Sociology of Higher Education

Catalog description

Reviews theory and current sociology research on student access, achievement, and governance in postsecondary education, with applications to policy analysis. EDTHP (HI ED, SOC) 557 Sociology of Higher Education (3) Sociologists interested in higher education have attended to the relationships between postsecondary institutions and other institutions, as well as the impact on higher education of general social and demographic processes. Many of the classical ideas in sociological theory, including those of Max Weber and Emile Durkheim, have surfaced in recent debates over the nature of higher education. Sociologists in the U.S. have explored such questions as: the gatekeeping function of higher education; the impact of universities on stratification; and the socializing environment for women and minorities. This seminar introduces some of the classical theorists and contemporary researchers of the sociology of higher education. All seminar participants will be required to write a sample research proposal, based on the readings from the seminar.