SOCI 4320 - Sociology of Education Description Multicultural influences on the school system and the democratic society will be examined in this course. The course will use sociological analysis to address the major problems in schools and education today.
The major sociological perspectives on education fall nicely into the functional, conflict, and symbolic interactionist approaches (Ballantine & Hammack, 2009). Table 16.1 “Theory Snapshot” summarizes what these approaches say.
Functional theory stresses the functions that education serves in fulfilling a society’s various needs. Perhaps the most important function of education is socialization. If children need to learn the norms, values, and skills they need to function in society, then education is a primary vehicle for such learning.
Education serves several functions for society. These include (a) socialization, (b) social integration, (c) social placement, and (d) social and cultural innovation. Latent functions include child care, the establishment of peer relationships, and lowering unemployment by keeping high school students out of the full-time labor force.
According to the functional perspective, education helps socialize children and prepare them for their eventual entrance into the larger society as adults. The conflict perspective emphasizes that education reinforces inequality in the larger society.
Conflict theory. Education promotes social inequality through the use of tracking and standardized testing and the impact of its “hidden curriculum.”. Schools differ widely in their funding and learning conditions, and this type of inequality leads to learning disparities that reinforce social inequality.
Education serves several functions for society. These include (a) socialization, (b) social integration, (c) social placement, and (d) social and cultural innovation. Latent functions include child care, the establishment of peer relationships, and lowering unemployment by keeping high school students out of the full-time labor force.
The conflict perspective emphasizes that education reinforces inequality in the larger society. The symbolic interactionist perspective focuses on social interaction in the classroom, on school playgrounds, and at other school-related venues.
Once a child starts kindergarten and then first grade, for several hours a day the child is taken care of for free. The establishment of peer relationships is another latent function of schooling.
For a society to work, functionalists say, people must subscribe to a common set of beliefs and values. As we saw, the development of such common views was a goal of the system of free, compulsory education that developed in the 19th century.
Perhaps the most important function of education is socialization. If children need to learn the norms, values, and skills they need to function in society, then education is a primary vehicle for such learning. Schools teach the three Rs, as we all know, but they also teach many of the society’s norms and values.
Girls tend to play more cooperative games, while boys play more competitive sports (Thorne, 1993) (see Chapter 11 “Gender and Gender Inequality” ). Another body of research shows that teachers’ views about students can affect how much the students learn.
Course Number: 1301 Credit Hours: 3 Title: Introduction to Sociology Course Description: An overview of major subjects in sociology, including sociological perspective, culture, social interaction, social stratification, gender, race and ethnicity, social groups, organizations, family, religion, population, urbanization and social changes.
Course Number: 1301 Credit Hours: 3 Title: Introduction to Sociology Course Description: An overview of major subjects in sociology, including sociological perspective, culture, social interaction, social stratification, gender, race and ethnicity, social groups, organizations, family, religion, population, urbanization and social changes.
Welcome to my blog! Through the use of this medium, I hope to discuss current issues surrounding education and to critically analyze and discuss these issues from a sociological perspective.
Welcome to my blog! Through the use of this medium, I hope to discuss current issues surrounding education and to critically analyze and discuss these issues from a sociological perspective.