Chapter 14

Education

Chapter Outline Education: A Functionalist View The Conflict Theory View Issues in American Education

Cultural Transmission Passing major portions of society’s

knowledge from one generation to the next.

Schools are a major means of cultural transmission.

Our society contains many cultural differences, and conflicting ideas on what should be taught in schools.

Question Which of the following is a latent function

of education?

A. providing child care

B. teaching basic academic skills

C. transmitting cultural knowledge

D. generating innovation

Answer: A Providing child care is a latent function

of education.

Education America Act, 1994Eight Educational Goals1. All children should enter school ready to

learn.2. The U.S. high-school graduation rate

should reach 90%.3. U.S. students should lead the world in

math and science performance.4. Every adult should be competent as a

citizen and a worker.

Education America Act, 1994Eight Educational Goals5. Schools should be free of drugs and violence.

6. Students should demonstrate academic competencies in specific areas as they progress through school.

7. Parents should become more involved in their children’s education.

8. Teachers should expand and perfect their professional skills throughout their careers.

No Child Left Behind Act, 2002Changed the federal government's role in

education. Four principles:

stronger accountability for results increased flexibility and local control expanded options for parents emphasis on proven teaching methods

College Students and the Internet 20% of today’s college students started using

the Internet between the ages of 5 and 8. 72% check e-mail at least once a day. 66%

have at least two e-mail addresses. 26% use instant messaging on any given day. 85% own their own computers. 60% have downloaded music files.

College Students and the Internet 46% believe e-mail makes it possible for them

to express ideas to a professor they would not express in class. 73% say they use the Internet more than the

library for research. 37% of precollege students said “too many”

students use the Internet to cheat.

Child Care A latent function of public schools is to

provide child care. As of 2000, 77.2% of married women with

school age children were in the labor force.

Women with children worked more hours each week on average in 2000 than they did in 1969.

School Lunch Programs 1975: Number of students in the federally

funded school lunch programs was 25,289,000, at a cost of $1.28 billion.

1999: More than 27 million children got their lunch through the school lunch program at a cost of $5.46 billion.

% of Adults Age 25–29 Who Have a Bachelor’s Degree

% of People With a College Degree— Ages 25 to 34

Country Men Women

Canada 18% 18.9%

France 11.9 11.3

Germany 12.7 11

Italy 7.7 8.1

Japan 34.2 11.5

United Kingdom

15.7 11.7

United States 23.4 23.5

Question How far do you intend to go in school?

A. Two years of college

B. Four years of college

C. Master's degree

D. Professional degree (law, medicine, dentistry)

E. Ph.D.

The Conflict Theory View Schools stifle individualism and creativity

in the name of maintaining order. The educational system socializes

students into values dictated by the powerful majority.

Screening and Allocation: Tracking Tracking begins with placing students in “fast,”

“average,” and “slow” groups in the 1st grade. Teachers expect a certain level of performance

from the student based on their group. Students sense this expectation and will often

give the level of performance that is expected.

Question Rate yourself on academic ability

compared with the average person your age.

A. Highest 10 percentB. Above averageC. AverageD. Below averageE. Bottom 10 percent

High-School DropoutsFactors associated with drop outs: Low educational and occupational

attainment levels of parents Low family income Speaking a language other than English

in the home Single-parent families Poor academic achievement

Dropping Out: Effects on Society Dropouts pay less in taxes, because of their

lower earnings. Dropouts increase the demand for social

services including welfare, medical assistance, and unemployment compensation.

Dropouts are less likely to vote. Dropouts have poorer health. Half of all state prison inmates were drop outs.

Median Income By Education Level

Average SAT Scores, 1995–2005

The Gifted Ellen Winner (1996) has proposed that gifted

children have three atypical traits: precociousness— gifted children begin

early to master some domain nonconformity, an insistence on doing

things according to their own specific rules a rage to master, or a desire to know

everything there is to know about a subject.