SOC OF EDU FINAL EXAM
College vs. university
*COLLEGE- "NORMAL SCHOOLS" JUST AN UNDERGRADUATE *UNIVERSITIES- "PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS" UNIVERSITIES HAD DEPARTMENTS AND TEACHERS WITH ADVANCED DEGREES. THE US HAS 5, 000 HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS INCLUDING THE 2 YEAR COLLEGE. US- 30 OUT OF EVERY 100 GRADUATES BW AGES OF 18-24; GRAD AND UNDERGRAD
4 HISTORICAL PHASES: WILLIAM CUMMINGS
1. MID 1800S- BORROWERS AND PREDICTORS TAKE TIPS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES 2. 1950S- INCREASED CLASSIFICATION AND HISTORICAL COMPARISONS 3. 1960S- FOCUS ON EDUCATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 4. 1970S- DECREASE IN COMPARATIVE EDUCATION; BELIEF THAT US DIDN'T NEED TO IMPROVE ANYTHING.
Morrill Act
1862. FOUNDING OF PUBLIC COLLEGES, PROVIDING LIBERAL AND PRACTICAL EDUCATION FOR A WIDE RANGE OF STUDENTS. HELPING TO SUPPORT EDUCATION
What are community colleges? When and why were they established?
2 YEAR COLLEGES. ESTABLISHED IN THE 20TH CENTURY. PROVIDE TERMINAL DEGREES OR ACT AS FEEDERS FOR 4 YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. COMMUNITY COLLEGES ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENROLL ACADEMICALLY LESS PREPARED STUDENTS, MINORITY STUDENTS, PART TIME STUDENTS, LESS ECONOMICALLY WELL OFF STUDENTS, COMPUTER STUDENTS, OLDER AND FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS. THEY ARE TO FOCUS ON STUDENTS, REMEDIAL EDUCATION WHERE NEEDED, VOCATIONAL COURSES, COMMUNITY SERVICE, NON TRADITIONAL . 1/5 GRADUATE FROM 4 YEAR COLLEGES.
Humanistic education (inspired by Maslow, Kohlberg)
A REACTION AGAINST TO THE AUTHORITARIANISM THAT NEVER BEEN GIVEN UP BY THE SCHOOLS. SCHOOLS SHOULD ELIMINATE COERCIVE RULES AND REGULATIONS. SHOULD BE GIVEN MORE OPPORTUNITIES. PREP FOR LIFE, MORAL EDUCATION KNOWN AS MORAL DEVELOPMENT. DEALING WITH ETHICAL ISSUES.
Brain drain and brain circulation
BRAIN DRAIN IS WHERE LACK OF JOBS, GENDER INEQUALITY, AND LOW WAGES FOR EDUCATIONAL DISCONTENT. BRAIN CIRCULATION IS WHEN HIGHLY SKILLED PERSONNEL MOVE FROM ONE COUNTRY TO ANOTHER .
Cooling-out function (what is it?) Burton Clark Contradictory character of community colleges Transfer policies: many states expect students to transfer from 2 year to 4 year schools
BURTON CLARK- observed that junior colleges in California served 2 purposes, to provide terminal 2 year degrees and to give a small group of students that prep to transfer to 4 year colleges LOW ACHIEVING STUDENTS WERE ENCOURAGING TO GIVE UP 4-YEAR PLANS AND GET 2- YEAR DEGREES LINKED TO MINORITY STUDENTS. CONTRADICTORY NATURE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES: PROMOTE SOCIAL MOBILITY AND PROMOTERS OF INEQUALITY.
Conflict and functionalist approaches to education reform
CONFLICT: REFORM IS NECESSARY, CHANGE IS GOOD, TEACHING BASIC SKILLS AND DISCIPLINE KEEPS PEOPLE DOWN FUNCTIONALISM: CHANGE ISNT NECESSARY; TEACHING BASIC SKILLS AND DISCIPLINE PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY.
China: what are goals of education, inequality issues
CONNECTION BW POLITICAL CHANGE AND EDUCATION. GOALS: MEETING "BASIC LEARNING NEEDS" AND LITERACY. INEQUALITY IS VERY CONNECTED TO POLITICAL CLIMATE AND STATUS.
Credential crisis and credential society (Randall Collins)
EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIAL FOR JOBS IS EVIDENCE OF EFFORTS TO CLOSE OFF ACCESS TO THOSE "UNQUALIFIED" BY THEIR LACK OF CREDENTIALS, NOT THEIR LACK OF ABILITY TO DO THEIR JOB. GROUPS ARE SOMETIMES DEFINED BY THEIR EDUCATION LEVELS OR RACIAL OR ETHNIC GROUPS SEEK TO EXPAND THEIR ADVANTAGES AGAINST OTHER GROUPS THROUGH CREATING CERTAIN CREDENTIALS. THE COLLEGIATE CURRICULUM HAS BECOME OVERLY VOCALIZED.
Elitist perspective of community colleges
Elite's argue that community colleges are inferior and do not measure up to academic standards of a 4 year. mainstream critics are supportive in principle of community colleges but they could do better of serving less advantaged students and promoting transfers to 4 year colleges. structural critics see a stratified system of higher education producing inequalities and 2 year colleges playing a role in that system.
No Child Left Behind
FREE SCHOOL MOVEMENT. FOR POTENTIAL DROPOUTS Act signed by George W. Bush in 2001 State-level standards for students, annual testing State-level standards for "high quality" teachers Threat of decreased funding or removal of funding for poor scores, no improvement
Human capital: what is it, what are critiques
HUMAN CAPITAL IS THE BELIEFS AND VALUES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE EDUCATION, MODERNIZE CITIZENS AND THIS WILL BOOST ECONOMY. SEEN AS AN INVESTMENT. HAS BUILT ETHNOCENTRIC ASSUMPTION THAT ALL NATIONS WILL EMULATE THE WESTERN MODEL OF DEVEL.
Montessori schools
Inviting, allows for student-directed learning Teacher is a guide, not the focus of attention Mixed-age classes (usually 3 year range) Teachers must have MONTESSORI CREDENTIALS
Job gap Gender: wage gaps after college, gap in fields of interest
JOB GAP= MANY PEOPLE ARE OVEREDUCATED FOR THE JOBS THEY RECEIVE. JOBS ONCE HELD BY POORLY EDUCATED PEOPLE ARE NOW BEING HELD BY MORE HIGHLY EDUCATED PEOPLE. STUDENTS FROM LOWER ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS GO TO COLLEGES WITH LOWE SELECTIVITY. FEWER MIDDLE CLASS ARE ENROLLED IN SELECTIVE SCHOOLS. GENDER GAP IN MAJORS AND A GENDER GAP IN EARNINGS AFTER SCHOOL.
PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT (DEWEY)
LET BY DEWEY AND SOME OF HIS STUDENTS, MOSTLY FEMALE. EXEMPLIFIED BY NEW YORK PRIVATE SCHOOLS SUCH AS THE LITTLE RED SCHOOL HOUSE. "LIFE SKILLS" - COURSES ON SEX, DRUGS, MARRIAGE, PARENTING, DEATH AND FAMILY. OTHERS BELIEVE THAT SCHOOLS SHOULD FOCUS ON BASIC SKILLS AND LIFE SKILLS SHOULD BE TAUGHT AT HOME.
GENDER:
NUMBER OF WOMEN HAS DOUBLED SINCE THE 1970S. WOMEN OUTNUMBERED MEN. PART OF THE INCREASE IS NONTRADITIONAL WOMEN ARE ATTENDING COLLEGE. THE GAP IS STILL RECEIVING WIDE ATTENTION. TARGET FOR ADMISSIONS OFFICERS. FAMILY ROLES AND EDUCATIONAL ROLES. MAJORS: MEN MAJOR IN NATURAL SCIENCES, COMPUTER SCIENCES, BUSINESS AND ENGINEERING. WOMEN- HUMANITIES, SOCIAL AND BEH. SCI. EDUCATION.
British school system: know the basic process, levels
POST- COLONIAL AFRICA. SCHOOL REQUIRED UNTIL AGE 16, PREPARED THE ELITE TO LEAD, TRAINING FOR TRADES, PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLING FOR EVERYONE. AS-LEVEL: A-LEVEL:
"No excuses" schools
PROVIDE AT-RISK STUDENT WITH POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES TO ACHIEVE.
4 education movements in US: know descriptions, goals of movements Public school movement (Horace Mann) Progressive education (Dewey) Essentialist (coined by Brameld) Humanistic education (inspired by Maslow, Kohlberg)
PUBLIC SCHOOL MOVEMENT: DEMANDS FOR MORE ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND OTHER CONCERNS. SCHOOL PROVIDED ALTERN. TO WORKING LONG HOURS IN FACTORIES. INDUSTRIALISTS SOUGHT TO EDUCATE AND URBANIZE TOWNS FROM RURAL AREAS TO MAKE THEM RELIABLE AND COMPLAINT WORKERS. MANY WANTED TO AMERICANIZE AND ASSIMILATE IMMIGRANTS. MANN WANTED SCHOOLS FREE OF CHARGE FOR STUDENTS. HIGH SALARIES FOR "NORMAL SCHOOL" TEACHERS.
Public vs. private
PUBLIC: 75% OF US STUDENTS ATTEND PUBLIC SCHOOL. PRIVATE: "CLASSICAL CURRICULUM", NO CHOICE TO STUDENTS, HAD TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES BC THE STATES DID NOT SUPPORT EDUCATION DURING THE 19TH CENTURY.
4 types of social movements: reform, regressive, revolutionary, utopian.
REFORM: BELIEF THAT CERTAIN REFORMS ARE NECESSARY USUALLY IN SPECIFIC AREAS OF SOCIETY SUCH AS EDUCATION REGRESSIVE: AIM TO PUT THE CLOCK BACK, REVERSE CURRENT TRENDS AND RETURN TO A FORMER STATE OF AFFAIRS. REVOLUTIONARY: ARE DEEPLY DISSATISFIED WITH THE EXISTING ORDER AND SEEK TO REORGANIZE SOCIETY, INCLUDING EDUCATION UTOPIAN: INCLUDE LOOSELY CONSTRUCTED COLLECTIVES ARGUING FOR RADICAL CHANGE SUCH AS THE 1960S COUNTERCULTURE MOVEMENT.
Free school movement
SCHOOLS THAT HAVE GAVE UP PEOPLE FREEDOM AD CHOICE, ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION, REFLECT QUALITIES OF OPENNESS, INFORMALITY, FLEXIBILITY, PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT , AND INTEGRATION IN CONTRAST TO SEGREGATION, ENVIRONMENT OF SHARED RESPONSIBILITY, REACTION AGAINST REPRESSIVE SCHOOL STRUCTURES, OUTDATED CURRICULA OR INEFFECTIVE TEACHING METHODS BUT ONE AGAINST THE SCHOOL AS AN MOTIVATED INSTRUMENT OF THE MAINSTREAM CULTURE .
"graying of college graduates"
STUDENTS OVER THE AGE OF 25. UPGRADING THEIR JOB SKILLS . CHANGING CAREERS AND SEEKING PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT.
Applying major perspectives to higher education/community colleges
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONIST: FUNCTIONALIST: HIGHER EDUC. DEVELOPED RAPIDLY IN THE US . IT HELPS IMPROVE INDIVIDUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ALSO INCREASES THE POSSIBILITY OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES BY TEACHING SKILLS REQUIRED IN A WORLD FULL OF TECHNOLOGY. CONFLICT: GROWTH IN THE EDU SYSTEM RELATED TO THE CHANGES IN THE NEEDS OF THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM. THEY BELIEVE THAT HIGHER EDU IS TO SERVE PEOPLE IN THE HIGHER ELITE POSITION. RANDALL COLLINS (CONFLICT): ARGUES THAT EDUCATION IS A TOOL IN THE COMPETITION AMONG STATUS GROUPS IN SOCIETY. RATHER THAN INCREASING EDUCATION REQ. FOR JOBS AS A RESULT OF HIGHER DEMANDS, HE SEES THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIALS FOR JOBS IS EVIDENCE OF ABILITY TO DO THE JOB.
Essentialist (coined by Brameld)
TERM USED TO DESCRIBE THOSE INVOLVED IN A 1950S MOVEMENT OPPOSING PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION. THE LIFE ADJUSTMENT MOVEMENT BELIEVED REDUCED EDUCATION TO TEACHING LIFE SKILLS AND SURVIVAL SKILLS AS HOME ECONOMICS , DRIVERS ED, AND HYGIENE. --IGNORING THE INTELLECTUAL MISSION OF SCHOOLING TO TEACH DISCIPLINES. OPPOSED PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT AND LIFE TEACHING SKILLS
Ashmun College (later Lincoln University)
THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN COLLEGE. RENAMED LINCOLN UNIVERISTY.
What is the IEA? US compared to others for PIRLS and TIMSS (general trend, no specific numbers)
THE IEA IS THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR EVALUATION OF EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT. IT CARRIED OUT THE MOST EXTENSIVE COMPARATIVE RESEARCH ENDEAVOR EVER. THE ORIGINAL STUDY IS A CLASSIC IN THE FIELD OF COMPARATIVE STUDIES. PURPOSE WAS TO IDENTIFY KEY CHARAC. AFFECTING NATIONAL SYSTEMS OF EDUCATION AND RELATE THEM TO OUTCOMES OF LEARNING. ABOVE AVERAGE ON MOST
Original purposes of higher education: educate the elite, train clergymen (men first, then women)
TRAINING OF CLERGYMEN WAS THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF HIGHER EDUCATION. NO WOMEN AT THIS POINT UNTIL 1833 AT OBERLIN.
Rich vs. poor typology
WHAT IS A POOR COUNTRY IN TERMS OF EDUCATION? -NIGER IS THE POOREST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. EDUCATION POP. IS THE POOREST. MAY OR MAY NOT BE A CLASSROOM. LEARNING INFORMALLY. LIMITED RESOURCES.
Comparative education studies: what is it, 4 historical phases (Cummings)
WHAT IS IT? THE FIELD OF COMPARATIVE EDUCATIONAL STUDIES HAS BEEN LARGELY DESCRIPTIVE IN THE PAST, USING CASE STUDIES OF SELECTED COUNTRIES. HELPS US CONCEPTUALIZE THE LINKS BW COUNTRIES. ASSESSMENT OF ACHIEVEMENT IN DIFF. Interdisciplinary Sociology is major contributor Applied research- practical applications in policy Mixed methods: ethnography, case studies, data collection, theory Common topics: globalization, gender, historical comparisons, financial concerns
Legitimation of knowledge
WHO IS CONSIDERED LEGITIMATE, OR RIGHT? WHO DECIDES? THE RELATIONSHIP BW THE LEGITIMATION OF EDUCATIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND POWER RELATIONS IN THE MODERN STATE.
Gender and education: connection to reproductive health, child mortality rates
WOMEN: INCREASED EDUCATION ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASED CHILD MORTALITY RATES
Rosenbaum's critique
encouraging poorly prepared high school students to go to college. students should be offered clear info about their real chances in college and also be told what they can do. he replies that some students do not even finish college when they go. We need to be more realistic. Offer students info on occupational options College can be a disappointment for unprepared students Most unprepared students do not graduate college
Link between businesses and community colleges (pros and cons)
pros: COMMUNITY COLLEGES HAVE PURSUED THE MORE VOCATIONAL AND SEMIPROFESSIONAL COURSES BC IT AN AVAILABLE NICHE IN THE HIGH ED WORKPLACE. cons: LESS FOCUSED ON ACADEMICS AND EDUCATING STUDENTS, AND TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON TRAINING STUDENTS TO FILTER INTO OCCUPATIONS. COMMUNITY COLLEGES MAY FIND THAT THE FINANCIAL BENEFITS ARE MORE APPEALING THAN THEIR EDU. AUTONOMY . CONCERNED ABOUT THE DROP IN NUMBERS. THE TYPE OF COLLEGE WE GO TO SHAPES OUR OCCUPATIONAL STATUS. COMMUNITY COLLEGE MALE= ACHIEVE LOWER THAN THE ONES AT A 4 YEAR. FOR WOMEN IT IS LOWER.
Cooling out Function:
when it became clear that students wished to transfer, the low-achieving were dissuaded by the junior college and told of virtues of the career-oriented , 2 year programs . the school tried to lower or cool out the high ambitions of students who struggled academically by redirecting their academic ambitions to vocational and occupation programs that did not prepare their students to transfer to a 4 year college.