Sociology in Modules

Sociology in Modules Education

Education 14 • Module 42: Sociological Perspectives on Education • Module 43: Schools as Formal Organizations

A Look Ahead • Do public schools offer everyone a way up the socioeconomic ladder, or do they reinforce divisions among social classes? • What is the “hidden curriculum” in U.S. schools? • What have sociologists learned about the latest trends in education?

Sociological Perspectives on Education Module 42 • Education is social institution that formally socializes members of society • Proportion of people age 25 or over with a high school diploma increased from 41% in 1960 to more than 86% in 2008 • Proportion with a college degree rose from 8% in 1960 to 29% in 2008

Functionalist View Module 42 • Transmitting Culture • Exposing young people to existing beliefs, norms, and values of their culture • Internet offers new and potentially revolutionary way to transmit culture • Promoting Social and Political Integration • Common identity and social integration fostered by education contributes to societal stability and consensus

Functionalist View Module 42 • Maintaining Social Control • Schools teach students punctuality, discipline, scheduling, responsible work habits, and how to negotiate a bureaucratic organization • Serving as an Agent of Change Schools serve as a meeting ground where people can share distinctive beliefs and traditions

Conflict View Module 42 • Education is instrument of elite domination • Schools socialize students into values dictated by the powerful and stifle individualism and creativity to promote relatively insignificant change

Conflict View Module 42 • The Hidden Curriculum: Standards of behavior deemed proper by society are taught subtly in schools Credentialism: Increase in the lowest level of education needed to enter a field

Conflict View Module 42 • Bestowal of Status • Schools tend to preserve social class inequalities in each new generation • Tracking: Practice of placing students in specific curriculum groups on the basis of test scores and other criteria • Correspondence principle: Promotes values expected of individuals in each social class; perpetuate social class divisions

Feminist Views Module 42 • In 20th century, sexism found in: • Stereotypes in textbooks • Pressure to study traditional women’s subjects • Unequal funding for athletics • Employment bias • Women have made strides in continuing education

Interactionist View Module 42 • Labeling approach suggests that if people are treated in particular ways, they may fulfill expectations Teacher-expectancy effect: Impact of teacher expectations and their large role on student performance

Figure 42-1: Higher Education Completion Rates (BA/BS), Selected Countries Module 42

Figure 42-2: Annual Median Earnings by Educational Level Module 43

Figure 42-3: Foreign Students by Major Countries of Origin and Destination Module 42

Figure 42-4: Tuition Costs, 1976 – 2007 Module 42

Table 42-1: Sociological Perspectives on Education Module 42

Sociology on Campus Module 42 • Google University • Do you prefer to do your reading online or in a magazine, newspaper, or book? • Have you participated in any social or political causes or volunteered your time while on campus? Did you use the Internet to organize or disseminate information about your activities?

Bureaucratization of Schools Module 43 • Weber: characteristics of bureaucracy: • Division of labor • Hierarchy of authority • Written rules and regulations • Impersonality • Employment based on technical qualifications

Teachers: Employees and Instructors Module 43 • Teachers undergo many stresses • Between a quarter and a third of new teachers quit within their first 3 years • Fewer students choose teaching as career due to perceived low income • In 2009, 4.1% first-year college students were interested in elementary education and 4.4% in high school education

Student Subcultures Module 43 • In colleges: • Collegiate subculture • Academic subculture • Vocational subculture • Nonconformist subculture • Each student is exposed to competing subcultures and must determine which seems most in line with his or her feelings and interests

Homeschooling Module 43 • About 1.5 million schooled at home • Some theorists cite lack of social involvement as problem • Good alternative for children with ADHD and learning disabilities • Homeschooled children score higher on standardized tests

Research Today Module 43 • Violence in the Schools • Has a shooting or other violent episode ever occurred at your school. Do you feel safer at school than at home? • What steps have administrators at your school taken to prevent violence? Have they been effective, or should other steps be taken?

Figure 43-1: Average Salary for Teachers Module 43

Figure 43-2: College Campuses by Race and Ethnicity: Then, Now, and in the Future Module 43

Module 43 No Child Left Behind Program • Understanding the Issue • Too many U.S. public schools failing to educate students • In 2001, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) enacted by Congress • Supporters charged act not enforced stringently enough • Opponents felt legislation went too far

Module 43 No Child Left Behind Program • Understanding the Issue • Schools in U.S. locally run and financed with some federal and state aid • National educational standards established in 1990s • NCLB built on national standards and set penalties for failure to meet standards • Every student to be proficient in reading and mathematics by 2014 • Debate about how best to offer high-quality schooling to all children

Module 43 No Child Left Behind Program • Applying Sociology • Objectives of common curricular promotes social integration • Testing is controversial • Validity: the degree to which a scale or measure truly reflects the phenomenon under study • Reliability: extent to which a measure provides consistent results

Module 43 No Child Left Behind Program • Initiating Policy • Educational reformers have yet to find solution that fits all schools in all states • Independent commission advocated maintaining 2014 goals even though only small portion of nation’s schools would reach objectives (1997)

Sociology in Modules