AU26 Sociology 1102 Chapter 12: Education & Society

education

the transmission of society’s norms, values, and knowledge base by means of direct instruction

formal education

education that occurs within academic institutions such as schools

mass education

the extension of formal schooling to wide segments of the population

literacy

the ability to read and write at a basic level

• Increasing literacy rates became one of the first goals of education systems

public education

a universal education system provided by the government and funded by tax revenues rather than student fees

• This is how the public schools in the U.S. currently work (i.e., your tax money helps pay for public schools)

credential society

a society in which access to desirable jobs and social status depends on the possession of a certificate or diploma certifying the completion of formal education

• The U.S. today is considered a credential society

functionalist perspective on education

focus on the benefits that education provides to society and how education systems help to keep society moving forward

• Durkheim argued that education plays an important role in maintaining modern societies.

• Specifically, Durkheim argued that education systems helped to maintain organic societies

• Durkheim argued that societies that were once held together by mechanical solidarity (connections based on likeness) transitioned to organic solidarity and social ties weakened

• Durkheim believed that mass education helped alleviate the problem of weakened social ties by teaching norms and values necessary to produce and maintain social solidarity

• Durkheim also argued for a moral education, where schools would not just teach practical skills, but also teach students how to understand their role in society

• Functionalism assumes that credentials are awarded to people based on ability and merit, where conflict theorists critique this stance by arguing that schools favor those who come from advantaged backgrounds

manifest functions

the overt or primary purposes of an institution/social factor

latent functions

the secondary purposes of an institution/social factor (not necessarily why something is done/created, but a consequence of the institution that still provides a benefit)

conflict perspective on education

conflict perspectives agree that education systems train people to learn norms, values, skills, and work habits.

• However, conflict theorists highlight that the things taught in schools tend to reflect the values, behaviors, and beliefs of dominant social groups

• Conflict theorists argue that poor and working class children have

  fewer opportunities to demonstrate their talents and abilities in

  education systems because of a lack of opportunities

• highlights the patterns of behaviors and values that children learn in education systems (specifically working-class students)

• focuses on inequality of opportunity

• Students in lower-income areas are more likely to attend underfunded schools (schools that do not receive as much funding because there are fewer tax dollars to pay for the school).

• These students are more likely to receive a lower-quality education compared to wealthier students.

• Without a higher-quality education, these students may struggle to attend college.

• Without a college degree, job opportunities are limited, which can perpetuate a cycle of poverty

hidden curriculum

• idea is that working class children are socialized in a way that teaches them to accept their lower class position (i.e., go for working class jobs because the other occupations are out of your reach)

symbolic interactionist perspectives

tend to focus on labeling.

• As we mentioned during our week on deviance, if a student is labeled as a “bad student” it can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy.

• This can be connected back to the conflict perspective where a student may have outside social factors that limit their ability in the classroom.

• If that student is unable to complete their work, they may be labeled as a bad student

Is college worth it?

Yes!