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RCC SOC 1 - Study Guide

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CHAPTER 14 SUMMARYEducation is a society’s mechanism for transmitting attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, values, norms, and skills to its members through formal, systematic training. Schooling refers to formal training and instruction in a classroom setting. Education is characterized as universal expansion, the growth of community colleges, public education, and increased student diversity. Functionalists see the manifest functions of education as socialization, transmitting culture and knowledge, cultural integration, and cultural innovation. Functionalists focus on meritocracy. Meritocracyallows people to move up the economic ladder because of their accomplishments rather than suffering from subjective factors such as connections. A college degree increases one’s income by 90 percent by age 55. The latent functions of education include child care, decreases job competition, creating social networks, and it is good for business. Critics of functionalism point out that education does not necessarily increase skills and that it is often class-based. Conflict theorists see education as a reinforcing class society and inequality. The best predictors of success, for conflict theorists, are the amount of economic, cultural, and social capital one has. Access to resources often determines success, not ability. Children from low socioeconomic backgrounds are less likely to attend schools that offer high-level courses in math and science. Many low-income youth must work. Gatekeeping tests, such as the intelligence quotient (IQ) are controversial. Advanced placement (AP) classes are also exclusive with many minority, inner city, and rural students not having access to AP courses. Education also has a hidden curriculum that transmits nonacademic knowledge, values, attitudes, norms, and beliefs that legitimize economic inequality and the staffing of unequal work roles.Schools in low-income and working-class neighborhoods stress obedience, following directions, and punctuality to fill jobs (as in restaurants, retail stores, and hospitals) that require these characteristics. Education is also based on credentialism or tangible symbols of achievements. Functionalists argue that credentialism correctly places those most qualified for a job, and provides upward social mobility. Conflict theorists argue that many people gain the skills they need on the job. Many argue that legacies are granted admission to universities despite accomplishments or ability, such as George W. Bush receiving access to Yale because of his father. Critics say that conflict theorists ignore the gains of low income and minority students. Feminists argue that education and literacy are often unavailable to many women around the world. Both low schooling and illiteracy diminish women’s economic independence, increase their dependency on men, and decrease their ability to control or understand their property, legal, and reproductive rights, including information about AIDS, infant mortality, and birth control. In the U.S., gender gaps in education reflect race and class divisions. Girls remain behind in math and on verbal scores on the SAT. The number of women entering college is increasing, and the number of men is showing a decline. The major gap is not between women and men, but between middle- and high-income white men and low-income Latino, African American, and white men. Critics fault feminist scholars for being too accepting of the inequality they document. There is also an overriding focus on topics like sexual assault, eating disorders, and global women’s issues rather than pay inequity in the United States. Symbolic interactionists see education as a social construct. Roles like teacher and student are constructed. Tracking is the sorting of students by merit and aptitude testing. Tracking means assigning students to specific educational programs and classes on the basis of their test scores, previous grades, or perceived ability. High track students have classes that involve critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity that high status occupations require. They also have a better quality of instruction. 1Low track students have classes that are limited to simple tasks, like punctuality and conformity, tasks that lower-status jobs usually require. They may feel dumb or slow. Tracking typically starts in kindergarten when teachers evaluate youngsters’ ability to follow directions, to work independently and ina group, and to communicate effectively—skills they’ll need in the first grade. Labeling is when students live up to or down to teachers’ expectations and evaluations because of a student’s background, gender, skin color, hygiene, accent, and tests. There is a widespread culture of disbelief in the learning capacities of many of our children. Labeling, in turn, can result in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Schools also use studentengagement to assess performance. Few U.S. schools encourage engagement. Due to No Child Left Behind legislation, teachers often spend classroom time on basic math and reading, ignoring other skills. Parental involvement is shown to have a positive and strong effect on student achievement/ However, many do not assist children in obtaining skills. Critics of the perspective point out that it deemphasizes individual power in changing the course of events, including labeling. The focus of the perspective on micro-level analysis neglects the macro-level constraints that are built into society. American society and its public education system face numerous challenges. Forty-five percent of employers say high school graduates lack basic skills. Forty percent of college students require remedial classes in college. Public education is seen as a source of dissatisfaction for Americans. Many believe the system covers too many topics too superficially. Funding of education is a major problem in the U.S. National funding is low and has declined since 2002. Rich states get more than poor states from the federal government for education. Research suggests poor districts get less money than rich districts in many parts of the country. The effectiveness of teachers is also compromised by teachers teaching out-of-field. Teacher pay is one reason. Local control over curriculum is a controversial reality in American schools. George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy is based on making schools more accountable. Schools must improve reading and math scores or after two


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RCC SOC 1 - Study Guide

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