Sociology of Education

Question 1

What is formal education? (3 points)

Answer 1

• Private and Public educational institutions conduct formal education
• This education is universal in this country up to the age of 16
• Schools teach a curriculum that is determined bu the Boards of education.

Question 2

How does the Ministry of education of Ontario effect eduction?

Answer 2

• School boards follow the curriculum they give them.
• Each province has their own
• They are the responsibility of the province and not the federal government or city government

Question 3

What is Informal education?

Answer 3

• The norms and values that schools teach
• These norms and values are created by the dominate class in society
• Schools also teach students the culture of there dominant class (Cultural transmission)

Question 4

What is cultural transmission?

Answer 4

• Schools teaching students the culture of their dominant class in society
• People in power create the ideas of what is right and wrong behaviour.

Question 5

How well does Canada do in education compared to other countries?

Answer 5

• Here, a large percent of individuals go to primary and secondary school and collage and uni
• We also score well on the Pisa National Education Test
• Because we hire the best teachers and spend the same amounts on each students giving them equal chance.

Question 6

Why do not all students do well in school?

Answer 6

• Has to do with their parents social class
• The higher the class the higher levels of education attained.
• You’re capacity to learn comes from your parents and their social class.

Question 7

Why does social class affect educational attainment?

Answer 7

• IQ transmitted by genes
• Parental education
• Parental income

Question 8

How are social class and IQ related?

Answer 8

• IQ varies by class
• Upper class have higher IQ
• Lower class have lower IQ
• IQ is passed on to children via genes

Question 9

Why do people with high levels of education still end up in the working class? (3 points)

Answer 9

• It is possible to have high levels of education, and a poor personality so they never get hired.
• D’s get Degrees (low grades but still got their degree but they lack the skills)
• Some many not enjoy being in an office, so they move to lower class, hands on jobs.

Question 10

What are 4 theories on education?

Answer 10

• Symbolic interactionaism
• Labeling Theory
• Functionalism
• Conflict Theory

Question 11

What is Symbolic Interactionism?

Answer 11

• We have had different lives which means we have different views.
• Ex: Teachers effecting students based on their expectations of them. Placing them in different classes and education streams.
• Students are places into educational tracks or streams

Question 12

What is Labeling Theory? Who studied it?

Answer 12

• Labeling theory falls into symbolic interactionism
• Ray Reist’s studied showed teacher believed middle class children are smarter than working class children, teachers treated them different, effecting students performance in the classroom.
• Jacobsen and Rosenthal studied how students labeled as “late bloomers” did better than other students because they were treated differently, which impacted their performance.

Question 13

What is Functionalism or Purpose of Schooling?

Answer 13

How schools serve a function that is needed in order for students to be socialized in a way that will serve in the survival of the society.

Question 14

What is the Function or Purpose of schooling? (3 points)

Answer 14

Has to do with functionalism theory
Schools have a purpose:
- To transmit attitudes, values, skills and norms from one generation to another
- Intellectual schooling (Cognitive [reading, writing, etc], acquisition of knowledge, inquiry skills [evaluate, synthesis, etc])
- Political: educate future citizens, promote patriotism, assimilate immigrants, etc.

Question 15

How do schools prepare students for work?

Answer 15

Has to do with functionalism theory
Schools have an economic purpose:
- Match the most able students to the most demanding jobs, and the least able with the least demanding jobs
- Everyone is given an equal chance to succeed
- But not everyone has the same ability level

Question 16

What is Conflict Theory in relation to education?

Answer 16

School systems dictate where students will end up and how they are socialized

Question 17

How are schools controlled by capitalists?

Answer 17

Conflict theory: Schools use capitalist ideology which helps maintain the status quo by promoting order and conformity laws. 
Working class kids dont do well the end up in the same class as their parents.
This doesnt happen because the children are less smart, it happens because thats how the school systems are designed.

Question 18

What is Tracking or Steaming in relation to education?

Answer 18

Conflict Theory: Upper class students are streamed into the academic track, working class into the applied track.
- Upper class are taught o succeed as leaders, Lower class are taught to take orders and other things

Question 19

Why are upper class students put into the academic track and working class students are put into the applied track?

Answer 19

This has to do with cultural deprivation theory

• social classes differ in their linguistic codes
• Schools often uses middle class linguistic codes
• If you dont have these codes you are at a disadvantage

Question 20

What are the linguistic codes that are learned in families?

Answer 20

• Working class life, organized around the family structure limited to traditional roles and positional authority based on age, class and gender.
• Middle class family structure tends to be more open and flexible, and relies on individuals personality characteristics, and personal relationships, rather than traditional and stereotypical role relationships.

Question 21

What are 2 examples of how linguistic codes develop differently based on social class?

Answer 21

- Working class code: 
Are learned to do as they are told and not always ask questions. 
- Middle class code: 
Encouraged to ask questions and are taught reasoning. before taught to simple follow instructions.

Question 22

What are 2 examples of class based differences in Language codes?

Answer 22

• Working class:
  Linguistic codes are more direct and immediate. It relies on authority to obtain compliance.
• Middle class
  The code relies on a rational explanation to obtain compliance.

Question 23

What are the consequences of not possessing the linguistic codes used in school? (2 examples)

Answer 23

• Working class children do not have access to middle class codes and therefore fail tp understand exactly what is expected of them in school., this responding inappropriately and performing more poorly.
• Poor academic performance leads to preparation for vocational and blue-collar employment. Middle class children, who understand the code, do well at school and thus prepare for salariat jobs

Question 24

What is Cultural deprivation theory? and who studied it?

Answer 24

• High culture is developed from going to the opera, symphony, museum, theatre, etc.
• High culture is developed from reading, having access to many books at home, watching educational tv, ect.
• Low culture is developed from going to auto races, wrestling, not reading, etc.
  AKA HOW YOU LIVE AFFECTS HOW YOU THINK AND HOW YOU BEHAVE

Question 25

What is Cultural Capital

Answer 25

is more than just a linguistic codes. It includes the general cultural background.

• Some culture is of more value than others
• Middle class possess high culture
• Working class possess low culture
• The school system uses high culture. It teaches and evaluates children based on high culture. This working class children are disadvantaged.

Question 26

How does lacking cultural capital lead to educational failure.

Answer 26

• Since schools operate based on high culture, working class kids will be disadvantaged. aka working class kids cant relate to what us being taught in school, they dont value it. It is seen as a waste of time and effort.
• Middle class kids experience that same culture at school that they experience at home, therefore they excel.
• Working class kids are unable to relate to what goes on in school, so they will dropout due to their poor performance.
• Middle class kids will go in to further education.