sociology chapter 16: education

conflict perspective

Believe that public schools do not reduce social inequality. Rather, they believe that the educational system reinforces and perpetuates social inequalities that arise from differences in class, gender, race, and ethnicity. Educational systems preserve the status quo and push people of lower status into obedience. Students of low SES are generally not afforded the same opportunities as students of higher class, no matter how great their academic ability or desire to learn.

sorting

Classifying students based on academic merit or potential. The most capable students are identified early in schools through testing and classroom achievements. Such students are placed in accelerated program

D

In a classic study, Ray Rist found that each child's journey through school was essentially: a)Haphazard and unpredictable b)Completely like the other childrens c) Determined by the eighth day of kindergarten d) Determined by the end of fifth grade

D

The term formal education is defined by the text as: a)Learning about cultural values, norms, and expected behaviors through participation in a society. b) The education one receives at a private school, parochial school, or private college. c) An education that is accompanied by a tutor at all times. d) The learning of academic facts and concepts

C

The term sorting can be defined as: a) A formalized system that places students on "tracks" (advanced, low achievers) that perpetuate inequalities. b) The process by which students are allowed to choose their own classes based on interest c) Classifying students based on academic merit or potential d) The use of education to improve one's social standing.

functionalist perspective

View education as one of the more important social institutions in a society. They contend that education contributes two kinds of functions: manifest and latent.

C

What factors contribute to inequality within the educational system in the United States? a) Racism b) Socioeconomic status c) Racism and socioeconomic status d) None of the these

social placement

When education provides one of the major methods used by people for upward social mobility. College and graduate schools are views as vehicles for moving students closer to the careers that will give them the financial freedom and security they seek

D

Which of the following is NOT a manifest function of education? a) Socialization b) Social control c) Social placement d) Social networks

B

Which of the following sociological perspectives argues that the educational system reinforces and perpetuates social inequalities arising from differences in class, gender, race and ethnicity? a) Symbolic interactionism b) Conflict theory c) Functionalism d) None of the above.

D

Which sociologist studied how cultural capital helps an individual navigate their culture? a) Max Weber b) Karl Marx c) Émile Durkheim d) Pierre Bourdieu

education

a social institution through which a society's children are taught basic academic knowledge, learning skills, and cultural norms.

for-profit schools

educational institutions that are corporations and often have shareholders. They operate as a business, and the product they sell is education. Their goal is to provide quality education, and in doing so generate a positive return, or profit, for their shareholders.

head start

was developed to give low income students an opportunity to make up the preschool deficit. Provides academic-centered preschool to students of low SES.

grade inflation

a term used to describe the observation that the correspondence between letter grades and the achievements they reflect has been changing in a downward direction over time. ex) what used to be considered C-level now earns a student a B or even an

latent functions

the hidden and unintended functions. ex) courtship, social networks, group work, creation of generation gap, political and social integration

manifest functions

the intended and visible functions of education. ex) socialization, transmission of culture, social control, social placement, cultural innovation

informal

this type of education describes learning about cultural values, norms, and expected behaviors by participating in a society. Typically happens via parents, relatives, and others in our community

formal

this type of education describes the learning of academic facts and concepts through a formal curriculum.

Ray Rist Study

-observed kindergartners that were sorted with the best in the front of the room and the worst in the back based on socioeconomic status -they were observed for years and it was found that they tended to stay in the same sorted groups they were put in -showed that teacher labeling has a huge effect on students. Each child's journey through school was determined by the 8th day of kindergarten

tracking

A formalized sorting system that places students on "tracks" (advanced versus low achievers) that perpetuate inequalities. (conflict theory)

B

Malik grew up in an affluent household which embraced activities such as attending the opera, visiting museums, and traveling to foreign countries at least once a year. When Malik goes to college, he finds he has much to talk about with professors, and fellow students from similar backgrounds. Malik is enjoying the benefits of a) Grade inflation b) Cultural capital c) Tracking d) The education gap

Rosenthal and Jacobson study

Rosenthal's most famous study was conducted with Lenore Jacobson in 1963 at an elementary school just south of San Francisco, California (Spiegel, 2012). His purpose was to figure out what would ensue if teachers would react differently towards certain students if told that a select number of students were expected to learn more information and more quickly than the pupils in their class. To test this, Rosenthal issued a Test of General Ability to the students in the beginning of the year ("Rosenthal's Work, n.d.). After the students had completed this IQ test, some were chosen at random to be the students that were expected to academic bloomers; however, the results of the test did not influence which students of the class were chosen (Bruns et al., 2000). He continued to observe the interactions between teachers and students and decided to issue another IQ test at the end of the study to see how IQ has improved in students that were to be academic bloomers versus the control group (Spiegel, 2012). Rosenthal's and Jacobson's results had reinforced their hypothesis that the IQs of the "academic bloomers" would in fact be higher than those of the control group even though these academic bloomers were chosen at random

symbolic interactionist perspective

Sees education as one way that labeling theory is seen in action. might say that this labeling has a direct correlation to those who are in power and those who are labeled.

A

The concept hidden curriculum can be defined as: a) A type of nonacademic knowledge that one learns through informal learning and cultural transmission. b) The course objectives teachers incorporate into their syllabi after the semester has started. c) The emphasis on certificates or degrees to show that a person has a certain skill, has attained a certain level of education, or has met certain job qualifications. d) The unexpected subjects students take an interest in after being exposed to experts in the field.

Mills vs. Board of Education

This case was brought on behalf of seven school aged children with special needs who argued that the school board was denying their access to free public education. The school board maintained that the children's "exceptional" needs, which included mental retardation and mental illness, precluded their right to be educated for free in a public school setting. The board argued that the cost of educating these children would be too expensive and that the children would therefore have to remain at home without access to education. This case was resolved in a hearing without any trial. The judge upheld the student's right to education, finding that they were to be given either public education services or private education services paid for by the Washington DC board of education.

D

To make students more competitive in the work force and for graduate school, college professors are beginning to lower the standard for student grades (i.e. what was once considered a B, is now considered an A). This is known as: a) GPA debt b) Systematic grading c) Academic bribing d) Grade inflation

A

When Ahmed is in 5th grade, he does poorly in math and science. His teachers recommend him for lower-level classes throughout middle school in all subjects, and he's not given the chance to excel elsewhere. This process is known as: a) Tracking b) Grade inflation c) Feminism d) Manifest function

cultural capital

cultural knowledge that served (metaphorically) as currency that helps us navigate a culture, alters the experiences and opportunities available to French students from different social classes. Members of the upper and middle classes have more cultural capital than do families of lower-class status.

credentialism

embodies the emphasis on certificates or degrees to show that a person has a certain skill, has attained a certain level of education, or has met certain job qualifications.

mainstreaming

integrating students with disabilities or special needs into the overall educational program

homeschooling

refers to children being educated in their own homes, typically by a parent. Data has found no success or lack of success in homeschooling.

universal access

refers to people's equal ability to participate in an education system. On a world level, access might be more difficult for certain groups based on class or gender. Universal access arose in the US as a concern for people with disabilities. Supported in the US through federal and state governments covering the cost of free public education.

hidden curriculum

refers to the type of nonacademic knowledge that students learn through informal learning and cultural transmission. Reinforces the positions of those with higher cultural capital and serves to bestow status equally.

transmission of culture

refers to the way people come to learn the values, beliefs, and social norms of their culture.