Sociology 104a - 1 SOC-104a The Sociology of Education Brandeis University Spring 2010 Rachel Rockenmacher, Lecturer Office: Pearlman 208, Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:30-2:30 or by appointment E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (available to students and department members) Teaching Assistant: Jill Smith Office Hours: by appointment. Meetings at Goldfarb Library. [email protected] Schools are the primary institution for instructing, training and socializing the next generation. School attendance or equivalent instruction is mandatory in this country, and the subjects and methods of instruction have been hotly debated. This course will explore sociological research and theories that are useful for examining the roles of educational institutions and practices in the United States. We will critically examine the place and role of schools and schooling in the wider society, both through a brief historical overview as well as modern perspectives and current debates on the role and function of schools. Class participants will investigate ways in which schools reinforce, and/or challenge prevailing social, economic, and political relationships. Issues to be discussed include: the purpose of schooling, the structure and organization of schools, curriculum development, social reproduction, family/school relationships, and the role of teachers. The meaning of culture, race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation and identity will also inform our investigations into these topics. We will examine the school as a society within itself, with its own dominant system of values, ideology, and relationships of power and authority. We will also examine the interpersonal relationships within schools: the types of interaction that occur, and the opportunities for learning and development. Course Requirements This course requires you to complete each week’s reading before the week’s first class session, attend class, and participate in discussions and exercises. In class, we will cover concepts and principles that will apply to written assignments. Attendance is required, and I will pass around a sign-up sheet during each class session. In general, I do not excuse absences unless you have a serious problem. If such a problem occurs, you need to let me know. During class sessions, you should feel free to ask questions, challenge ideas, and respond to me and to your classmates. I insist that participation be appropriate to the topic and respectful of everyone, but you are otherwise free to express your views. You need not agree with everything you read. You need not even understand all of the reading. ClassSociology 104a - 2 discussions will, ideally, answer questions, foster critical engagement, and explore areas of disagreement. You are welcome to contact me between class sessions and during times outside my office hours. If you are working on an assignment or concerned about some aspect of the reading, please do not hesitate. You need not hesitate anyway. I usually check my e-mail more than once a day, and I try to respond promptly. I’m on campus on a regular basis on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, and I’ll be happy to make an appointment. I will calculate grades as follows: Attendance and participation: 30 First (short) assignment: 5 percent Second, third, and fourth (longer) assignments: 15 percent each Take-home final/paper: 20 percent Due dates are noted in the course outline. Instructions for assignments will be distributed in class. Written Assignments Final versions of written assignments are due in hard copy on the deadlines listed. Written work should be typed, double spaced, with margins on all four sides of the page. I expect hard copies, but do please keep your electronic files for back-up until the semester is over. Please be sure to refer specifically to the class readings. Please use the ASA style guidelines for references and citations. You may submit a draft copy of a class paper before the due date for feedback by e-mail in MS Word .doc format (not .docx) to the grader to whom you will be assigned for review before the paper deadline. (The professor and teaching assistant will trade off the beginning or end of the alphabet with each assignment—we will let you know to whom you are assigned.) Please allow a reasonable amount of time (at least two days) for us to read your papers carefully and give you notes and suggestions in “track changes” mode. Be sure not to show “track changes” in your final copy! These papers will be graded based on the criteria distributed with the written assignment. Articles Students should check news sites such as newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and radio, for articles and reports on issues relating to the sociology of education. If possible, please e-mail the article or information about the article to the course instructors. If not, please be sure to notify instructors at the start of class. Please briefly present the main argumentSociology 104a - 3 of the article in the context of the themes of the course and the article’s source. These presentations will contribute to your class participation score. Academic Accommodations If you are a student who needs academic accommodation because of a documented disability, please contact me and present your letter of accommodation as soon as possible. Undergraduates and graduate students with questions about documenting a disability should contact Beth Rodgers-Kay, Director of Disabilities Services and Support Office of Academic Services, 6-3470, [email protected]. Letters of accommodation should be presented at the start of the semester to ensure provision of accommodations. Accommodations cannot be granted retroactively. Academic Integrity Academic integrity is central to the mission of educational excellence at Brandeis University. Each student is expected to turn in work completed independently, except when assignments specifically authorize collaborative effort. It is not acceptable to use words or ideas of another without proper acknowledgment of the source. This means that you must use footnotes and quotation marks to indicate the source of any phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or ideas in published volumes, on the Internet, or created by another student. Violations of university policies on academic integrity, available at