1. The Sociology of Education
Perspectives and Issues of Education

2. Importance of Education
Education- consists of roles and norms that ensure the transmission of knowledge, values, and patterns of behavior from one generation to the next
Needed to teach children the norms, values, behavior patterns, knowledge, and skills that are necessary for functioning members of each society

3. Educational Differences
Small Preindustrial Societies:
Informal and occurs mainly through the family
Skills taught: cooking, pottery making, food gathering, hunting, fishing, etc.
Larger Industrial Societies:
Schooling- formal education which involves instruction by specially trained teachers who follow officially recognized policies

4. Functionalist Perspective on Education
Educational systems function to main the stability and smooth operation of society

5. Functionalist Perspective: Teaching Knowledge and Skills
Schools use a core curriculum, a set of courses, that includes the different knowledge and skills they will need
Geography, history, math, science, language and literature, foreign languages, etc.
Transmits existing knowledge and skills but also generates new knowledge
Critical thinking skills to develop solutions to new problems

6. Functionalist Perspective: Transmission of Culture
Must pass on core values of own culture
Must learn social norms, values, and beliefs
Schools also teach patriotism, loyalty, and socially acceptable forms of behavior
Emphasis on free-enterprise system, individualism, and democracy--core American values
Other societies use education to teach children to support their communities’ own social and political systems
Example: Japan teaches conformity, cooperation, group loyalty, and respect for elders
One approach--to emphasis the country’s accomplishments and downplay/ignore the country’s less positive aspects
Teaches socially acceptable forms of behavior
Punctuality, obeying rules, respecting authority, etc. taught through rewards and punishments
Schools are so powerful at teaching social control due to their authority figures

7. Functionalist Perspective: Social Integration
Education serves to produce a society of individuals who share a common national identity
Different religions, ethnicities, and racial groups
Historically, schools were told they needed to teach one American set of cultural values and skills to everyone and to “Americanize” immigrant students by eliminating all traces of their cultural backgrounds
Now, schools try to help students understand how their racial and ethnic heritages contribute to a richer American culture but still try to foster social integration and a national unity

8. Functionalist Perspective: Occupational Placement
Education serves to screen and select members of society for the work they will do as adults
Some societies do this based on status (family background or wealth)
Some societies do this based on achievements
Industrialized societies test and evaluate students from an early age and then will be assigned to honors/college-prep classes or vocational/non-college prep classes
The ones who are in college-prep classes will go on to hold the more “important” jobs
For example, Japanese students must pass an entrance exam to be admitted into universities. To pass this exam, they may have tutors, complete a massive amount of homework, attend “cram schools,” etc. These practices have come into question due to the pressures students face.

9. Conflict Perspective on Education
The education system serves to limit the potential of certain individuals and groups to gain power and social rewards

10. Conflict Perspective: Social Control
Both conflict perspective and functionalist perspective believe school is an agent of social control
Functionalist- social control is to produce citizens who share common set of values.
Conflictist- social control serves to produce unquestioning citizens who accept the basic inequalities of social system. Most individuals are unaware of this process.
Hidden Curriculum- transmission by schools of cultural goals that are not openly acknowledged
Teaches a conservative set of values that center on obedience to authority and serves the dominant groups in society by helping them maintain their position of power
Students who are labeled as having behavior problems are watched closely

11. Conflict Perspective: Tracking
Tracking- assigning students to different types of educational programs
Based on intelligence and aptitude test scores, classroom grades, and teacher evaluations
Stated educational goal: Students can work at their own pace by grouping them with students of similar ability
Conflict theorists view as a means by which wealthy and powerful maintain position in society
Methods of classroom instruction used in different tracks serve to maintain status quo
Higher-track classes have critical thinking, problem solving, and creative writing skills
Lower-track classes have classroom drills and memorization
Emphasis on conforming and cooperation
These methods relate to type of jobs individuals will have as adults

12. Conflict Perspective: Education and Socioeconomic Status
Conflict theorists argue that opportunities for educational success and social mobility are distributed unequally
High-income students are much more likely to attend college regardless of their achievement in school
Socio-economic status and race overlap greatly, so it is much more likely for Hispanics and African Americans to drop out of high school

13. Conflict Perspective: Education and Socioeconomic Status Cont’d
Socioeconomic status affects distribution of educational achievements:
Expectations families have for children’s achievement differ by class
Higher-status families believe their children will succeed and will then motivate them
Lower-status families may stress value of getting a good job over higher education because they may believe education is not the key to success
2. Higher-status families can give a better home environment conductive to
learning
Higher-status families have toys and books that stimulate thought and creativity. They are also more likely to be exposed to cultural events
3. Higher-status families are more likely able to afford college tuition

15. Interactionist Perspective on Education
Students’ educational achievements and success are shaped in part by teacher-student interaction

16. Interactionist Perspective
Studies have found that whatever expectations teachers have of students, regardless of their background, students will meet these expectations
In a study by Ray Rist, he found that in one class, a teacher placed students into groups based on social class. Fast learners were from the middle class and slower learners were from the lower class.
In a study by Eigil Pedersen and Terese Annette Faucher, they found that a teacher who had the same high expectations of all of her students had students who achieved much higher regardless of backgrounds or abilities.
In a study by Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson, they randomly told grad students which ones would do better and the ones who were told they would do better ended up performing better.

17. Issues in American Education

18. Educational Reform A decline in quality of American education
Behind several other industrialized countries in math, science, and literacy skills
Not keeping pace with technological change
The National Commission on Excellence in Education created new recommendations for more demanding curriculum, emphasis on achievement, and stricter requirements for graduation
In 1994 Congress passed Goals 2000: Educate America Act in order to improve the quality of education and set several goals. Although these were not met by 2000, improvement had been made.

19. Educational Reform: No Child Left Behind
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)--2001
Increased accountability
More choices for parents and students
Greater flexibility for states, school districts, and schools
Putting reading first (everyone will be able to read by the end of 3rd grade)
In 2010, the Obama Administration sent Congress a Blueprint for Reform of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to address issues with NCLB. Congress has not acted to reauthorize ESEA, so the Administration has worked towards giving states flexibility within NCLB.

20. Educational Reform: Pros and Cons of NCLB
Test scores have improved especially among minority groups
Overall achievement gap between minorities and whites has decreased
Percentage of classes taught by highly qualified teachers has increased
Nearly 450,000 eligible students have received free supplemental education or public school choice
Regular testing allows schools to identify students who need additional services
Increased school choice is an incentive for administration and teachers to do well
Not enough funding for programs
Achievement only based on multiple-choice standardized tests
Teachers “teach to the test” thus students fail to learn creativity and personal relativity
All students are held to the same achievement level regardless of background
Intense focus ONLY on math and reading
Mixed feelings about effectiveness of NCLB in raising math and reading levels
Hard to compare national scores when states evaluate skills differently

21. Educational Alternatives
Charter Schools- funded with public money but are privately operated and run. Charter of operation received by education department or local school board.
Gives schools freedom in the way it operates and may free the school from many regulations public schools follow
Charter may be canceled if goals are not met or the school goes against charter conditions
Contract Schools- similar to charter schools, but are run by private, for- profit businesses

22. Educational Alternatives Cont’d
School Choice- movement to provide alternatives to public school systems to which parents can choose to send their children
Voucher Program: A parent receives a voucher equal to the amount his state spends on education for his child and may pay tuition at the school of their choice (charter, private, religious, or public).
13 states have a voucher program and have strict guidelines for being eligible for a voucher. Some of those guidelines are based on the following:
Disabilities and/or IEPs
Living in school districts that are underperforming
Low income

23. Educational Alternatives Cont’d
Homeschooling- system in which a child’s main education is undertaken by parents at home
Between million students are homeschooled (3-4%)
Critics believe homeschooling curriculum is not broad enough and that parents do not have strong teaching skills
Homeschooled students do just as well or better than public school students on standardized tests and are just as likely to attend college

24. Reasons for Homeschooling

25. School Violence
Fears of violence in the school are generated by violent incidents
Columbine High School shootings in 1999
Most crimes in schools are less serious, but serious violent crimes do happen
Teachers are often victims of violent incidents
Although there can be violence in schools, students are twice as likely to be involved in a violent crime outside of school than at school
Zero tolerance policies have been enacted to help prevent violence in schools
Many believe best approach to prevent violence is implementing educational programs that teach conflict resolution skills

26. English as a Second Language
Bilingual Education- system of education in which non-English-speaking students are taught in their native languages until they are prepared to attend classes taught in English
Lau v. Nichols required schools to provide language programs for students with limited proficiency in English
Some believe this interferes with assimilation of students and that it may take too long to learn English and they will meanwhile lose critical language development skills
Some states have passed laws making English the state’s official language and have or have tried to end bilingual education in their state