I' Education

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• I. Education
• A. Definition A system of roles and norms that
  ensure transmission of knowledge, values and
  patterns of behavior from one generation to the
  next.

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• B. In more complex societies formal education
  becomes the norm.
• 1. Schooling - Formal education which
  involves instruction by specially trained
  teachers who follow official recognized
  policies.

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How does education differ among societies?
Pre-industrial?
Industrial?
Post-industrial?
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• Functionalists - believe that education works
  to maintain the stability and smooth operation of
  society.

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• 1. Transmission of culture
• a. Cultural survival
• b. Socializes youth into support of social
  and political systems

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• 2. Social integration.
• a. Schools teach a common set of cultural
  ideas and skills that will allow all
  members of society to take advantage of all
  opportunities.

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• b. Mandatory education melting pot
  theory. Schools were expected to
  Americanize students
• c. But multi-cultural education is on the
  rise.

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• 3. Creation of knowledge
• a. Transmission of new knowledge
• b. Evidence that new knowledge is
  important to society - much research
  conducted is government funded

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• 4. Occupational placement
• a. Schools identify students who show
  talent in particular areas and train them
  to perform jobs in the future

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• D. Conflict perspectivists believe that the
  educational system serves to limit the access of
  individuals and groups to power and social
  rewards.
• 1. Social control.
• a. Serves to produce citizens who largely
  accept the basic inequalities of the
  social system and who dont question the
  existing order.

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• b. Hidden curriculum transmission by
  schools of cultural goals that are not
  openly acknowledged.

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• 2. Tracking - assignment of students to
  different types of educational programs (general
  studies, college prep, vocational, etc.)
• a. Functionalists see it as positive
• b. Conflict sociologists argue that students
  arent assigned to tracks based on ability but
  on social class and ethnicity.

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• c. CS argue that method of instruction differ
  according to track.
• d. CS believe that this works to mold their
  behavior to fit a particular occupation.
• e. Students seldom switch tracks because of
  self-fulfilling prophecy

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• 3. Socioeconomic status and education
• a. SES or socioeconomic status - rating
  that combines social factors such as level
  of ed., occupational prestige, and place of
  residence with the economic factor of
  income in order to determine an individual's
  relative position in society

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• b. Educational achievement is tied to SES
• c. CS believe that SES affects the
  distribution of educational achievement in a
  number of ways

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• -expectations that families have for
  kids differ by SES
• -higher SES families are better able to
  provide an environment to assist learning
• -MONEY