Chapter 14

Education

Education and Religion2

Chapter OverviewChapter Overview Education in Global

Perspective The Functionalist Perspective:

Providing Social Benefits The Conflict Perspective:

Reproducing the Social Class Structure

The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective: Fulfilling Teacher Expectations

Education in Global Perspective

The Functionalist Perspective: Providing Social Benefits

The Conflict Perspective: Reproducing the Social Class Structure

The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective: Fulfilling Teacher Expectations

Problems in United States Education and Their

Problems in United States Education and Their

Education and Religion

The institutionalized process of systematically teaching certain skills and knowledge

EducationEducation

Education and Religion

Credential Societies - Diplomas Determine Job Eligibility

• Industrial societies

Diplomas Serve as Sorting Devices

Credential Societies are usually Industrialized Societies

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Credential Credential SocietiesSocieties

Education and ReligionCopyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 5

Education and Religion

Education in Japan (Industrialized Nations)

Emphasis on Solidarity within Group Discourages Competition among Individuals

Education in Russia (Industrializing Nations)

Education, including College was Free Post-Soviet Russians are “Reinventing” Education as Communism

has dissolvedE

ducation in Egypt (Least Industrialized Nations) Mandatory Attendance Laws are Not enforced Many learn from their parents

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 6

Education and Religion

Cultural Transmission The process by which culture is passed

form one generation to the next. Teaching Knowledge and Skills

3 R’s(readin, ‘riting’, ‘ritmetic’) Anticipatory socialization

Teaching Values and Norms The other two R’s (right and ‘rong)

Anticipatory Socialization Teaching the student how to play the role of

a student Skills and knowledge are necessary for the

successfl fulfillment of future roles and statuses

Functionalist PerspectiveFunctionalist Perspective

Education and Religion

Gatekeeping The process by which doors of

opportunity are opened for some, but closed for others.

Tracking Degrees and diplomas demonstrate

proof that a person has capabilities to work certain types of jobs.

Credentialing the sorting of students into different

educational programs on the basis of real or perceived abilities.

Functionalist PerspectiveFunctionalist Perspective

Education and Religion

Social and Cultural Integration The degree to which people feel a part of social groups. Help mold students into a more cohesive unit. Bringing together people from diverse social backgrounds so

that they share common social experiences and develop commonly held norms, attitudes, and beliefs.

Education and “Americanization”

Functionalist PerspectiveFunctionalist Perspective

Education and Religion

Manifest Functions

Cultural transmission

Anticipatory socialization

Social / cultural integration

Innovation / cultural changeLatent Functions

System of day-careDelayed entry to job market

Dating and marriage market Networks for employment

Bolsters stratification system

Functionalist PerspectiveFunctionalist Perspective

Setting goals and achieving desired results.

Consequences that was unplanned.

Education and Religion

The educational system perpetuates social inequalities that already exist in society

Within schools, social class affects how students are treated

•Academic achievement gap

Institutional Discrimination Schooling resources are unequally distributed

Education Class Reproduction

Conflict PerspectiveConflict Perspective

Education and Religion

Educational Credentials: Schools as a Screening Device

In the US, education promotes a fundamental American value that includes the belief in equal opportunities but not equal outcomes.

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Education and Religion

The Hidden Curriculum

Unwritten rules of behavior and attitudes, such as obedience to authority and conformity to mainstream norms, that schools teach in addition to the formal education.

Acts as a social control Encourages traditional gender roles and gender

stereotypes through a male dominated curriculum

Promotes Eurocentrism A focus on the contributions of Europeans to

history, math, science, and literature.

Enforces proper English & etiquette

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Education and Religion

IQ Testing or Standardized Testing Favor middle-class children, especially White middle class because of the

questioning

Old SAT (Analogies were problematic)

Middle class perspective Cup is to a saucer as Duvet: comforter, sheet, mattress, pillow

Mexican perspective Cup: saucer Comal: enchilada, burrito, tostada, tortilla

Education and Religion

New SAT continues to be inequitable

Latinos and African Americans have lower academic achievement in comparison to Whites. financial problems family responsibilities work at least part time/full time poor academic preparation

Even with higher education African Americans and Latinos make less than Whites

Education and Religion

Tracking leads to inequalities Placing students perceived to have similar intelligence and

academic abilities in the same classroom. Vocational Tracks, Gifted Programs, Advanced Placement, English

Language Learners.

Education and Religion

Socialization: Personal and Social Development

Self-conceptL

abeling Students: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Teachers label students a certain way which leads to a self-

fulfilling prophecy among many students Pygmalion effect

Occurs when teachers who expect students to succeed and excel are motivated to work with them to ensure that they do.

Teachers may ignore youngsters expected to fail until they, too, achieve the anticipated outcome.

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Education and Religion

Labeling Students: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

"If you define situations as real, they are real in their consequences" 1. The teacher forms expectations.

2. Based upon these expectations, the teacher acts in a differential manner.

3. The teacher's treatment tells each student (loud and clear) what behavior and what achievement the teacher expects.

4. If this treatment is consistent, it will tend to shape the student's behavior and achievement.

5. With time, the student's behavior and achievement will conform more and more closely to that expected of him or her.

Education and Religion

Functions

Standardization / mobile society

Protects staff / students (rules and policies)

Certification facilitates expertise

Dysfunctions Personal and social alienation Students treated as numbers Uniformity and rigid expectations

Schools as BureaucracySchools as Bureaucracy