Module 7

curricula

lessons taught in a specific course/program

compulsory education

legally required length of time children must attend school

educational attainment

number of years of schooling successfully completed/degrees or certificates earned

what does a highly productive economy require?

an education system large enough to create a mass labour force and rich enough to train and employ researchers able to work

what is education composed of

it is a source and product of wealth, as education requires a vicious cycle of investing money and time to become educated

how do schools make society cohesive?

they facilitate a shared understanding of the world

meritocracy

social hierarchy which rank corresponds to individual capacities fairly tested against a common standard

assortive mating

selection of partners who are similar to yourself on various social media

how did durkheim identify schools

it was a critical mechanism for transmitting shared values of a society and preparing individuals for specialized roles in a modernizing society. schools imparted knowledge and competence, but could churn out socially responsible citizens who reocgnized their obligation to the larger community

parsons

schools allocate individuals to distinct positions in the social hierarchy

conflict theorists

they identify other factors that contribute to economic success, and challenge the functionalist assumption that educational attainment is based on individual merit

social exclusion

restriction of social opportunities and positions through barriers that prevent inclusion of certain people or groups

subjugated knowledge

descriptions of events that dominant groups selectively ignore and devalue

credential inflation

where qualifying for specific jobs requires more degrees over time

professionalization

degree which certain levels and schooling are established as criteria for gaining access to an occupation

cultural capitcal

stock of learning and skills that increases the securing of a superior job

marx

emphasized the role of economic capital—ownership of the physical means of producing wealth—in sustaining inequality

pedagogic violence

bourdieu’s term for teacher’s applicaiton of punishments intended to discourage deviation from dominant culture

bourdieu and foucault

schools are institutions of social controls which docile bodies are shaped into instruments of conformity and the perpetuation of privilege

reproduction of existing stratification system

social processes that ensure offspring enter a rank or class similar or identical to that of their parents

what do symbolic interactionists emphasize

three social mechanisms to reproduce inequality; the hidden curriculum, testing and tracking, and self-fulfilling prophecies

hidden curriculum

unofficial mandate in schools that teaches obedience to authority and conformity to cultural norms

concerted cultivation

parenting style of the middle class that systematically organizes and directs children’s time to activities that prepare them for success in school

natural growth

parenting style of families in the working class and lower class that leaves children largely to their own devices, except when parents demand obedience to authority.

social involvement

not feeling like an outsider and believing that people cared what a student said

standardized test results turn on a combination of two factors

how effectively an individual absorbs what their environment offers, and how closely that environment reflects what the test includes

self-fulfilling prophecy

expectation that helps to cause what it predicts, which can influence a person’s life chances

What makes the functionalist view of education different from conflict theory?

Functionalists argue that education is critically important for socializing the next generation. In their view, the provision of mass public education generates equal opportunity for all citizens. Consequently, differential educational achievement and resulting employment success are the outcomes of individual merit. By contrast, conflict theorists argue that the educational system is biased toward the perpetuation of existing social inequalities. Children from privileged social backgrounds come to school with higher human, social, and cultural capital, which supports high achievement.