Sociology of Education, The: A Systematic Analysis

by Ballantine, Jeanne H.; Hammack, Floyd M.

• ISBN13: 9780131958944
• ISBN10: 0131958941
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-01-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

Comprehensive, contemporary, and cross-cultural in perspective, this text provides a sociological approach to education-from several theoretical approaches and their practical application, to current educational issues, to the structure and processes that make education systems work. New to this edition is co-author Floyd Hammack from New York University who brings his expertise in secondary education and its links with higher education.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xiii
Sociology of Education: A Unique Perspective for Understanding Schools	p. 1
Sociology and Education	p. 1
Why Study Sociology of Education?	p. 2
Questions Asked by Sociologists of Education	p. 5
U.S. Schools in the Early Twenty-First Century: Applying Sociological Findings	p. 6
Demographic Trends	p. 7
Family, Economic, and Social Trends	p. 8
Schools in the New Century	p. 10
Reform and Policy in Educational Systems	p. 11
American Sociology of Education	p. 11
Theoretical Approaches in the Sociology of Education	p. 12
Functionalist Theory	p. 13
Conflict Theory	p. 17
Interaction and Interpretive Theories	p. 19
Recent Theories in the Sociology of Education: Critical, "New," and Postmodern Theories	p. 21
Feminist Theories in Sociology of Education	p. 23
The Open Systems Approach	p. 24
Research Methods in Sociology of Education	p. 29
Organization of the Book	p. 31
Summary	p. 31
Sample study questions in sociology of education	p. 33
Putting sociology to work	p. 33
Conflicting Functions and Processes in Education: What Makes the System Work?	p. 35
Conflicting Functions of Education	p. 35
Unanticipated Consequences of Functions	p. 37
The Importance of Processes in Educational Systems	p. 37
The Function of Socialization: What We Learn and How We Learn It	p. 38
The Early Childhood Education Controversy	p. 38
Role of the Media and Commercials in the function of Socialization	p. 41
The Function of Cultural Transmission and Process of Passing On Culture	p. 45
Literacy, Illiteracy, and Cultural Transmission	p. 45
Some Factors Affecting Learning	p. 47
How to Pass On Culture	p. 48
What Culture to Pass On	p. 49
The Function of Social Control and Personal Development	p. 58
Violence and Discipline in Schools	p. 59
The Function of Selection and Allocation: The Sorting Process	p. 63
The Testing Game	p. 64
Achievement Tests	p. 66
The Function of Change and Innovation: Looking to the Future	p. 69
Summary	p. 72
Putting sociology to work	p. 73
Education and the Process of Stratification	p. 74
The Crisis in Schooling	p. 74
Education and Stratification in America	p. 74
Education and Stratification Around the World	p. 76
The Process of Stratification: Is Inequality Inevitable?	p. 77
Determinants of Social Class	p. 78
Major Explanations of Stratification	p. 81
Stratification and Equality of Educational Opportunity	p. 87
The Meaning of "Equality of Educational Opportunity"	p. 87
Social Class Reproduction: The Debate over Public versus Private Schools	p. 88
The Controversial Issue of "Choice"	p. 91
Ability Grouping and Teacher Expectations	p. 94
Financing Schools in the United States	p. 105
Summary	p. 107
Putting sociology to work	p. 108
Race, Class, and Gender: Attempts to Achieve Equality of Educational Opportunity	p. 109
Gender and Equality of Educational Opportunity	p. 109
Sex-Role Socialization	p. 110
Sex Differences in the Educational System	p. 113
Combating Gender Differences	p. 121
Class, Race, and Attempts to Rectify Inequalities in Educational Opportunity	p. 122
Trends in Public School Enrollments	p. 122
The Underclass and At-Risk Students	p. 123
Research on Equality of Educational Opportunity	p. 124
The Battle over Desegregation	p. 126
Court Cases on Desegregation	p. 126
Effects of Efforts to Desegregate Schools	p. 129
Student Goals, Aspirations, and Future Prospects	p. 130
Integration Attempts	p. 134
Educational Experience of Selected Minorities in the United States	p. 136
Hispanic Students	p. 137
Immigrants	p. 139
Asian American Students	p. 141
Native American Students	p. 142
Special Education Students	p. 143
Gifted Students	p. 146
Improving Schools for Minority Students	p. 147
Summary	p. 153
Putting sociology to work	p. 154
The School as an Organization	p. 155
Social System of the School	p. 156
Goals of the School System	p. 157
Societal, Community, and Educators' Goals	p. 158
School Goals	p. 160
Individual Goals	p. 161
The School as an Organization	p. 162
The School as a Bureaucracy	p. 162
Characteristics of Bureaucracy	p. 163
Development of Schools as Bureaucracies	p. 168
Problems in Educational Bureaucracies	p. 169
Understanding Schools as Modern Organizations: Structures and Models	p. 171
Centralized versus Decentralized Decision Making: The Fight over Control of Schools	p. 175
Centralization of Decision Making	p. 175
Decentralization of Decision Making	p. 177
Small Schools and Classrooms: Are They Better for Student Achievement?	p. 178
Summary	p. 180
Putting sociology to work	p. 181
Formal School Statuses and Roles: "The Way It Spozed to Be"	p. 183
The Meaning of Roles	p. 183
Statuses and Roles in the System	p. 183
The School Organization and Roles	p. 184
Role Expectations and Conflict	p. 184
Professionals in the Educational System	p. 185
Roles in Schools	p. 187
School Boards: Liaison Between School and Community	p. 187
Superintendent: Manager of the School System	p. 193
The Principal: School Boss-in-the-Middle	p. 195
Teachers: The Front Line	p. 199
Support Roles in the School: Behind the Scenes	p. 211
Summary	p. 214
Putting sociology to work	p. 215
Students: The Core of the School	p. 216
Student Characteristics	p. 216
Expectations for the Student Role	p. 218
Learning the Student Role	p. 220
Conflicting Expectations for the Student Role	p. 221
Student Coping Mechanisms	p. 222
School Failures and Dropouts	p. 223
Who Drops Out?	p. 223
Why Students Drop Out	p. 227
Gangs and Schools	p. 228
School Crime and Violence	p. 230
Retention and Suspension: School Reactions to Problem Students	p. 231
Adolescent Employment and Dropping Out of School	p. 232
The Future for Dropouts	p. 233
Criticisms of the Student Role	p. 235
Students and the Informal System	p. 237
Student's Self-Concept	p. 237
School Value Climate and Student Achievement	p. 238
Teacher and Student Expectations	p. 240
Peer Groups and Student Culture	p. 240
Student Coping Strategies	p. 244
Students and Their Environments	p. 247
Effects of Home Environment on Educational Achievement	p. 247
Family Background and Parental Involvement	p. 249
Social Class Background	p. 250
Parenting Styles	p. 251
Family Aspirations	p. 251
Single-Parent Homes	p. 252
The Role of Mothers	p. 252
The Number of Siblings	p. 253
Summary	p. 254
Putting sociology to work	p. 256
The Informal System and the "Hidden Curriculum": What Really Happens in School?	p. 257
The Open Systems Approach and the Informal System	p. 258
The Hidden Curriculum	p. 259
Reproduction Theory and the Informal System	p. 260
The Educational "Climate" and School Effectiveness	p. 262
The Value Climate	p. 263
The School Climate and Effective Schools	p. 264
Classroom Learning Climate	p. 266
Student Friendship and Interaction Patterns in the Classroom	p. 268
Power Dynamics and Roles in the Informal System	p. 275
Theoretical Explanations of Power Dynamics in the Classroom	p. 275
Teacher Strategies and the Informal System	p. 277
Summary	p. 280
Putting sociology to work	p. 281
The Educational System and the Environment: A Symbiotic Relationship	p. 282
The Environment and the Educational System	p. 283
Types of Environments	p. 284
The School Systems' Environments: Interdependence Between Institutions	p. 286
Home and Family Influences on Schools	p. 286
The Institution of Religion: Church and State	p. 288
The Economics of Education: Financing Schools	p. 295
The Political and Legal Institutions	p. 301
Communities and Their Schools	p. 304
Summary	p. 306
Putting sociology to work	p. 307
The System of Higher Education	p. 308
History and Development of Higher Education	p. 308
Historical Functions of Higher Education	p. 309
Trends in Development of Higher Education	p. 310
Theoretical Approaches to Higher Education	p. 315
The Expansion of Higher Education	p. 315
Access to Higher Education	p. 316
Stratification and Equal Opportunity in Higher Education	p. 317
Elite versus Public Colleges	p. 318
Admissions and the Courts	p. 319
Characteristics of Higher Education in the United States	p. 321
Growth of Higher Education	p. 323
The School-to-Work Transition and the Credential Crisis	p. 323
Functions of the Higher Education System	p. 324
The University as a Community	p. 324
The Function of Research	p. 325
The Function of Teaching	p. 325
The Function of Service	p. 326
The Function of the "National Security State"	p. 326
Conflicts over the University's function	p. 327
The Academic Function of Universities versus Business Functions	p. 327
What Type of Curriculum?	p. 329
Higher Education as an Organization	p. 331
Higher Education Structure and the Bureaucratic Model: Does It Work?	p. 331
Roles in Higher Education	p. 334
Roles in Higher Education: The Clients	p. 334
Gender and Race in Higher Education	p. 335
The Graying of College Graduates	p. 342
Roles in Higher Education: The Faculty	p. 343
Faculty Issues in Higher Education	p. 345
Roles in Higher Education: Administrators	p. 348
Environmental Pressures on Higher Education	p. 349
Funding of Higher Education	p. 350
The Courts and Affirmative Action	p. 352
Environmental Feedback and Organizational Change	p. 354
Outcomes of Higher Education	p. 355
Higher Education: Attitudes, Values, and Behaviors	p. 355
The Value of a College Education	p. 356
Problems and Reform in Higher Education	p. 358
Summary	p. 359
Putting sociology to work	p. 361
Educational Systems Around the World: A Comparative View	p. 362
Cross-cultural Educational Studies	p. 364
Comparative Education as a Field of Study	p. 365
Comparative Education and the Systems Approach	p. 366
Cross-cultural Studies of Educational Systems: Achievement Studies	p. 367
Comparative International Studies of Achievement	p. 368
Theoretical Perspectives in Comparative Education	p. 372
Human Capital Perspectives	p. 374
"Legitimation of Knowledge" Perspective	p. 377
Rich versus Poor: An Educational Typology	p. 378
World System Analysis	p. 381
Global Institutional Interdependence	p. 383
Education and the Institution of Religion	p. 384
Family, Social Class, and Education	p. 385
Education and Economic Institutions	p. 386
Political-Economic Divisions Between Societal Systems	p. 389
Higher Education Around the World	p. 392
Summary	p. 396
Putting sociology to work	p. 397
Educational Systems Around the World: Britain, China, and Postcolonial Africa	p. 398
Education in Britain	p. 399
Development of Education in Britain	p. 400
Control and Decision Making in British Education	p. 402
Structure of the British Educational System	p. 402
Composition of British Schools	p. 403
Exams and Credentials	p. 403
Inequality in Education and Occupational Mobility	p. 404
Higher Education in Great Britain: Elite versus Mass Education	p. 404
Education in the People's Republic of China	p. 406
Recent Historical Events Affecting Education	p. 406
The Drive Toward Modernization	p. 407
Equality of Educational Opportunity	p. 408
Status and Structure of Education in China	p. 408
Higher Education in the PRC	p. 409
Formal Education in Colonial Africa	p. 411
Education in Ghana	p. 412
History of Education in Ghana	p. 413
Forms of Education	p. 414
Nonformal Education in Africa	p. 415
Structure of the Ghanaian Educational System	p. 416
Equality of Opportunity in Ghanaian Education	p. 416
Higher Education in Postcolonial Africa	p. 417
Summary	p. 419
Putting sociology to work	p. 419
Educational Movements and Reform	p. 420
The Nature of Educational Movements	p. 422
Early Educational Movements	p. 425
Early European Education: Purpose and Function for Society	p. 425
Educational Movements in the United States	p. 426
Alternative Education and Related Movements	p. 429
Third World Alternative Educational Movements	p. 430
English Primary Schools	p. 431
Open Classrooms	p. 432
Back to Basics	p. 433
Private Schools	p. 434
Accountability Movements	p. 435
Effective Schools and Educational Reform	p. 437
Structural and Curricular Changes in the Schools	p. 438
The "School Choice" Movement	p. 438
"Multiculturalism" and "Political Correctness"	p. 440
Technology and the Classroom	p. 442
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001	p. 443
Other Movements, Reforms, and Fads	p. 444
A Look Into the Future	p. 446
Summary	p. 447
Putting sociology to work	p. 448
References	p. 450
Index	p. 484
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.