What Is What Is Sociology Of Sociology Of Education?Education?

KEY ISSUES• “N” Of One

• What Is An “N”?• Central Tendency Is The Key

• Sociology vs. Journalism• Audience• Focus• Approach

• Other Sociology Basics• Unit Of Analysis• What We Think Creates Behavior Differences

Only nineteen percent (19%) Only nineteen percent (19%) of you went to private of you went to private school. That number is usually in the 30’sschool. That number is usually in the 30’s

Eighty-six percent (86%) Eighty-six percent (86%) of you said that good grades of you said that good grades were “very important” to you in high school. That were “very important” to you in high school. That

number is usually in the 70’s.number is usually in the 70’s.

Seventy-six percent (76%) Seventy-six percent (76%) of your mothers have of your mothers have bachelor’s degrees. That’s up from 69%bachelor’s degrees. That’s up from 69%

Seventy percent (70%) Seventy percent (70%) of your fathers have of your fathers have bachelor’s degrees. That’s down from 82%bachelor’s degrees. That’s down from 82%

““N” Of Twenty Ok?N” Of Twenty Ok?

Vanderbilt has 6796 undergradsSample Size (N) for this data is

20

A Bell CurveA Bell Curve

KEY ISSUES• “N” Of One

• What Is An “N”?• Central Tendency Is The Key

• Sociology vs. Journalism• Audience: Primarily Other Social Scientists• Focus: Methods Of Investigation, Theories of

Explanation, and Claims of Originality• Approach: The Scientific Method (coming up with

hypotheses, testing those hypotheses, ensuring they are verifiable)

• Other Sociology Basics• Unit Of Analysis• What We Think Creates Behavior Differences

KEY ISSUES• “N” Of One

• What Is An “N”?• Central Tendency Is The Key

• Sociology vs. JournalismSociology vs. Journalism• AudienceAudience• FocusFocus• ApproachApproach

• Other Sociology BasicsOther Sociology Basics• Unit Of Analysis: Unit Of Analysis: Individuals And SocietiesIndividuals And Societies• What We Think Creates Behavior Differences: What We Think Creates Behavior Differences: PrimarilyPrimarily

Social Dynamics and Social ContextSocial Dynamics and Social Context

Education V. Education V. SchoolingSchoolingEducationEducation: learning about the important : learning about the important

knowledge and ways of a groupknowledge and ways of a group

SchoolingSchooling: the social institution through : the social institution through which society provides its members with which society provides its members with “the important knowledge and ways of “the important knowledge and ways of the group”the group”• It is more organized than educationIt is more organized than education

• It is more limited than education, but has It is more limited than education, but has great influence great influence • Highly valued . . takes up huge amounts of Highly valued . . takes up huge amounts of timetime• Highly valued . . . we spend lots of money on Highly valued . . . we spend lots of money on itit• Highly valued . . . it employs lots of peopleHighly valued . . . it employs lots of people