Sociology of Education
50:920:345:01
Fall 2009
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:30-2:50pm
Fine Arts building, Room 110
Professor Cati Coe
405-407 Cooper Street, Room 214
Office hours: Tuesdays, 3-5pm or by appointment
phone: (856) 225-6455
email: ccoe@camden.rutgers.edu
Course Description
While most people in the US think of schools when they hear the word "education," education is much broader, encompassing all the ways that young people are socialized into their communities, including through peers, family members, and other adults. Education, in its broadest definition, is the way that one generation's social structure and way of being in the world---including all its knowledge and behaviors---are transmitted to the next generation, but not without change and conflict. Schooling is a particular institutional form for educating young people. In this course, we will examine the social aspects of education and schooling in America: the interaction between home, society, and educational institutions; the ways that social inequalities are reproduced through schools; and the ways that identities are formed through education. Schools both exist within a larger society and are their own social world, with the formation of peer groups, particular institutional arrangements, and ways of transmitting relationships and knowledge. We will pay particular attention to the way that small interactions within educational settings have much larger implications within society.
This course fulfils a requirement in the Teacher Preparation Program, and as a result, this class is geared towards giving future teachers a deeper understanding of important issues affecting contemporary schools in the US.
Expectations
By the end of this course, you will be expected to be able to:
- explain the relationship between schooling and social inequality, including some of the ways that schools contribute to social inequality;
- analyze and explain data collected through observation and an interview as a case example of the theories presented in this course;
- write an argument-driven paper;
- summarize and critique the arguments presented in the readings in this course;
- and evaluate current trends in education (privatization, vouchers, charters, and standardized testing) for their impact on the issues introduced in this course (authority relations in schools, social inequality, curriculum and pedagogy).
- Teachers know and understand how a person's worldview is profoundly shaped by his or her life experiences, as mediated by factors such as social class, gender, race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, age, and special needs (3-1).
- Teachers know and understand the supports for and barriers to culturally responsive teaching in school environments (3-2).
- Teachers know and understand the negative impact of bias, prejudice, and discrimination on students and society (3-4).
- Teachers value and are committed to the diversity of learning that takes place in the classroom, respect for the talents and perspectives of each student and sensitivity to community and cultural norms (3-5).
- Teachers know and understand the power of communication in the teaching and learning process (8-1)
- Teachers value and are committed to appreciating the cultural dimension of communication, responding appropriately and seeking to foster culturally sensitive communication by and among all students in the class (8-2).
- Teachers know and understand the importance of meaningful parent/family involvement in education in addressing the unique student needs and the perspective to be gained from effective home/school interactions that contribute to high quality teaching and learning (9-1).
For more information, see the New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers and School Leaders
Required Texts
Three books are at the campus bookstore and on reserve in the circulation desk at Robeson library:
Ways with Words |
 Ain't No Makin' It (1995) by Jay McLeod |
Jocks and Burnouts (1989) |
The remainder of the readings can be found online via the library’s reserve readings or are links off this webpage (in a brown rather than black color).
Course Schedule
September 1: What is Education and Society?
Discussion of the terms "education" and "society." Course overview and requirements.
To do by Friday at the latest:
- Get a NetID if you don't already so that you can access library resources online and from home: http://oit.rutgers.edu/services/account/quick.html
- Update your email address if necessary at https://www.acs.rutgers.edu/studentdir. This is important for receiving course emails. Be sure to keep your registered email address current in order to receive important course information.
- Get a Student Photo ID (available from the Impact Booth in the Campus Center) if you don't have one.
- Go to the bookstore to get the books.
- Print out all the readings on reserve so that you have them for the whole semester.
- Review Rutgers's policy on academic integrity.
Part I: How are Children Socialized in their Families and How is this Different from Socialization in Schools?
September 3
Heath, S. B. (1983). Ways with Words. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Prologue and Chapter 1, pp. 1-29
Class Resources: Socialization powerpoint
September 10
Heath, Ways with Words, Chapters 2, 3 & 4, pp. 30-148
Class resources: Socialization in Trackton and Roadville
September 15
Heath, Ways with Words, Chapters 5 & 6, pp. 149-235
Class Resources: The Historical Development of Mass Schooling
September 17
Heath, Ways with Words, Chapters 7 & 8, pp. 236-314
Class Resources: "Performance of School" In Real Media | In Windows Media
First paper assignment given
September 22
Heath, Ways with Words, Chapter 9 and Epilogue, pp. 315-376
Part II: Is There a Relationship between Social Inequality and Educational Opportunity in America?
September 24: Are opportunities for educational success equal in American society? An examination of the role of class
1) Brint, S. (1998). Schools and Social Selection: Opportunity. Schools and Societies (p. 171-203). Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press. [on reserve]
2) Leonhardt, D. (2005). The College Dropout Boom. In Correspondents of the New York Times (Ed.), Class Matters (pp. 87-104). New York: Henry Holt & Company. [on reserve]
Class resources: Tables on Income, Wealth, and the Relationship to Education , Gilbert-Kahl Class Structure
September 29: What is the impact of social class on educational success? Some explanations
MacLeod, J. (1995). Ain't No Makin' It: Aspirations and Attainment in a Low-Income Neighborhood. Boulder: Westview Press. Chapters 1, 2, and 3, pp. 3-50.
Class resources: Three Explanations for Social Reproduction
October 1 : What is the impact of social class on educational success? What does Wilcox argue?
Wilcox, K. (1982). Differential Socialization in the Classrooms: Implications for Equal Opportunity. In G. Spindler (Ed.), Doing the Ethnography of Schooling (pp. 269-305). New York: Holt, Reinhart, and Winston. [on reserve]
Class resources: Thinking through the Wilcox reading
October 6: What is the impact of social class on educational success? What does Lareau argue?
Lareau, A. (2000). "Why Does Social Class Influence Parent Involvement in Schooling?"and "Educational Profits". Home Advantage: Social Class and Parental Intervention in Elementary Education (pp. 97-148). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. [on reserve]
Class resources: Thinking about the Lareau reading
October 8: How do schools socialize the Brothers and Hallway Hangers differently?
MacLeod, Ain't No Making' It, Chapter 4-8, pp. 51-153
Class resources: Thinking through MacLeod's argument
October 13 What is MacLeod's explanation for why they "don't make it" in ten years? Which theory does he choose now?
MacLeod, Ain't No Makin' It, Chapters 10 & 11, pp. 198-272, are required, but if you are interested in what happened to the Hallway Hangers, you may read Chapter 9 as well. You may also be interested in reading part three as well.
Class resources: Where the Hallway Hangers and the Brothers Ended Up, New Jobs and Affordable Housing
October 15: Examining theories about the effect of social class on educational outcomes through one person's experience
MacLeod, Ain't No Makin' It, Chapter 14, pp. 407-463
Class resources: Brint's chart & MacLeod's proposed solutions
Assignment for second paper given
Due: First paper
October 20 What is the role of segregation by race and social class in creating unequal outcomes for students?
Link to: Orfield, G. & Lee, C. (January 2006). Racial Transformation and the Changing Nature of Segregation. Report for the Civil Rights Project, Harvard University.
Class resources: Segregation Powerpoint
October 22 What is the role of school funding in creating unequal outcomes for students?
1) Link to: Report by the Education Trust. (Fall 2006). Funding Gaps 2006
2) Kozol, J. (2005). Hitting Them Hardest When They're Small. The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America (pp. 39-49). New York: Crown Publishers. [on reserve]
Class resources: Powerpoint Presentation on School Funding
October 27 : What is the role of tracking students into different educational programs in creating unequal outcomes for students?
1) Gamoran, A. (1992). Is Ability Grouping Equitable? Educational Leadership 50:2, 11-17. [on reserve]
2) O’Neil, J. (1992). On Tracking and Individual Differences: A Conversation with Jeannie Oakes. Educational Leadership 50:2, 18-22. [on reserve]
3) Lewis, C. C. (1996). Fostering Social and Intellectual Development: The Roots of Japan's Educational Success. In T. P. Rohlen and G. K. LeTendre (Ed.), Teaching and Learning in Japan (pp. 79-97). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [on reserve]
Class resources: "Can You Lift 100 kg?" Japanese Research Lesson recorded by Catherine Lewis, High-Track Students' Experiences in School, Low-Track Students' Experiences of School, High-Track Teachers' Expectations, Low-Track Teachers' Expectations, Conclusions
Part III: How Do Recent Developments in Education (Vouchers, Charter Schools, and Standardized Testing) Affect Educational Inequality?
October 29: Vouchers: What are different metaphors for education and how do they influence our society's view of the role and purpose of schools?
1) Friedman, M. (1955). The Role of Government in Education. In R. A. Solo (Ed.), Economics and the Public Interest (pp. 123-144). Westport: Greenwood Press. [on reserve]
2) Henig, J. (1996). The Danger of Market Rhetoric. In R. Lowe and B. Miner (Ed.), Selling Out Our Schools: Vouchers, Markets, and Public Education (pp 8-11). Milwaukee: Rethinking Schools Publishers. [on reserve]
Class resources: Vouchers powerpoint
November 3 : What are the effects of charter schools on educational inequalities?
1) Link to: History of the Charter School Movement by the League of Women Voters, DC (2000) http://www.dcwatch.com/lwvdc/lwv0003c.htm
2) Link to: New Jersey Charter School Act (1995; amended 2000) http://www.state.nj.us/njded/chartsch/cspa95.shtml
and answer the question you are assigned here
3) Bastian, A. (1996). Charter Schools: Potentials and Pitfalls. In R. Lowe and B. Miner (Ed.), Selling Out Our Schools: Vouchers, Markets, and Public Education (pp. 45-49). Milwaukee: Rethinking Schools Publishers. [on reserve]
4) Hassel, B. C. (2006). Charter Schools: Mom and Pops or Corporate Design. In P. E. Peterson (Ed.), Choice and Competition in American Education, (pp. 148-160). New York: Rowman and Littlefield. [on reserve]
Class resources: Charter Schools Powerpoint
November 5: What is the effect of standards, standardized testing, and the "No Child Left Behind Act" on educational inequalities?
No class but read:
1) Link to: Elmore, R. F. (2002). Unwarranted Intrusion. Education Nexthttp://educationnext.org/unwarranted-intrusion/
2) Begin reading: Ryan, J. E. (2004). The Perverse Incentives of the No Child Left Behind Act. New York University Law Review 79:3, 932-989 [on reserve]
November 10: What is the effect of standards, standardized testing, and the "No Child Left Behind Act" on educational inequalities?
Finish reading: Ryan, J. E. (2004). The Perverse Incentives of the No Child Left Behind Act. New York University Law Review 79:3, 932-989 [on reserve]
Class resources: New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards, The High Stakes for Schools, Is NCLB a solution for educational inequality?
Due: Second paper
Part IV: How does the Institution of School affect Socialization?
November 12: What are institutional arrangements in school that contribute to different educational outcomes?
1) Fine, M. (1991). Discharging the Student Bodies. Framing Dropouts: Notes on the Politics of an Urban Public High School (pp. 63-83). Albany: SUNY Press. [on reserve]
2) Link to: Hall, D. (2007). Graduation Matters: Improving Accountability for High School Graduation. Washington, DC: The Education Trust (pdf).
Streaming Video: "Disappearing Dropouts" (November 2004)
Class resources: Camden Kids Count (2004) report, Schools as Organizations
November 17: Why do teachers not always teach well? How do institutional structures in schools contribute to a low level of knowledge transmission?
McNeil, L. (1986). "Defensive Teaching and Classroom Control" and "Contradictions of Control." Contradictions of Control: School Structure and School Knowledge (pp. 157-190, 209-216). New York: Routledge. [on reserve]
Third paper assignment given
Part V: What Is the Role of Student Peer Culture and Institutional Rituals in Socializing Students?
November 19
Films: "High School" (1968) by Frederick Wiseman and "People Like Us: Social Class in America" (WETA, 2001)
November 24: How are students socialized to particular gender identities in school?
Foley, D. E. (1990). The Great American Football Ritual. In Learning Capitalist Culture (pp. 28-62). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. [on reserve]
Class Resources: Questions for Small Groups regarding Gender Socialization
December 1
Orenstein, P. (2002). Striking Back: Sexual Harassment at Weston. In Jossey-Bass Reader on Gender in Education (pp. 459-475). San-Francisco: Jossey-Bass. [on reserve]
Class resources: Harassment Laws, Sexual harassment in a middle school
December 3: Are peer networks in schools another kind of social inequality? Do they have an impact on social inequality outside of school?
Eckert, P. (1989) Jocks & Burnouts: Social Categories and Identity in the High School. New York: Teachers College Press. Chapters 1-3, pp. 1-48
December 8
Eckert, Jocks & Burnouts, Chapters 4-5, pp. 49-99
December 10
Eckert, Jocks & Burnouts, Chapters 6-8, pp. 100-184
Final paper due
Thursday, December 17th, 2pm
Final Exam
