it comes to
management. Instead of just sit down and do it they would rather do things in small bite size
segments rather than get one big chunk and work on just that one thing.
Socialization
The social stratification structure of the school is pretty simple and very common. The
administrators (principals, vice principals, etc.) all make about the same and are paid very
well. With salaries directly related to education and experience in higher positions along with
time in the district. While all the teachers make the same wage. The salaries of teachers today
are not what they should be. Finally you see the rest of the staff members. Thats where I
reside. That includes the janitors, aids, cafeteria staff and basic office secretaries.

Race
Race is not a big deal at Olympus. We are an open group of people but Holladay, the
community that Olympus is in, and is where many of the teachers live is very white. Because of
this you dont see the racial prejudice or discrimination that can occur in other schools or areas
with multiple minorities. We are not free from any prejudice. That sadly will exists everywhere
till the end of humanity, but since there isnt a large race or religious difference. Its not a
prevailing issue.

Conclusion
Olympus High School is a key and positive function in our society. We are a high school
that teaches necessary skills and pass on knowledge that will help and better the students who
graduate and move ahead in their life. All our similarities and differences we are a good group
of teachers and staff that all have the goal of helping the students succeed. We push for
broadening your horizons and hope you learn all that you need to know to move forward with
life. We serve a great function in society and in our community.

Works Cited:
Openstax. Introduction to Sociology. Houston: Openstax College, 2015. Digital.