Chapter 16: Education

What do nations that are top-ranked in science and math have in common?

They recruit top teachers

Conflict theorists see IQ tests as being biased. Why?

They reward affluent students with questions that assume knowledge associated with upperclass culture.

Hidden curriculum (how is it viewed by conflict theorists?)

*the unwritten goals of schools*, such as obedience to authority and conformity to cultural norms. (informal learning and cultural transfuction) (reinforces the positions of those with higher cultural capital, and serves to bestow status unequally.)

what court decision declared that state laws that had established separate schools for black and white students were, in fact, unequal and unconstitutional?

Brown v board of education

Functionism on education (functions of education?)(who do education serve the needs of?)

Functionalists view education as one of the more important social institutions in a society. They contend that education contributes two kinds of functions: *manifest (or primary) function*s, which are the intended and visible functions of education; and *latent (or secondary) functions*, which are the hidden and unintended functions. (family, society, and the individual)

Conflict theory on education (view on public schools)

Public schools do not reduce social inequality. educational systems preserve the status quo and push people of lower status into obedience. Students of higher class have more opportunity.

Symbolic interactionism on education

Symbolic interactionism sees education as one way *labeling theory* is seen in action. A symbolic interactionist might say that this labeling has a direct correlation to those who are in power and those who are being labeled.

Education (factors that make education different between countries?)

a formal system of teaching knowledge, values, skills, and cultural norms (*financial*, The* value *placed on education, the amount of* time* devoted to it, and the *distribution* of education)

Functional illiterate

a high school graduate who has difficulty with basic reading and math

Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia set a precedent for what?

access to education

Coleman report (lead to what 2 things?)

basically report proving that there is a great divide in the performance of white students from affluent backgrounds and their non-white, less affluent, counterparts. Head start program: The program provides academic centered preschool to students of low socioeconomic status. Busing: involved bringing students to schools outside their neighborhoods (whitey no like)

Sorting (perspective?)

classifying students based on academic merit or potential (functionism)

Cultural capital

cultural knowledge that serves as currency to help one navigate a culture

Informal education

describes learning by participating in a society.

Credentialism (perspective?)

emphasis on certificates or degrees to determine who has certain skills, has attained a certain level of education, or is eligible for jobs. These certificates or degrees serve as a symbol of what a person has achieved, allowing the labeling of that individual. (symbolic interactionism)

Grade inflation

higher grades given for the same work; a general rise in student grades without a corresponding increase in learning

Tracking (perspective?)

in education, the sorting of students into different educational programs (or tracks) based on perceived abilities; perpetuates inequality (conflict theorists)

Social placement

the use of education to improve one's social standing by achieving upward mobility

Cultural transmission (how?)

the way people come to learn the values, beliefs, and social norms of their culture. *Both informal and formal* education include cultural transmission.

Social promotion

passing students to the next level even though they have not mastered basic materials

Universal access

people's equal ability to participate in an education system.

which court rulling allowed racial segregation in schools and private businesses

plessy v furguson

No child left behind act (thoughts from teachers/sociologists?)

requires states to test students in designated grades. The results of those tests determine eligibility to receive federal funding. Schools that do not meet the standards set by the Act run the risk of having their funding cut. (more negative than positive, arguing that a "one size fits all" concept cannot apply to education.)

Formal education

the learning through a formal curriculum.