The Sociology of Education

Lecture 1 & 2

General sociological theories

• Structural Functionalism

• Conflict Theory

• Symbolic Interactionism

• Feminism

• Critical Race Theory

Ideal types (Max Weber)

A mental construct or thought-exercise where you observe things of the same type and try to find their common elements to form an ideal construct based on what they all have in common. The key is letting go of specific differences and details and seeing the commonalities.

Structural Functionalism

Believes that society is generally working, figuring itself out, and that yes, it is always changing and fixing issues, but it generally is good at restoring stability or balance

Davis-Moore hypothesis (1945)

Argues that inequality is a necessary and universal feature of all societies because it motivates qualified individuals to fill vital societal roles requiring talent and extensive training

Macro-theory

Looks at the big picture rather then individuals

• More concerned with the overall picture than any specific or smaller parts

Functions of the education system

• Selection & sorting

• Socialization

• Job training

Selection & sorting

`Different jobs have different levels of important and difficulty, which means you need to reward the important and difficult jobs with higher compensation to motivate people to pursue and fill those occupations

Meritocracy

A system of rewards based on personal attributes within an individual’s control (e.g., work ethic) and demonstrated abilities

Nepotism

The practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives, friedns, or associates, especially by giving them jobs

Manifest functions

To sort people according to a fair and open competition

• Optimal for society because it allows the best people to access the most important and complex positions

Grade inflation

A rise in the average grade assigned to students

Socialization

• Can include fostering Patriotism and national pride through singing national anthems or saying a pledge of allegiance

• Can include learning the importance of exercise and eating healthy food

• Can include reaffirming values like treating others with respect, accepting diversity, and not bullying

• Not smoking and saying no to drugs

Human Capital Theory

Helps understand this investment by governments in Canada and elsewhere in education

• Education is necessary to improve the economic or productive capacity of a population

• A well-educated population will be able to work more effectively, efficiently, and creatively/in innovative ways

Conflict Theory

Society is made up of a different groups with different interests and that they complete for power and resources

Bourgeoisie

The very wealthy who own the means of production e.g. factories or buisnesses

Proletariat

Those who must sell their labor to survive

Four main tenets or principles or conflict theory

• Focuses on large, macro-level structures such as the relations between or among socio-economic classes

• Shows how major patterns of inequality in society produce social stability in some circumstances and social change in others

• Stresses how members of privileged groups try to maintain their advantages while subordinate groups struggle to increase theirs

• Typically leads to the suggestion that decreasing privilege will lower the level of conflict and increase the sum total of human welfare

Equality

A state of being equal

Equity

A state of being fair and impartial

Overt disadvantage

Very clear, direct and not at all hidden

Subtle disadvantage

Difficult to analyze or describe

Systemic disadvantage

Related to the structures and systems of society itself

Pierre Bourdieu’s 3 capitals

• Economic capital

• Social capital

• Cultural capital

Economic capital

Refers to one’s economic resources like money, wealth, property, and so on

Social capital 

Refers to one’s social networks and the shared norms, values, and understanding tied to who one knows and associates with 

Cultural capital

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

Habitus

The deeply ingrained dispositions, habits, and ways of perceiving and acting that individuals acquire through their life experiences, especially through socialization in a particular social classes and contexts

Hidden curriculum

Things your aren’t physically taught in school (i.e. obedience, punctuality)

Instrumental or Means-End Rationality

Choosing the most efficient, practical, and effective means to reach the desired end, which includes considering the conditions and other human beings that affect the ability to achieve the desired end

Value Rationality

Making decision according to an ethical value that is seen as worth pursuing for its own sake regardless of the likelihood of success

Mex Weber hypothesis

Society was moving constantly more towards and instrumental rationality particularly as it moved away from religious motivations for actions, he called this the process of rationality

Shrinkflation

The practice of reducing a product’s amount or volume per unit while continuing to offer it at the same price (Merriam-Webster, 2023)

Macro-sociology

Looks at the “big picture” of society and suggests how social problems are affected at a large structural scale

• Includes Structural Functionalism and Conflict Theory

Micro-sociology

• Concerned with the social psychological dynamics of individuals interacting 

• Concerned more with meaning and interaction than explaining large-scale problems like poverty (how does poverty feel instead of what it causing it)

• Concern of symbolic interactions

Four key principles of symbolic interaction

• Face-to-face communication or interaction in micro-level social 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 that people create in a small social setting

Symbolic interactionism

Human behaviour is influences by definitions and meanings that are created through interactions with others

Labelling Theory

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

Self-esteem

A positive or negative orientation towards oneself: and overall evaluation of one’s worth or value

Mastery

Ones sense of having control over their life, of being able to accomplish goals and tasks they set their mind to

Grade chasing

The act of prioritizing the achievements of good grades above the actual process of learning, and the understanding of the material

Omitted variable bias

When a study is wrong due to not considering factors/variables that affect the relationship they are studying

Lurking variable

A variable that affects both the cause variable and the effect variable

Moral sociology

Studying society required examining not just laws and institutions, but also morals, manners, and everyday practices

Epistemic injustice

Harm done to someone specifically in theit capacity as a knower

Testimonial injustice

Not being believed

Hermeneutical injustice

Not having concepts to make sense of their experiences

Symbolic Annihilation

i.e. the absence of women in media - when women’s contributions to sociology are omitted, the discipline symbolically erases them from legitimacy

Hostile hallways

Sexual comments, leers/stares, inappropriate jokes are accepted by school authority figures and “natural” or “normal” things teenage boys do