Chapter 12

Problems in Education

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Chapter Outline Perspectives Problems

• Functionalist • Conflict • Interactionist • • • •

Illiteracy Immigration and Diversity Race, Class, Gender Violence

Higher Education

• Cost of college education • Affirmative Action

Solutions

• Functionalist/Conservative • Conflict/Liberal Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Sociological Perspectives  Education: the social institution responsible for

transmitting knowledge, skills, and cultural values ina formally organized structure.  Functionalist Perspective:  Education contributes to smooth functioning in society  Provides opportunity for personal fulfillment  Provides opportunity for upward mobility

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Sociological Perspectives, cont. Manifest functions of educ. Latent functions of educ.

 Socialization

 Keeps kids off streets

 Transmission of

 Keeps young people out of the job market for a few years

Culture  Social Control  Serves a matchmaking  Social Placement purpose  Change and Innovation  Establishes social networks Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Sociological Perspectives, cont.  Conflict Perspective:  Schools perpetuate inequalities based on class, race,

and gender  Students possess different levels of cultural capital  Low-income children come to school with different

competencies in language and culture

 A hidden curriculum teaches students to be

obedient and patriotic, perpetuating the status quo  Tracking teaches different skills Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Sociological Perspectives, cont. Symbolic Interactionist:  Focus on the affects of labeling and classroom Interaction  Standardized testing and IQ tests lead to labeling  Self-fulfilling prophecy

Children see themselves based on the unsubstantiated beliefs and predictions of others  Herrnstein’s and Murray’s (1994) The Bell Curve  Argued intelligence is purely genetic and some groups (Asians) are inherently “smarter” than others (African Americans) 

 Labels such as “learning-disabled” and “gifted” greatly

affect one’s academic experience

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Problems in Education  Functional Illiteracy:  Unable to read and/or write at the skill level necessary for carrying out everyday tasks.  

1 of 4 adults in this category Much worse for minorities than whites.

 U.S. companies spend $60 billion per year to educate

workers who are functionally illiterate  Not just a problem for immigrants but also for native born Americans. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Immigration and Diversity  Most immigrants have limited formal education and few

job skills, they rely on education to educate their children.  20% of U.S. residents over age 5 speak a language other

than English at home.  Some Asian groups send their children to “cram schools” to

help them be more successful.  Transitional programs for newcomers have been fairly

successful for helping integrate immigrants. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Race, Class, Gender and Education Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) legally desegregated schools, but today schools remain somewhat segregated Schools with high percentages of minorities tend to have:  High teacher-student ratios  Less qualified teachers  Lower expectations of students  High dropout rates

Latino/a students face educational obstacles  Little opportunity to attend preschool  Few Latino/a teachers as role models  Fewer than 10% of public school teachers are Latino/a  High dropout rates  Tracking (assigning students to specific courses) recreates segregation

in the class room.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Race, Class, Gender, and Education, cont.  Boys and girls treated differently in school.  Studies find teachers pay less attention to girls.  Teachers encourage boys to be problem solvers more by

asking them more complicated questions.

 Activities are geared toward boys who are “more

boisterous”

 Girls are starting to make up ground by enrolling in more

advanced courses, but much work to do still. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

School Violence  School violence is actually down since the 1990’s

 To reduce violence many schools use metal detectors

and require students to wear uniforms.  Teachers often are victims of school violence as well.  New technology has helped deter some school

violence but won’t fix everything. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

School Financing  Most educational funds come from state appropriations

and local property taxes  Tax base in city centers is eroding, disadvantaging schools  Many schools are overcrowded and need major repairs Solutions:  One proposed solution is a Voucher system, whereby families can “buy” education at their school of choice  Cut spending on administration and non-instructional activities. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Problems in Higher Education  Cost to obtain a college education has risen

significantly, many students must go into debt to get a degree.

 Affirmative action  Taking race, gender, and ethnicity into consideration for

admissions, financial aid, scholarships, and faculty hiring 

Minority enrollments have dropped in many schools that have eliminated affirmative action

 US Supreme Court (2003) ruled that race can be a factor

for universities in shaping admission programs Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Solutions  Functionalist/Conservative:  Greater emphasis on teaching students the basics to prepare them with job skills needed.  Work on reducing dysfunctions (school violence, illiteracy)  Conflict/Liberal:  Major restructuring must occur in education to reduce inequality.  Interactionist:  Reduce incidence of labeling , help students develop self confidence needed to have greater achievement. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010