Socio-cultural Perspectives on Schooling, Society and Change.

Catalog description

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. This seminar focuses on the critical analysis of contemporary schooling in the U.S. and investigates how educational institutions work from a sociological-cultural perspective. The structure of schooling is analyzed through such topics as the social organization of schooling, stratification within and among schools, youth culture and student peer groups, curriculum and the stratification of knowledge, and equality of educational opportunity as mitigated by such factors as social class, race, ethnicity and gender. Discussions about current social theories and debates in education are combined with lessons drawn from social justice-based research on the politics of schooling and institutional transformation. In sum, the course provides a framework for informed participation in debates on controversial educational issues at the macro level, including school reform and educational policy, thereby equipping future curriculum and instruction leaders with the tools they need to affect change.