SOC100 - Lecture 2 The sociology of education

Why did public education become compulsory?

* provided training for jobs to help businesses and the economy grow
* helped with democracy and functioning government institutions
* helped reduce class differences and class inequality by accessibility

what is the overall trend in education?

* the number of people attending post secondary institutions is increasing

Ideal types

* mental construct or thought exercise where you observe things of the same type and try to find common elements to form an ideal construct based on what they all have in common

what is the key to ideal type?

* letting go of specific differences and details and seeing the commonalities

what are the main points of structural functionalism?

* human behaviour is governed by relatively stable patterns of social relations/structures
* social structures maintain or undermine social stability
* social structures are mainly based on shared values or preferences
* re establishing equilibrium can best solve most social problems

how do you describe someone who is “strait-laced”?

* follows society’s rules


* sees the good in every part of society
* believes that society is a stable set up

how would you analyze issues from a structural functionalist’s perspective?

* look at different parts of society and try to identify the relationships between them
* problem solving through a big picture/holistic perspective
* everything serves a purpose

why is the human body a good analogy for structural functionalism?

* there are different parts that do different things but every part serves a purpose
* everything is connected

what are the 3 main functions of the education system?

* selection/sorting
* socialization
* job training

what does the theory of stratification argue?

* different jobs have different levels of importance and difficulty
* you need to reward important difficult jobs with higher compensation
* motivation for people to pursue them

what is meritocracy

* a system of rewards based on personal attributes and demonstrated abilities

what is the opposite of meritocracy?

* a system based on nepotism, favoritism, bias, prejudice, preference and discrimination

how is meritocracy now ensured ?

* by free and public education

what is a manifest function? what an example of one in the education system?

* an intended function
* sorting people according to a fair and open competition

How is socialization used in the public education system?

* fostering patriotism through national anthems
* learning the importance of exercise and healthy food
* reaffirming respect, accepting diversity, and no bullying
* saying no to drugs and alcohol

what are divisive topics in education?

* sex education
* teaching different gender identities/sexualities
* nation’s history of racism

what are structural functionalists opinions on these divisive topics?

* beneficial to developing and re affirming shared values
* platform for discussion

human capital theory

* education is necessary to improve economic or productive capacity of a population.
* well educated population will be able to work more effectively and creatively

what are the main advantage of human capital?

* skills and knowledge obtained through education is inalienable
* employers prefer educated workers especially due to the increase in globalization

conflict theory

* society is made up of different groups with different interests that compete for power and resources

how does the conflict theory analyze society?

* looks at which groups have power and benefit from a social arrangement

who is karl marx?

* started the conflict theory
* looked at the bourgeoisie and how they exploited the proletariat

bourgeoisie

very wealthy who own means of production

proletariat

those who must sell their labor to survive

what are the four main principles of conflict theory?

* focuses on large, macro-level structures like relations between socio-economic classes
* major patterns of inequality in society produce social stability in some circumstances and social change in others
* members of a privileged group try to maintain their advantaged while subordinate groups struggle to increase theirs
* decreasing privilege will lower the level of conflict and increase the sum total of human welfare

what is the conflict theory on selection/sorting in education?

* meritocratic nature of education is overstated
* considers equality of opportunity but ignores equality of condition
* education system reproduces class inequality

equality of opportunity

* equal access/opportunity to the competition

equality of condition

* differences in material conditions that make someone more or less likely to succeed in the competition

equality

* a state of being equal

equity

* a state of being fair and impartial

overt disadvantage

* very clear and not at all hidden
* ex: sexism, racism

subtle discrimination

* difficult to analyze or describe

systemic disadvantage

* related to the structures and systems of society itself

what are Pierre Bourdieu’s distinctions between the 3 capitals?

* economic capital
* social capital
* cultural capital

economic capital

* one’s economic resources like money, wealth, property

social capital

* social networks and the shared norms, values and understanding tied to who one knows and associated with

cultural capital

skills, tastes/preferences, habits, clothing, mannerisms and other symbolic elements that reflect one’s class

what is a latent effect? what is an example of one in education?

* unintended consequence
* reproducing class inequality and then justifying this inequality as fair

what is the conflict theory on socialization in education?

* education is socializing children into a hidden curriculum
* being obedient and not questioning authority

what are the two levels of analysis in sociology?

* macro-sociology
* micro-sociology

macro-sociology

* looks at the big picture
* suggests how social problems are affected at a large structural scale

what are examples of macro-sociology theories?

* structural functionalism
* conflict theory

micro sociology

* concerned with the social psychological dynamics of individuals interacting
* meaning and interaction
* example: symbolic interactionism

what are the four key principles of symbolic interactionism?

* focuses on face-to-face communication or interaction in micro-level settings
* an adequate explanation of social behaviour requires understanding the subjective meanings people attach to their social circumstances
* people help to create their social circumstances and do not merely react to them
* validates unpopular and nonofficial viewpoints by underscoring the subjective meanings people create in small social settings

increases understanding and tolerance of people who may be different than us

labelling theory

* how we label something is intrinsically linked to how it is viewed and handled including whether it is seen as a problem or not

what issues come with the pressure of succeeding in university?

* lowers self-esteem
* lowers mastery
* social isolation due to feeling embarrassment and students prioritizing time spent studying over social engagements
* grade chasing

self-esteem

* positive or negative orientation toward oneself
* overall evaluation of one’s worth or value

mastery

* ones sense of having control over their life
* being able to accomplish goals and tasks they set their mind to
* one’s sense of being captain of one’s own ship versus being at the whims of forces around them

grade chasing

* act of prioritizing the achievement of good grades above the actual process of learning and understanding of the material

growth mindset

* individuals who believe their talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies and input from others
* failure is an opportunity to learn and grow

fixed mindset

* believe their talents are innate gifts
* failure is a permanent indictment on your abilities or intelligence

how does the education system reflect and reproduces gender inequality in society?

* underrepresentation in positions of power
* gender representation in school activities
* sexual harassment

race and ethnicity in education

* canada prioritizes immigrants with higher levels of education
* sacrifices from immigrant parents drives their children to perform better in school

what are examples of sacrifices made by immigrants?

* adaptation to a new culture or language
* loss of fundamental social network connections (family)
* lack of credential recognition
* racism and other forms of discrimination