Sociology Midterm

Gender - by age six

Girls have larger vocabulary and stronger emotional skills. Boys are more active and independent, and exhibit more interest in science and math.

Two levels of analysis

macro-level analysis; and micro-level analysis.

Lester Frank Ward

-1883 -First president of the American Sociological Association -Argued that education is a principal source of human progress and an agent of change that can foster moral commitment and cognitive development to better society

Robert Angell

-1920s -Developed the term sociology of education—previously it was known as educational sociology

Inside the Schools

=Teacher quality (exams, degrees, certification, etc.) -Class sizes - smaller tend to perform better -27 states 'adequate funding' initiative in 1990s + 8 percent funding for under-resourced schools, reduced social class achievement gap by 20 percent. - Other 22 states saw the gap increase.

Dramaturgy

Concerned with the strategic presentation of self; uses metaphor of theater

Race and College Enrollment Intersectionality

Largest gender differences among Hispanics and Native Americans

Policy interventions

No Child Left Behind Race to the Top Common Core Teacher promotion and compensation Every Student Succeeds

Functionalists and Education

Primary function of education is to pass on the knowledge and behaviors needed to maintain order in society. Education as reflection of meritocracy. Education and 'status attainment' - A Nation at Risk linked education with occupational mobility and the overall health of the US economy.

Education and Stratification Factors that make a difference - Sorting people into occupational groups

- Differences in the level and quality of education available in the country, region, state, or community. - Differential access to educational facilities according to one's social class status, religion, race, and ethnic origins. -Differences in one's motivations, values, and attitudes. -Differences in the willingness and ability of one's parents and significant others to provide the financial and psychological supports necessary for the maximization of talent potentials.

Title IX of Civil Rights Act (1972)

-"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal funding or assistance." -College athletics - more female sports -Campus sexual assault: Rape culture on campuses? -Are universities complicit? -Training - Bystander intervention; affirmative consent; strict consequences.

Segregation or Integration?

-1964 Civil Rights Act -Segregation by law has come to an end, segregation by choice or preference, continues. -Efforts to integrate racially and by social class have been resisted, most commonly by White parents. -Whites are under-represented in public schools but over-represented in private schools. -Children today most likely to attend schools where they are the majority; Blacks and Hispanics most likely to attend 'hyper-segregated (90%) schools. Only Asian Americans seem to attend more well integrated schools.

Inequalities in Higher Education - lower income Americans

-46% students enroll in college -More likely to attend college near home; more two year institutions; less expensive and less prestigious. -9% have completed a college degree.

Data on Literacy in America

-50 percent of US adults struggle to read at 8th grade level -45 M Americans are functionally illiterate -3/4 of Americans on welfare cannot read -3/5 of Americans in prison are illiterate -Minorities and poor Americans are disproportionately represented here; Blacks and Hispanics are 3-4 times more as likely as Whites to have poor literacy skills -Estimated to cost the US about $20 B per year.

Inequalities in Higher Education - higher income Americans

-80% enroll in college -More likely to attend prestigious institutions -54% have completed a college degree

Explanations for Stratification - Functionalist Theory

-A major function of schools is to develop, sort, and select individuals by ability levels to fill hierarchical positions; functionalists argue that this is a rational process based on the merit of individuals. -Davis-Moore thesis— How do we determine the value of merit or of a skill set? (For example, does a major-league ballplayer deserve to earn more than a third-grade teacher?)

Gender Differences in High School

-Adolescents 1/3 of their day in school; academic and social influences at school are powerful influences on their development. -Social position generally shaped by gender conformity. -Girls gain status though activities where appearance is important (cheerleading and dance) -Boys gain status by being athletic, funny and daring. -Appearance based status most problematic for lower income and minority females.

Bilingual Education

-Approaches: English only? First develop literacy in Native language? Two-way bilingual education? -Policy: English acquisition as educational objective, English only push with rising social concerns re immigration, race-based divides

Gender - Crisis of Boys

-Are boys at a disadvantage in education? -They are underperforming. Evidence - beyond testing: Boys are more likely to be labeled as hyperactive, more likely to be placed into special education, more likely to be suspended. -Are boys' and girls' brains wired differently? YES. Consider 'boy friendly' practices - Stand up desks, increase physical activity, decrease focus on verbal skills; emphasizing multiple intelligences.

Feminist Theory

-Assumptions about male and female roles -Girls and women face an uphill battle in educational systems. -Differential treatment of females reinforces gender stratification and fewer opportunities for women. -In some parts of the world, females are denied access to education. -Girls are treated differently in classrooms.

"New" Sociology

-Basil Bernstein—code-theory examined the relations among society, schools, and the individual and how they worked to reproduce social inequality -Emphasis on language -Pierre Bourdieu: Students from higher social strata have access to more "cultural capital", that can be traded for higher status in school and the workforce.

Innovation and Change - Visions for change

-Began with visioning process - What do you want your future food system to look like? -Input from diverse stakeholders: Beyond traditional groups (e.g. faculty, administrators, very successful farmers and agribusiness people) to include: students, tribal communities, inner-city groups, public school teachers, food advocacy programs, nutritionists, etc.). -New range of progressive partnerships and programs emerged.

Race and Discipline at Schools

-Blacks four times as likely to be suspended. -Women - 'behave as ladies' -Students feel disengaged and alienated. -Suspensions - drop outs -- 'school to prison pipeline.' -Stereotype threat - Non-white or Asian students who are prompted to think about their race before taking an exam, perform significantly worse.

Native American Education— Historically

-Boarding Schools - late 1800s to present -'Kill the Indian, Save the Man': Stripped of names, dress, hair, language, religion -Meriam Report - 1928: Poor funding, malnutrition, need for more Native teachers, more language and culture. -Today most are educated in public schools

Gender & Elementary School - Classroom Dynamics

-Boys called on more frequently, more likely to be both disciplined and praised. -Girls receive more positive, but superficial feedback; less likely to be pushed outside their comfort zones. -Girls - taught to be correct, polite, safe -Boys - taught to think creatively and critically; also reprimanded more often.

Socialization and Masculinity

-Boys disengage: School success a girl thing, street success a guy thing -Minority and low income academic performers are more likely to be labeled gay or effeminate. -'Contrived carelessness' - Flaunting under-preparation. -Fragility of masculinity - workplace changes -Fewer low-education high income jobs available. -Some boys reject academic success to be more masculine, or to live up to societal expectations.

Important/Historic Education Legal Decisions

-Brown v. Board of Education - 'separate but equal' schools unconstitutional -Americans with Disabilities Act: Public institutions must provide reasonable accommodations under the law. -Prayer in Public Schools -No Child Left Behind and School Accountability -Required Teachers' Union Fees - and more

Education and Stratification Factors that make a difference

-Children from different social classes have differential access to material resources. -Children from different social classes are also socialized differently. (Working Class - obedience, promptness, Middle Class - creativity and self-direction)

Teacher Expectations - A Self Fulfilling Prophecy

-Children pick up on the subtle cues, messages, and interactions from the teacher. -Teachers expect less and students give less. -Students internalize teacher expectations. -Low/High expectations roughly translate to Low/High performance.

Ability Grouping and Teacher Expectations

-Cognitive differences are associated with parents' social status—even in early childhood. -Achievement grouping was developed because the thinking was that it is more efficient to teach students with the same level of ability (reading groups in elementary schools and tracks in high schools). -The Supreme Court ruling of Hobson v. Hansen stated that separation of students into fast and slow tracks resulted in unconstitutional segregation of minority and non-minority students.

Educational Inequality - Outside school influences

-Coleman argued, with data to back it up, that family, neighborhood, peers, and social class ultimately mattered more than schools in terms of students' academic achievements. -Jencks' argued, with more data still, that if all students had the exact same educational opportunities, inequality and the achievement gap would decline by only three percent. -Think about social issues and how these influence a students' readiness and ability to learn.

Understanding Unequal Educational Outcomes

-Coleman: -Based on large data sets and statistical analyses... -School-based factors (funding, resource, teachers) did little to explain differences between black and white and middle/low income students. -Rather, external factors such as peers, community, family, i.e. background and SES, had greater impacts on student achievement. -Led to attempts at school integration and mandated busing.

Does gender matter at college?

-College is a place where adult identities are constructed... college is a time and place of sociability and socialization. -What pressures are felt? Females: Be accomplished, fit, popular, attractive. Males: Be fun, but be focused - have a future plan. -Navigating Romantic and Sexual Relationships... College as prime venue for mate selection, Three females for every two males, Heightened competition among women

Girl toys

-Communal and cooperative forms of play. Role playing, sharing, bonding. Body management - make up, dress, up, jewelry kits -- appearance improvement.

Social Control and Personal Development - A Functionalist Perspective

-Community members expect students to learn the skills and values—obedience, punctuality, perseverance, respect, and others—necessary to become productive, law-abiding citizens. -Through formal or informal means, schools are expected to instill values related to social control and personal development believed to be essential to survival in the workforce and in school. -In this way, society's problems can be reduced because individuals will be trained to fit into society in acceptable ways. -Unfortunately, some schools are highly dysfunctional.

Gender and Socialization - Self-Esteem Impacts

-Complexity of navigating peer culture. -Girls must be nice but not too nice. Mean Girls syndrome -Self-esteem drops for both males and females during adolescence. -Girls drop more, mostly associated with appearance.

Immigrants and Education

-Cultural acclimation: Lack social and cultural capital -Parental involvement or lack of? Language, work, cultural expectations, e.g. programs, teacher conferences, etc. -Strategies: Flexible hours, child care, translation services, transportation, etc.

How to Pass On Culture

-Dewey—use the child's experience and involve them in the learning process as opposed to the authoritarian teaching techniques. -Child-centered curriculum and flexibility -Critical thinking & deep learning vs. just the facts... -Conflict theorists argue if critical thinking and deep learning were taught to the working classes, they might rise up to reject their exploitation.

Global View on Gender and Education

-Education reflects societal expectations for gender. -Most places where there are the biggest differences are in poorest regions of Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. •Education and work are for men •Female education is considered a luxury -In some parts of the world, women are not allowed to attend school during their menstrual cycle; women are often dis-enrolled for domestic tasks; girls as sex-workers and victims of human trafficking; some face threats of violence or death.

Gender, Education and Work

-Educational parity but not in salaries -Men and women elect different fields of study -Men and women choose different specialties -Workplace: Lack of family friendly policies -Similar cognitive abilities + Different socialization = DIFFERENT OUTCOMES FOR MEN AND WOMEN

Postmodernism

-Emphasizes human diversity and local explanations of the world. -Emphasizes the relationship between theory and practice. -Recognizes diversity and variance in learning, and the political environment in which students learn.

Reducing Prejudice in Education

-Equal Status -Common Goals -Personal Interaction -Extended Contact -Strong positive sense of one's identity enhances academic performance; also broadens perspectives and critical thinking skills of majority students -Diversity as Divisive? -America as Exceptional - Lifting up achievement vs. understanding problematic history and social components.

Evolution versus Intelligent Design

-Evolution: supported by science -Creationism/Intelligent design: supported by faith -School boards across the country have been challenged for requiring creationism and/or intelligent design in science classes. -In the 1960s, the Supreme Court banned teacher-read Bible readings and prayer in schools. -Battles over religion, sex, and science in curricula continue to be waged.

Television as an Agent of Socialization

-Excessive amounts of watching television lowers achievement. -Watching targeted shows and watching less than ten hours per week can have positive results in learning. -Television watching can distort information and promote aggression and stereotypes. -decline in literary reading and a decline in vocabulary associated with increased television use

Gender and Performance - Females

-Females earn higher grades -More likely to say they like school -They spend more time on home work -Rewarded for good behavior and careful, correct academic work

Gender - By the end of Elementary School

-Formalized structure of school has reinforced gender segregation and gender differences. -Boys and girls consolidated into separate groups. -Gender binary is evident. -boys are more energetic and competitive. -Girls are more compliant and cooperative. -Girls score higher in reading ages 9-13. -Boys score higher in science and math.

Schooling in Capitalist America

-Function 'to keep people in their social classes' -Lower income schools tend to blame individuals rather than consider broader societal issues. -More likely to teach rule-following and respect for authority. Can lead to student pessimism and disengagement. -Higher income schools are more likely to emphasize independence, creativity and critical thinking. Leads to higher engagement and achievement.

Gender and Performance

-Gaps widen between 4th and 12th grades -Gender differences are nearly non-existent among middle and upper incomes.

Gender Socialization at Home

-Gender socialization begins well before children enter school. -Baby girls - more physical contact, responsive - parents talk more to girls, -Baby boys - more math, science, and action words, active play, more independence. -Sets stage for school - Boys - physicality, action, competition, independence; Girls - emotional, interdependence, passivity, focus on appearance.

High school graduation & Gender

-Girls top boys in terms of graduation rates (85 vs. 78 percent boys). -Girls more likely to enroll in college (56/44 percent of college enrollees) -1994: 64 % females v. 61 % males -Today: 71 % females v. 61 % males go to college. -Gender gap is across all groups but most pronounced among low income Blacks and Latinas/Latinos -However, males are more likely to be enrolled in highly selective schools.

Minority Serving Institutions

-HSI - Hispanic Serving Institutions -HBCU - (1890) - Historically Black Colleges -TCU - Tribal Colleges and Universities -PWI - Predominantly White Universities -MSI's: Under-resourced; have specific missions to serve. Can focus on unique challenges to recruitment, retention, role models and campus climate.

Socialization & Early Childhood Edu

-Head Start & other government funded early childhood programs: shown positive results -Goal is to provide developmentally appropriate experiences they may not get at home (help them in schooling later on) -academic & social losses can be hard to make up in the early developmental stages

Asian Americans: A Model Minority?

-Highest levels of achievement -Highest incomes -Well assimilated -Diverse group: Higher SES? Cognitive abilities? Cultural influences?

Gender and Higher Education

-Historically higher education was only for men. -In the US women started at single-sex schools. -1982 watershed year - Women achieve parity in higher education. Men and women tend to major in different fields and this contributes to informal segregation. Major selection in anticipation of future roles.

Selection, Training, Sorting

-How are students 'sorted' in the educational process? -Who is part of this process? -Where and from whom do students receive encouragement and guidance? -Geography? Social Class? Gender? Race? -Achieved vs. Ascribed statuses -Definitions of intelligence?

Selection, Training, Sorting - Gardener's Multiple Intelligences

-How are these valued in the formal/informal educational systems? -Problems Associated with Testing - A desire to be objective and accountable, but... Economic success depends largely on social class, not IQ. Cultural biases in testing... Regionalism. Who administers the test? Stresses related to the test? More on the sorting function: focus of curriculum in many schools has shifted significantly to emphasize test-related content.

Trans-sexual and Non-Gender Conforming Students?

-If our education system is so highly gendered, what about these students? -We know it's difficult. (83% verbal abuse; 40% physical abuse) -50% have been rejected by their parents; also often isolated from faith community and friend groups. -35% homeless youth are LGBTQ -LGBTQ youth attempt suicide at 2-3X rate of population -Students are also harassed for having LGBTQ parents

Modernism

-Includes "modern" ideas of rational thought and progress through science and technology with an emphasis on individualism. -Attempted all-encompassing explanations of the world.

Social Control and Personal Development - Violence and Discipline in Schools

-Increase in bullying and cyber-bullying -Low-Level violence, most common in middle school grades 6-8. -13% of sixth to tenth graders have bullied other students, while between 10% and 29% are victims. -Rate of victimization higher in school than outside schools. -Depression, anxiety, health impacts, decreased participation and achievement, alienation.

Native Americans and Educational Inequality

-Indian Education: National Trajedy, National Challenge -Key findings: funding, cultural tensions and injustices -Spurred American Indian Movement -Indian Education Act of 1972 and Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 -Shifted more control to tribes

Localsim

-Inside the school -What's taught (curriculum), who's hired and fired, funding levels, etc. - all largely determined at state and local levels. -So funding varies widely. -Resource differences - labs, arts, music, athletics, etc. -Unequal opportunities and desires to learn

Functionalist Theory

-Just as the heart and brain are necessary for the survival of a human being, an education system is necessary for the survival of society. -Interdependent parts make up society, and education is one of these parts. -Stress processes that maintain social order via consensus and agreement. -Change occurs because institutions are adapting to new circumstances.

Achievement Gap in US Education

-Key driver: More affluent parents' investment in their children's cognitive development. -Gap is larger than it was in the 1970s. -So is this because of what's going on in schools or outside of schools? -Researchers argue that families are differently positioned to provide their students with cultural capital and that this perpetuates educational inequality.

Interaction and Interpretive Theories

-Labeling theory—self-fulfilling prophecy, allows us to see how micro-level interactions contribute to the individual's sense of self. -E.g. 'learning disadvantaged' vs. 'gifted and talented' -Race/class/gender implications... -Stereotype threat and stereotype promise (i.e. 'You come from such a good family, I'm sure this class will be easy')

Social class and socialization

-Lareau -VARIABLES: Parenting styles, interactions with authorities, language -Concerted cultivation (high income) obedience VS. Logic of natural growth (low income) entitlement

Gender & Elementary School

-Largely binary in terms of gender -Gender and school authority structure: Formal curriculum and texts (How are genders portrayed?How do kids begin to imagine their future lives?) -Hidden curriculum: Rules, routines, and regulations that govern the school through which students learn societal values. -Segregation by gender. -Reinforce awareness of difference.

Combating Gender Inequalities in Education - Is Single-Sex Education an Answer?

-Learning environment - Some achievement gains for both Removes sexual tension and differentiation Allows for more academic focus -Single-sex education has dwindled over the years, but in places is making a comeback. -Separating the academic and social concerns of males and females helps in academic achievement. -Differences in learning styles and problems with teacher reactions to girls and boys could be eliminated in single-sex educational settings. -Single-sex schooling has an advantage in academic achievement, educational aspirations, and eliminating sex-role stereotyping.

Unequal Resources in Education

-Local Property Tax Base -White and Asian American students about twice as likely as Blacks and Hispanics to attend well-resourced schools. -Resource variations, including class size, and quality teachers matter most for minority students. -Lower quality/qualified teachers most likely to teach in low-income districts where most students are Black and Latino; also a factor on reservations.

Education and Stratification - School Finances & Localism

-Localism: Funding education is perceived as a state and local issue. -Local property taxes are often about 50% of a school's revenue at the local level. -High property values and taxes (i.e. wealthier areas) = more funding for schools. -Under NCLB, the federal government can withdraw funding for schools not meeting standards.

Impact of Ability Grouping

-Lower ability groups are largely comprised of minorities and students from lower social classes. -Students in the lower-ability groups are often stigmatized. -Groups tend to be fairly racially and economically homogeneous. -Each school has its own stratification system. -Students in upper-ability groups are disproportionately from the upper socioeconomic strata. -Teachers interact differently with upper ability groups and the differences add up.

Asian Americans & Filial Piety

-Loyalty to parents and authority figures -Hard work, material support -Courtesy, moral uprightness, honor to family -In school: More attentiveness and self control, More time on homework, less on activities, More likely to have time/space for homework -Confucian philosophy - human perfection: More likely to see success as result of hard work, Modestly disadvantaged re friends and social interaction

Social Control and Personal Development - Data on Schools and Violence

-Males ages 15-19: Three times as likely as females to die from suicide, six times as likely as females to die from homicide, black Male teen homicide rate 20 X as high as Whites. -Schools have become sites for violent activity. -Unsafe schools cause fear, reduce student achievement, and put vulnerable students at further risk. -88 percent of schools had controlled access. -64 percent monitored doors. -43 percent had security staff. -Gang violence is more prevalent in urban environments How does the culture of schools improve or make these matters worse?

Gender and Performance - Males

-Males have the edge in standardized tests (greatest advantage - Math) -More variation within group - over-represented both on high and low ends -More likely to experience behavior problems, learning difficulties, remediation.

Conflict Theory Today

-Modern conflict theorists argue that schools serve as a mechanism to reinforce social stratification. -"Credentialism" serves as a gate-keeping mechanism. -Cultural reproduction and resistance theories argue that those who control capitalist systems mold everyone else to serve their purposes. -"Cultural capital"

Culture of Education - Culture of Engagement

-More opportunities -Emphasis on critical thinking -More enrichment and involvement -Most common among higher income groups.

Combating Racial Inequalities - Culturally Relevant Education

-Multicultural education: incorporates histories, texts, values and beliefs of people from different backgrounds. -Student connection, pride and confidence - subjects rather than objects of education -Little outcomes-based research

Boys (Cause and effect)

-Narrower set of expectations -Adhere to strict masculine roles -Guy code: 'What does it means to be a man?' -Be tough unemotional, no signs of weakness; 'Fag discourse' -Result: Many adolescent boys turn inward and dull their emotions, dampening empathy and ability to connect. -May contribute to misogyny, homophobia, sexual harassment and assault

Native Americans and Culturally Responsive Education

-Native history, language, arts and culture are central to curriculum -More cooperative, less competition -Emphasis on practical and real world applications (less on individual achievement). -Tribal Colleges and Universities: Chartered by and for tribes - 34 in US - Including Wind River

Cultural capital

-Non-financial assets that promote social mobility beyond economic means; for example education, tastes, speech, the arts, language, dress, etc. -Assets are an indicator of status, and families and schools differ in the amount of cultural capital they provide -Serves to perpetuate and reinforce inequality and stratification.

Race, Inequality, and Education - Global Context

-Not just an American issue -Long held cultural conflicts and discrimination -Emerging issues re immigration

Culture of Education - Culture of Conformity

-Obedience -Rote memorization -Maintain order -Less engagement -- more alienation. -Most common among lower income and working-class citizens.

Conflicting Functions of Education

-SOCIALIZATION -- LEARNING TO BE PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY -TRANSMISSION OF CULTURE. -SOCIAL CONTROL AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT -SELECTION, TRAINING, AND PLACEMENT OF INDIVIDUALS IN SOCIETY -CHANGE AND INNOVATION

Critical Pedagogy

-Teaching for Social Justice and Change -Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970) brought attention to the structural and cultural inequities in education systems. -Worked with exploited Brazilian sugar cane workers with a focus on literacy. -Critiqued 'banking concept' of education and saw students -as active contributors to education -Developed the concept of empowerment.

Innovation and Change

-Schools as link to the future - research and teaching develop new knowledge and skills that help societies move forward -Technology: Who has access to the best and most recent technology? Schools in wealthier districts tend to fare better. This creates a "digital divide," reinforcing the unequal stratification system. Internet connection is available in almost all public schools, but teachers in poorer school districts may not know how to integrate it effectively into their teaching; further, what about access for students and families outside of school?

Conflict Theory

-See relationship between schools and society as problematic. -Functionalists prize cohesion and order; conflict theorists prize struggle and change. -Conflict theory assumes a tension in society between the "haves" and "have not's" and an unequal distribution of power and resources. -The "haves" have access to the best education. Those with resources have power to control the educational system's processes and outcomes.

How do boys and girls socialize each other?

-Self-segregation primary feature of play. -Boys: 10X playground space; adventure play, independence, competition, large groups. -Girls: Less space, interact in more intimate groups. -Play is more gender-integrated away from school and in minority and low-income communities.

Race-Based Segregation in Education

-Separate and Unequal -Rooted in slavery - education of Blacks forbidden -Black schools overcrowded and underfunded -1950's Black schools 30 cents per dollar spent on Whites -Plessy v. Ferguson -Brown v. Board of Education -Unequal schools 'inflict social and psychological damage'. To separate students based on race generates feelings of inferiority that may affect students' hearts and minds in way unlikely to ever be undone...these ultimately will impact a child's motivation to learn.

Race, Inequality and Education: Where are we?

-Significant progress since 1960s' Civil Rights Act -Reading achievement at 13 years: Gaps between Whites and minorities All have improved scores Greatest gains among Black & Hispanic students -The gap has narrowed over time but demographic shifts and rising minority populations

Inequality - Cost of College

-Since the 1980's cost of earning a BS degree in US has gone up 300% -Incomes have not kept pace - and the workforce has inequality issues of its own. Why? Increased services and amenities, decreased state support -College students today graduate w/average $35K in debt.

Achievement Gap in US Education - Reardon

-Social class gap expands as students move through system. -Social class gap has widened even as the race gap has narrowed slightly.

Socialization and the Role of Media and Technology

-Social media and technology vie for students' attention. -Some argue that the role of education now is to teach students what information is valid and reliable and what information is not. -Some theorists (Cuban) argue that technology should not play a role in the classroom.

Rational Choice and Exchange Theories

-Society, life, and education, are a series of calculated choices and decisions in which costs and benefits are considered; -Rational choice (exchange) theory deals with costs and rewards involved in our interactions; -Rational choice theory argues that interactions bind individuals and groups with obligations (reciprocity) and that these interactions and obligations influence the educational system.

Racial Inequalities - Past, Present and Future

-Some progress... Persistent gaps remain in educational achievement and attainment. -Integration? Appreciation for scope of issues - 'Schools may be the nurseries of integration but equal access to housing, health care, employment opportunities, compensation must also be considered.'

Social Control and Personal Development

-Some see the erosion of moral authority as the biggest crisis in American schooling. -Disorder and danger in schools is a major issue. -Conflict theorists argue that schools are tools of the capitalist society, and used to reinforce the unequal system of stratification, and that this is especially evident in the social control/personal development function.

Combating Gender Differences

-Steps being taken to reduce gender differences in education: -Teacher education— Changes in classroom behavior are easiest to tackle. -Advocacy- Dealing with concerns of women outside the classroom helps in the classroom. -Title IX— mandates a nondiscriminatory educational environment

Race and Inequality in Education - Family, Culture, and Social Psychology

-Students come with different inputs. -Influences on fetal development and cognitive implications -Microagressions - cumulative influences -Environmental factors - e.g. water, lead paint, etc. -Parental stress = lower student performance

Peers and Culture with school

-Students develop a sense of who they are and where they fit through interaction with their peers. -Field trips, dress, birthday parties, etc. -For many poor and working-class students, school can be the site of social exclusion and alienation. -Peer culture can lead students to accept or reject the school, its personnel, and the educational process. Oppositional cultures.

Toxic Environment

-Students in low income areas (mostly minority) face chronic threats of stress and violence. -This can make teachers and pedagogy irrelevant - when 'maintaining control' in the classroom is the top priority.

Transition to Higher Education

-Students who complete college have significantly better economic opportunities compared to those who only complete a high school degree. -$1M over a working lifetime! -Class inequalities exist in terms of who goes to college, where they go, and whether they graduate. -Inequalities in educational equity in K-12. -Inequalities may become further pronounced in higher education

Critiques of functionalist's approach

-Supports interest of dominant groups -Ignores divergent interests, ideologies, values, and power -Status Quo (vs. change) orientation

Open Systems Model

-THE ORGANIZATION - Structure, Goals, Programs and Processes -INPUTS - What feeds the organization? -OUTPUTS - What leaves the organization? What does it produce? -THE ENVIRONMENT - Everything that surrounds and influences the organization (Immediate and Secondary) -FEEDBACK

Education and Stratification Factors that make a difference - Social Class

-The deepest and most enduring element of stratification*** -Educational attainment (e.g. college completion) rates of low income students remain stagnant. -Family income remains a powerful predictor of educational success (it's not only merit).

Education and Stratification

-The expectation in our society is that we can improve our position through hard work and education. -Additional degrees command higher incomes. -Education helps sort people into occupational categories. -Other factors also enter into this sorting process. -So is education really the great equalizer? Is our system a pure meritocracy OR Does education perpetuate inequality?

Native Americans & Education

-Treaty rights -Have experienced profound cultural conflict -Lowest educational outcomes -Family factors - poverty and substance abuse -Historical and Cultural factors -- -Policy factors -- efforts at assimilation

Boy toys

-Trucks, chemistry sets, blocks, lego's, microscopes, telescopes, doctors' bags, etc. -More likely to be active, career oriented, and to involve environmental manipulation

Global Data on Literacy

-US 16th in literacy; 21st in numeracy; 14th in problem solving. -Endeavors in the age of accountability (NCLB and Race to the Top) and concerns over the lag in math and science have resulted in more projects being funded with this emphasis. -Results are improving as achievement levels are rising in math and science, and majority-minority disparities are declining somewhat. -Lowest literacy rates are in Sub-Saharan Africa (64 percent) and Afghanistan (70 percent). -2/3 of the world's illiterate are female; in some places education is illegal for women.

Race, Immigration & Legal Status

-Undocumented children access to public schooling through 12th grade. -Parents in the shadows - More stress, fewer resources, less engaged - Blocked access to adolescent rights of passage (driver's licenses) -Dreamers - Access to higher education (DACA: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)

Adolescents and Bullying

-Use of force, threat or coercion to dominate. -Verbal, physical, emotional, cyber -APA estimates 40-80 percent are bullied and/or experience sexual harassment. -Boys more likely to engage in physical aggression often motivated by homophobia -Girls more likely to engage in social aggression, including gossip and social isolation, often based on appearance.

Some Common Cultural Viewpoints

-Value education but skeptical of too much education - lack common sense -Familism - family first - more than achievement -Traditional gender roles -- machismo -Parental mistrust of system -Subtractive schooling -- loss of cultural context & identity -Sometimes young people going to college can be seen as abandoning their families

Explanations for Stratification - Conflict Theory

-Values, rules, and institutions of society reflect the dominant class; this is evidenced in education. -Schools were developed to meet the needs of capitalist employers and to provide a mechanism of social control allowing the elite to rule. -This reproduces generational inequalities. -Class inequalities are present in the US educational system.

o Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men

-Video Games - Disengaged from real world. -teaching Methods - Turning boys off at school. -Prescription Drugs - Overuse of ADHD drugs impacting motivation. -Endocrine Disruptors - Environmental estrogen, lower T levels and disrupt system. -De-Valued Masculinity - Shifts in popular culture and definitions of manhood.

Combating Racial Inequalities School Choice

-Vouchers: Student vouchers to leave failing schools and attend in other districts or to attend private schools. -Charter Schools - more flexibility: May be more tailored to local needs, less bureaucracy, more demanding -Magnet Schools - more specialized programming; e.g. science, the arts, agriculture and food systems -Mixed results

Social Class and Education

-Weber -Social class is wealth (privilege), power, and prestige. -Education provides a legitimate mechanism to achieve and "move up" in social class. -Social classes have values. We learn these values through socialization; these values include attitudes towards education. -Income inequality is part of life in the United States.

Max Weber's Approach

-Weber's view is a unique conflict approach that combines macro- and micro-level analysis. -Weber argued that the primary activity of schools is to teach status cultures. -"Insiders" benefit from their participation in schools and "outsiders" have numerous barriers in place that keep them from benefiting from the educational experience.

Transmission of Culture Controversies

-What knowledge is passed down? -Whose values are passed down? -What is included in the curriculum? -What about the informal system? -What's most important? -Who decides?

What Culture to Pass On

-What societal expectations and what cultural ideas should be supported in curricula? -Who has the power to control what is put in the curriculum? -Many aspects of curricula are politically charged! Evolution? Free Speech? Climate Change?

Ogbu's Oppositional Culture

-Work hard in school doesn't make sense. It doesn't matter or make a difference. -School success is 'acting White' or a 'girl thing' -Success linked to street smarts not book smarts -Shift away from pro-school attitudes happens most commonly at Middle School; time spent on homework decreases, discipline problems increase. -Especially boys of color disengage academically.

Social Control and Personal Development - What to do?

-Zero tolerance and get tough policies... -If students aren't in school, they can't learn, and if they get behind, they are be set up for future failure. -Suspension/Expulsions most common disciplinary action, but these have not been proven to improve behavior or performance. Commonly associated with lower performance and higher dropout rates. Safety of others? Maintaining order? -In school suspensions? Attempt to maintain focus on academics. -Power struggles between students and schools... -Are students' underlying needs being met? (E.g. food, health, shelter, security, etc.; if not, can they be successful at school?)

What is sociology of education?

-concerned with structure & process -structures within education (schools, districts, systems) -processes bring structures to life (socialization, stratification, change, learning)

Sex

Biological differences that differentiate males and females.

US Schools - trends & projections

-enrollments: 50 million 2014 -minority groups: lower end of the edu achievement scale, fastest growing group, highest number of children in poverty & single-female headed homes -language/english as a second language: have become apart of the school curriculum -poverty: fail to graduate, large problem (lack of tech literacy), knowledge and skill gap: continue to grow and widen social inequality

Gender

-social distinctions that differentiate men and women, boys and girls; it is socially learned and enacted. -Gender socialization is all around us - family, peers, church, politics, media, schools.

Socialization

-what we learn and how we learn it -in order to prosper, a society must train its members to be productive citizens and to perform roles needed by society -The conflict lies with how to do this -Schools play an important role in socialization

Durkheim, Functionalism, and the Sociology of Education

-Émile Durkheim was the first to use sociology as a tool for understanding education. -He argued that the educational system and society are reflections of one another, and that interdependent institutions led to social cohesion. -Recognized education's role in creating moral values as a foundation for society. -Schools as intermediaries between families and broader society.

Explanations for Stratification - Interactionist Theories and Stratification

Based on micro-interactions, socialization, and relationships and how these, embedded within or around the educational system, serve to dismantle or reinforce inequalities.

College and The Prestige Factor

Dependence on test scores -Has widened social class achievement gap. -wealthier students better able to access test prep courses and to take tests multiple times. -Wealthier students have college-going cultural capital; including know-how and networks. -Wealthier students and 'early admission' without aid packages.

Public v. Private - 'status rights and passage of privilege'

Fees Parental Involvement Facilities Curriculum Enrichment Cultural Capital Social Capital and Networking

Inside the Schools: Expectations

Research shows that instructors' expectations are influenced by a variety of factors, including: -student's previous work and test scores. -Student's dress, name, and physical appearance. -Student's physical attractiveness. -Student's language and accent. Student's gender. -Parents' occupation. -Single-parent and motherhood status. -The way the student responds to the teacher.

Sociological Research

Sociologists use the scientific method to study education and schools. Methods include observations, test scores and other data already generated, surveys, case studies, controlled laboratory experiments

Head Start Data

•Decrease out of wedlock births •Higher academic performance •Decreased need for special education •Increased rates of high school and college completion •Improved health outcomes, including immunizations •9/10 who start school in lowest reading group stay there •$9 return for every $1 invested