Education Flashcards
Education
Definition + Examples
- Education is a social institution that influences socialization, status formation, social order, and economic productivity
- Schools provide skills, modify behaviors, and determine children’s social mobility (the ability of individuals to move up or down the social hierarchy).
a tool for shaping young minds and reinforcing societal norms.
Rise of Public Education
What? Who?
- The Industrial Revolution created the need for a literate and disciplined workforce
- Egerton Ryerson, a Canadian education reformer, promoted universal, free, and compulsory education
- Stephen Schecter (1977) argued that Ryerson’s education model was designed to ensure social control and prevent conflict among immigrants, especially Irish laborers
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Human Capital Thesis
Def. + occured when?
The Human Capital Thesis says that in industrial societies, people invest in education to improve their skills and knowledge. It explains economic inequality by saying that lower income is due to having less education.
Economic expansion = result of increased need for better educated workforce
Occured after World War ll
Neoliberalism
def. + people
- Neoliberalism refers to policies that emphasize free-market competition, reduced government intervention, and privatization
- Peters & Jandric argue that universities have shifted from being public institutions (1960s-80s) to consumer-driven systems where students are seen as customers.
Credentialism
over-reliance on academic qualifications for employment
higher education does not always translate into better wages
Media
def. + five major corporations in Canada
Media includes all forms of broadcast and interactive communication (TV, radio, films, podcasts, and social media)
five major media corporations
Bell Media, Rogers Media, Postmedia, Corus, and Torstar—control 80% of the media
Reflection Theory
Def. + Who?
Reflection Theory states that culture is a projection of social structures and relationships into the public sphere
Marxist perspective: Cultural objects (e.g., media) reflect the material labor and production relationships that created them
ex. Rap music reflects the violence of the world in which it was created.
Hegemony
Defs. + people?
Hegemony (Gramsci): Power is maintained through consent rather than coercion, making the dominant worldview seem like “common sense.”
Hegemony (Chomsky & Herman): manufacturing consent argues that the mass media serve elite interests by shaping public perception
Media reinforces dominant cultural values while marginalizing alternative perspectives
Hiearchical Observation
Who? Meaning?
Michel Foucault
Foucault argued hierarchical observation induces an awareness of permanent visibility and affects individuals’ psychology
Surveillance leads to self-regulation as people alter behavior in anticipation of being watched
Filter Bubbles & Political Polarization
Defs.
Filter Bubbles: Digital spaces where users are exposed only to information that aligns with their beliefs, limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints
Confirmation Bias: The tendency to seek out and favor information that supports preexisting beliefs
Social media algorithms contribute to political and social polarization, reinforcing ideological divides.
Attention Economy
Attention Economy: A system where media organizations compete for public attention, often at the expense of journalistic integrity
- Click-driven journalism prioritizes emotional reactions over factual accuracy
- Sensationalized reporting can manipulate public perception of important issues
Digital Disconnect & Media Commercialization
The documentary Digital Disconnect explores how political leaders justified commercializing the internet by claiming it would spur innovation and economic growth to benefit democracy and citizens
Race
Def. + Dates
Race is a social construct that was first applied to humans during European colonial expansion in the 16th and 17th centuries
The term “race” entered the English language in the late sixteenth century
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the white “race” was elevated over others to justify colonial domination
Multiculturalism in Canada
Def. + Goal + Date
Multiculturalism is an official Canadian policy developed in response to labor and immigration shifts in the 1960s-70s
The policy aimed to rebrand Canada as an inclusive society while managing non-European immigrants
Critics argue that multiculturalism focuses on cultural recognition while ignoring economic inequalities
Indigenous Peoples and Gender Recognition
The Navajo, an Indigenous group, recognize four genders
Indigenous identity is shaped by legal status under the Indian Act (1876)
Bill C-31 allowed some Indigenous people to reclaim status previously lost due to discriminatory laws
Gender Identity and Roles + Intersex
Defs.
Gender Role: A set of expectations and attitudes concerning behavior related to one’s assigned sex at birth
Intersex refers to individuals born with both male and female sexual characteristics
Killing us Softly
Analyzes what?
Killing Us Softly analyzes how women of color are considered beautiful only if they conform to white beauty standards
Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic crystallized structural inequality in Canada
Social Justice & Activism
Who? Argues?
Tim Wise states that white individuals must actively engage in social justice for true equality to be achieved
