Sociology class notes for exam 3 History of Education in the U S The industrial revolution was an important influence Mass education first emphasized work related skills but expanded to include abstract learning like math science literature and critical thinking Education at all levels particularly college is being pressured to revert back to a focus on skills and away from broader education that teaches student critical thinking and how to learn new information Functionalism functions of education Education the social institutions through which society provides its members with important knowledge including basic facts analytic skills job skills and cultural norms and values Manifest function to educate students on the formal curriculum Latent functions socialization through informal hidden curriculum provide child care promote marriage college social integration cultural innovation universities Conflict theory view of education Social reproduction educational systems can replicate systems of inequality across generations Tracking dividing students into groups according to ability of future plans Intention tailor a students educational experience to his or her Frequent consequences reinforces and perpetuates particular goals stratification Self fulfilling prophecy Pygmalion effects behavior is modified to meet preexisting expectations Pygmalion effect Tracking and inequality Can result from tracking Self fulfilling prophecy in which students tracked into higher or lower ability groups perform better or worse than they would have otherwise Low SES and minority students less likely to be tracked into advanced classes than high SES Most qualified teachers assigned to advanced classes Lower tracks more emphasis on behavior obedience than critical thinking and independent learning Educational inequality in the U S Huge achievement gaps by race and income in the U S Race gap has declined but income gap has widened Schools in high poverty areas have access to fewer educational resources facilities and college prep opportunities and less experienced teachers and administrative staff compared to low poverty areas School funding and Savage Inequalities Schools in more affluent areas offer better schooling then poor communities How schools are funded in the U S Mainly state and local funds Property taxes Creates inequality Answers State equalized funding Vouchers Edchoice Ohio 11 7 14 The Family and Educational Inequality Coleman report the family and SES matters more than school environment funding to academic success Family educational resources money help with homework Cultural capital and concerted cultivation cultural knowledge Neighborhood poverty crime and education This American life Harper High in Chicago Difficult for even well funded high quality schools with committed staff to overcome effects of poverty and crime School resources funding not panacea for broader inequality neighborhood poverty and crime but it would likely be much worse if not for schools Doug Downey s research on summer vs school year SES achievement gaps Harper high and tavernise article Educational inequality is a symptom of broader levels of inequality and high rates of poverty in the U S Infusion of money into schools without more broadly addressing poverty and lack of economic opportunity in poor communities will not solve educational inequality Families matter too concerted cultivation but inequalities in family process are also likely influenced by poverty