Dimensions and Drivers of Educational Inequalities

Catalog description

Education is often characterized as a means of upward mobility and an equalizer of societal outcomes. This survey course critiques this perspective by exploring the structural factors that give rise to inequity and inequality in education. More specifically, we examine the role of institutions, policies, neighborhoods, and schools in fostering or reducing inequity in educational inputs and inequality in educational outcomes. The specific learning objectives are as follows: Interrogate the goals and functions of education; Explain key concepts such as educational opportunity, educational outcomes, (in)equality, and (in)equity; and Describe the structural forces that create inequities and inequalities in educational opportunities and outcomes.