Why Go to Why Go to College?College?

Continued…Continued…

Soc Lexicon termsSoc Lexicon terms Warm up: biographies in context Warm up: biographies in context

(the prevalence of college education (the prevalence of college education over time)over time)

Higher education in historyHigher education in history Who goes to collegeWho goes to college

New Soc Lexicon TermsNew Soc Lexicon Terms

social desirability effectssocial desirability effects Responding to questions the way you think the Responding to questions the way you think the

questioner wants you toquestioner wants you to population and samplepopulation and sample

A population is a group of interest; a sample is a A population is a group of interest; a sample is a subset of a population. When properly drawn, a subset of a population. When properly drawn, a sample allows one to generalize to the populationsample allows one to generalize to the population

SocializationSocialization A process whereby individuals gain the values, A process whereby individuals gain the values,

behaviors, norms, and habits of a group of which behaviors, norms, and habits of a group of which they are a part.they are a part.

First Question: First Question: Why go to Why go to college?college?

Why are you here at the UW? How Why are you here at the UW? How did you get to college? What is your did you get to college? What is your personal biography?personal biography?

Some possible reasonsSome possible reasons

To get a better job To get a better job what is the relationship between what is the relationship between

education and occupation/wages/status?education and occupation/wages/status? Is there social mobility in the US?Is there social mobility in the US?

Family Expectations Family Expectations why do families expect their children to why do families expect their children to

go to college?go to college? To learn somethingTo learn something

How are these reasons How are these reasons shaped by our social shaped by our social

environment?environment?

Our biographies in context

History of universitiesHistory of universities

Early educational institutions in India, Early educational institutions in India, Persia, GreecePersia, Greece

European-style Universities (degree European-style Universities (degree granting):granting): University of Magnaura in Constantinople University of Magnaura in Constantinople

(Istanbul) 849(Istanbul) 849 Bologna 1088,Bologna 1088, Paris 11Paris 11thth c. c. Oxford 11Oxford 11thth c. c. Harvard 1636Harvard 1636 UW 1861UW 1861

Who Goes to College Who Goes to College Now?Now?

64 % of the 3 million High School 64 % of the 3 million High School graduates in 2003 went directly to graduates in 2003 went directly to collegecollege 67% of women graduates67% of women graduates 61% of male graduates61% of male graduates

66% of non-hispanic whites66% of non-hispanic whites 58% of blacks58% of blacks 84 % of Asians84 % of Asians

Given these facts, Why do Given these facts, Why do some people go to college some people go to college

and some people not?and some people not? Why might there be differences in Why might there be differences in

the characteristics of who does, and the characteristics of who does, and who does not, go to college?who does not, go to college?

For example, For example, who drops out?who drops out?

Next:Next:

Ideas about the function and Ideas about the function and organization of schooling…organization of schooling… TrainingTraining TrackingTracking learninglearning