Chapter 13

Chapter 13 Education Sociology and Education Education Transferal of the knowledge, values, and beliefs of a society from one generation to the next Formal education Transmission of knowledge, skills, and attitudes from one generation to the next through systematic training Schools Places of formal educational instruction Education in the U.S. Decentralized control Local and independent schools Mass education Education is essential for democracy Industrialization required expanded knowledge Practicality Education must be relevant to people’s lives Credentialism Skills and knowledge validated Educational inflation: overeducated for a job Education in Japan Conformity, selectivity, standardization Schools must prepare students to properly fit into society Effort is key to success People have similar abilities Strong family obligation to learning Serious schooling Hard work, long hours, juku Limited other life choices National exams lead to placement Thorough education for vast majority Low scores produce shame Education and Inequality Education and Racial-Ethnic Segregation 1954 Supreme Court Decision “Neighborhood Schools” Busing White Flight Education and Language Education, Testing, and Inequality SAT and ACT Education and Gender Education and Tracking Mandatory Busing Court ordered desegregation 1954 Supreme Court decision White flight and backlash School segregation persists Poor minorities schools deteriorate Race or class? Neighborhood schools preferred Magnet schools Alternative offers specialized curriculum available to all Language Instruction What language will be used for teaching? English is traditionally used for mainstream students Large immigration population Native language instruction Costly where many different languages spoken Encourages social isolation Mainstream language immersion Encourage English language abilities quickly Testing Standardized placement tests Test bias Minorities scores are different from whites Cultural and social class experiences differ Cultural literacy People should have the basic information to thrive in modern world Common culture and curriculum should be created Multiculturalists advocate educational diversity Curriculum should reflect diversity Gender Bias Education: individual achievement Interpreted differently for males and females Domestic roles taught for females Academic emphasis for males Today, more opportunities for women Non sexist attitudes promoted Gender discrimination illegal Schools and “Choice” Right to attend school of choice with public support Public schools are “failing” Vouchers for private schools Religious schools could receive public funding Curriculum can vary Taxpayers fund public schools Freedom to choose schools exist already “choice” threat to neighborhood, community and public schools Loss of curriculum consistency Decline of educational standards No Child Left Behind NCLB Act passed by Congress in 2001 Requires annual testing Satisfactory attainment Sanctions Opponents Teaching to the test Greater inequality among schools Schools and Functionalism The educational institution provides important social functions Socialization Formal learning in schools Hidden curriculum teaches important values Integration into society Schools help assimilate newcomers Social placement Schools sort people according to ability Ability leads to placement in social positions Schools and the Conflict Perspective Educational system perpetuates social inequality Success defined by wealthy and powerful Working class and poor have disadvantage Access to private, prestigious schools limited Exceptional educational opportunities are not available to non-wealthy Perpetuates inequality Structural arrangements perpetuate inequality Tracking: social class bias limits future opportunities Symbolic Interaction and Schools The school influences social roles and development of self Teacher definitions Student labeling creates a “self-fulfilling prophecy” “Good learners” gain confidence “Poor learners” failures reinforced May effect ultimate career choices Other shared definitions attitudes may be shaped by cultural diversity Concept Web Education Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style * * * Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style * * * Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style * * * Chapter 13 Education Sociology and Education Education Transferal of the knowledge, values, and beliefs of a society from one generation to the next Formal education Transmission of knowledge, skills, and attitudes from one generation to the next through systematic training Schools Places of formal educational instruction Education in the U.S. Decentralized control Local and independent schools Mass education Education is essential for democracy Industrialization required expanded knowledge Practicality Education must be relevant to people’s lives Credentialism Skills and knowledge validated Educational inflation: overeducated for a job Education in Japan Conformity, selectivity, standardization Schools must prepare students to properly fit into society Effort is key to success People have similar abilities Strong family obligation to learning Serious schooling Hard work, long hours, juku Limited other life choices National exams lead to placement Thorough education for vast majority Low scores produce shame Education and Inequality Education and Racial-Ethnic Segregation 1954 Supreme Court decision “Neighborhood Schools” Busing White flight Education and Language Education, Testing, and Inequality SAT and ACT Education and Gender Education and Tracking Mandatory Busing Court ordered desegregation 1954 Supreme Court decision White flight and backlash School segregation persists Poor minorities schools deteriorate Race or class? Neighborhood schools preferred Magnet schools Alternative offers specialized curriculum available to all Language Instruction What language will be used for teaching? English is traditionally used for mainstream students Large immigration population Native language instruction Costly where many different languages spoken Encourages social isolation Mainstream language immersion Encourage English language abilities quickly Testing Standardized placement tests Test bias Minorities’ scores are different from whites’ Cultural and social class experiences differ Cultural literacy People should have the basic information to thrive in modern world Common culture and curriculum should be created Multiculturalists advocate educational diversity Curriculum should reflect diversity Gender Bias Education: individual achievement Interpreted differently for males and females Domestic roles taught for females Academic emphasis for males Today, more opportunities for women Non-sexist attitudes promoted Gender discrimination illegal Schools and “Choice” Right to attend school of choice with public support Public schools are “failing” Vouchers for private schools Religious schools could receive public funding Curriculum can vary Taxpayers fund public schools Freedom to choose schools exists already “choice” threat to neighborhood, community, and public schools Loss of curriculum consistency Decline of educational standards No Child Left Behind NCLB Act passed by Congress in 2001 Requires annual testing Satisfactory attainment Sanctions Opponents Teaching to the test Greater inequality among schools Schools and Functionalism The educational institution provides important social functions Socialization Formal learning in schools Hidden curriculum teaches important values Integration into society Schools help assimilate newcomers Social placement Schools sort people according to ability Ability leads to placement in social positions Schools and the Conflict Perspective Educational system perpetuates social inequality Success defined by wealthy and powerful Working class and poor have disadvantage Access to private, prestigious schools limited Exceptional educational opportunities are not available to non-wealthy Perpetuates inequality Structural arrangements perpetuate inequality Tracking: social class bias limits future opportunities Symbolic Interaction and Schools The school influences social roles and development of self Teacher definitions Student labeling creates a “self-fulfilling prophecy” “Good learners” gain confidence “Poor learners” failures reinforced May effect ultimate career choices Other shared definitions attitudes may be shaped by cultural diversity CONCEPT WEB Education