WARM-UP• With a partner:
– make a list of 3 “appropriate” or “expected” behaviors in school
– make a list of 3 “inappropriate” or “unacceptable” behaviors in school
– Next to each, write how you know—what sanctions (positive or negative) are attached?
The Sociology of Education
• A society’s future depends on successful socialization of its youth through the teaching of:
• social values and norms• necessary skills to continue the work
the previous generation
• All of these efforts are to ensure children grow up to be functioning members in their society, so the society will survive and prosper.
• -Every society has developed a system of education:
Informal education: -Socialization in preindustrial and rural societies mostly through the family.
-Norms and values are passed down along with basic skills (traditional economies).
-Informal education has give way to more formal education as society has become more complex and cultural transmission and diffusion have encouraged it.
Formal education: -Schooling—instruction by specialized teachers.
Education & the Sociological Perspectives
-Sociologists’ focus is on schooling (as opposed to informal education) since
the industrialization of most of the world’s societies.
Functionalist Perspective:
• Education is a system meant to maintain and continue the smooth operation of society through:
–Teaching knowledge & skills–Transmission of culture–Social integration–Occupational placement
Teaching knowledge and skills:
• transmitting existing knowledge through core curriculum
example: the classes you take now…
• generate new knowledge through research and problem-solving
• example: experimenting with new tech
Transmitting culture: • Passing on of society’s basic values,
norms, beliefs examples: U.S.-individualism, patriotism;
Japan-conformity, cooperation
• Tends to be done through the teaching of all other systems as being “less than” through glorification of history, and downplaying or demonizing of other societies’ actions/accomplishments
• POWERFUL AGENT OF SOCIAL CONTROL! Establishing and reinforcement of socially acceptable behavior through positive and negative sanctionsexamples: respect for authority, honesty, achievement
Social Integration: • Because many societies are
multicultural, school becomes a way for society to give members a common set of cultural values – social identity.
example: children of European immigrant in the early 1900s were “Americanized” in school
Occupational Placement: • School serves as a way to prepare & differen-
tiate members of society for different jobs depending on skills, aptitude, interest, etc.
• Testing, screening, etc. identify children at early ages.
• Critics say they put unnecessary stress on students, devalue some, “trap” students in a specific track, etc.
examples: gifted education, college entrance exams, ASVAB, vocational training
DO NOW• Turn to pg. 312 “Statistically
Speaking…”
• Analyze the information in the charts and answer the question at the bottom for each group (on your own paper).
Further Discussion…• What about gender? • Socioeconomic status? Click here
THE FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION
What do functionalist sociologists say are the FOUR purposes of education?
• Teaching knowledge & skills• Transmission of culture• Social integration• Occupational placement
Self-fulfilling
Prophecy in Education
Expectation of Authority Figure
Communication of Expectation by
Authority Figure
Student’s Action/Performance
Positive Outcome
NegativeOutcome
Positive Label Negative Label
WARM-UP:
• With a partner, think of an example of an expectation of student behavior that an authority figure (teacher, administrator, parent, boss, etc.) has.
• Create a flow chart illustrating the establishment of the resulting label (positive or negative).
Conflict Perspective:
• Education is a system meant to maintain and continue the smooth operation of society through:
–Teaching knowledge & skills–Transmission of culture–Social integration–Occupational placement
Functionalist Perspective:• Education is a system meant to sort
students into social ranks, limit the potential of some individuals and groups in order to gain and maintain power through:
-Social Control-Tracking-Status
Social Control: • Agree with functionalist perspective...• Disagree with the motivation—say it is
for creating “unquestioning citizens”• Use of “hidden curriculum” to control
example: raising your hand to go to the bathroom, talk, etc.
Tracking: • Assigning students to different
educational programs based on testing, teacher evaluation, grades, etc.
• Functionalists see this as positive—guides students toward natural abilities
• Conflict perspectives see it as creating “unquestioning citizens” through the use of “hidden curriculum” to control
example: raising your hand to go to the bathroom, talk, etc. trains students to “follow the status quo”
Status: • Western society’s placing of a strong
relationship between education & income/success.
• Functionalists see this as positive—opportunities to advance
• Conflict perspectives see it as a way to perpetuate class stratificationexample: wealthy families place high expectations to go to college, whereas lower-class families must often place high value on getting a “good” job.
Interactionist Perspective:
• Tries to explain changes & consistencies in society found in interaction and shared
meaning through:
–Student-teacher interaction–Interaction among students
Student-Teacher Interaction: • How students respond to teacher
expectations based on social factors such as labeling.
Recent studies:• Students stratified by class who receive praise
progressed, students receiving little attention didn’t
• More time given to struggling students = success when teacher made no class distinction
• Self-fulfilling prophesy: A prediction or expectation which
leads to behavior that makes the prediction a reality.
example: A student tries very hard and participates, despite sometimes answering a question incorrectly. The teacher praises her efforts, so she studies hard for the test and earns a good grade. The teacher gives her a coupon for a cookie from the cafeteria.
Interaction among Students: • Coleman Report—sociological report on
school inequality which found that above all else, socioeconomic status of fellow students determined student success.
—led to the shift from school desegregation to integration.
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