1. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 1 SOCIOLOGY Richard T. Schaefer Education 16

2. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 2 16. Education Sociological Perspectives on Education Schools as Formal Organizations Social Policy and Education

3. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 3 Sociological Perspectives on Education Functionalist View –Manifest functions include: Transmission of knowledge Bestowal of status –Latent functions include: Transmitting culture Promoting social and political integration Maintaining social control Serving as agent of change

4. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 4 Sociological Perspectives on Education Functionalist View –Transmitting Culture Exposing young people to existing beliefs, norms, and values of their culture –Promoting Social and Political Integration Common identity and social integration fostered by education contribute to societal stability and consensus

5. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 5 Sociological Perspectives on Education Functionalist View –Maintaining Social Control Schools teach students punctuality, discipline, scheduling, and responsible work habits, and how to negotiate through a bureaucratic organization –Serving as an Agent of Change Schools serve as meeting ground where people can share distinctive beliefs and traditions

6. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 6 Sociological Perspectives on Education Conflict View –Education is an instrument of elite domination –Schools socialize students into values dictated by the powerful

7. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 7 Sociological Perspectives on Education Conflict View –The Hidden Curriculum Standards of behavior deemed proper by society are taught subtly in schools –Credentialism An increase in the lowest level of education needed to enter a field

8. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 8 Sociological Perspectives on Education Conflict View –Bestowal of Status Schools tend to preserve social class inequalities in each new generation Schools can reinforce class differences by putting students in tracks Tracking: practice of placing students in specific curriculum groups on basis of test scores and other criteria Correspondence Principle: schools promote the values expected of individuals in each social class and perpetuate social class divisions from one generation to the next

9. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 9 Sociological Perspectives on Education Conflict View –Treatment of Women in Education The U.S educational system long characterized by discriminatory treatment of women

10. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 10 Sociological Perspectives on Education Conflict View –Treatment of Women in Education In 20th century, sexism in education included: –Stereotypes in textbooks –Pressure on women to study traditional women’s subjects –Unequal funding for men’s and women’s athletic programs –Employment bias for administrators and teachers

11. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 11 Sociological Perspectives on Education Interactionist View –Labeling and self-fulfilling prophecy suggest if we treat people in particular ways, they may fulfill our expectations. Teacher-Expectation Effect: impact of teacher expectations and their large role on student performance

12. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 12 Sociological Perspectives on Education Figure 16-1. Percentage of Adults Ages 25 to 64 Who Have Completed Higher Educations, Selected Countries, 2001 Sources: Bureau of the Census 2004a:851

13. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 13 Sociological Perspectives on Education Table 16-1. Sociological Perspectives on Education

14. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 14 Schools as Formal Organizations –Weber noted five characteristics of bureaucracy: Division of labor Hierarchy of authority Written rules and regulations Impersonality Employment based on technical qualifications Bureaucratization of Schools

15. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 15 Schools as Formal Organizations –Teachers’ academic assignments have become more specialized Still must control social order –20% of new teachers quit within 3 years –Fewer students choose teaching as career due to perceived low income Teachers: Employees and Instructors

16. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 16 Schools as Formal Organizations Homeschooling –More than 1.6 million children homeschooled Good alternative for children with ADHD and LD Lacks universal uniform standards from state to state Research shows homeschooled children score higher on standardized tests Some theorist cite lack of social involvement as problem with home schooling

17. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 17 Social Policy and Education No Child Left Behind Program –The Issue In 2001, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) enacted by Congress By mid 2005, Utah threatened to opt our 37 other states demanded major changes

18. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 18 Social Policy and Education No Child Left Behind Program –The Setting Schools locally run and finances with some federal and state aid 1990’s establish national educational standards By mid 2005, Utah threatened to opt our 37 other states demanded major changes States insist they require more federal funds

19. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 19 Social Policy and Education No Child Left Behind Program –Sociological Policy Validity: the degree to which a scale or measure truly reflects the phenomenon under study Reliability: extent to which a measure provides consistent results Reliability and validity of tests are major issues in controversy of NCLB

20. McGraw-Hill© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 20 No Child Left Behind Program –Policy Initiatives Social Policy and Education Educational reformers have yet to find solution that fits all schools in all states Many educators see NCLB as their best hope