1. Horace Mann's Common School
1.1. Free, publicly funded schools were created in order to stabilize society and create social mobility for larger range of people. Before this, only first class citizens were able to attain a proper education. Public school for immigrants created opportunities for acclimation to a new way of life as well.
1.2. Although Mann's efforts educated people about basic skills needed to be successful in the United States, radicals view Mann's efforts as a way to force people to conform in order to create docile and obedient workers.
2. Ch. 2-The Four Purposes of Education
2.1. Intellectual; These purposes of schooling are to teach basic cognitive skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics; to transmit specific knowledge ; and to help students acquire higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and synthesis.
2.2. Political ; These purposes of schooling are to inculcate allegiance to the existing political order (patriotism); to prepare citizens who will participate in this political order; to help assimilate diverse cultural groups into a common political order; and to teach children the basic laws of the society.
2.2.1. Materials
2.2.2. Personel
2.2.3. Services
2.2.4. Duration
2.3. Social
2.3.1. Social; Social purposes of schooling are to help solve social problems; to work as one of many institutions, such as family and the church (or synagogue) to ensure social cohesion; and to socialize children into the various roles, behaviors, and values of the society. This process referred to by sociologists as socialization, is the key ingredient ti the stability of any society.
2.3.1.1. Dependencies
2.3.1.2. Milestones
2.3.2. Economic
2.3.2.1. Economic; The economic purpose of schooling are to prepare students for work and the ability to support themselves.
2.3.2.1.1. Project specifications
2.3.2.1.2. End User requirements
2.3.2.1.3. Action points sign-off
3. The Radical Perspective
3.1. The role of the school
3.1.1. Schools should reduce inequality and push for political reform in education. Inequality stems from an unfair, capitalism based society.
3.2. Definition of Educational Problems
3.2.1. The educational system has failed the poor, minorities, and woman through classist, racist, sexist, and homophobic policies.
3.2.2. Schools have ignored critical, societal issues while promoting conformity.
3.2.3. The traditional curriculum is classist, racist, sexist, and homophobic and leaves out the cultures, histories, and voices of the oppressed.
3.3. Explanations of Unequal Performance
3.3.1. Students with lower socioeconomic backgrounds do not begin with equal opportunities to attain their educational goals. The economic system may only be changed by political reform. New laws set by politicians should be enforced to ensure all students have an equal chance at success.
4. Ch. 3-Historical Interpretation
4.1. From the late 1950's the findings of social scientists, including James Coleman, focused national attention on the relationship between socioeconomic position and unequal educational outcomes. As part of the social programs of President John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson, Americans were sensitized to the idea of ameliorating poverty. Since schools were, in Mann's vision, the lever of social reform, it was only natural that schools once again became the focal point. Educational reformers began focusing on both family and school reform in the early years of children's education.
5. Theoretical Perspectives concerning the relationship between School and Society
5.1. Functional sociologists begin with a picture of of society that stresses the interdependence of the social system. How well are the parts integrated? It is a man-made machine, where one part articulates with another to produce the dynamic energy required to make society work. Moral values are the foundation of society. Functionalists tend to assume that consensus is the normal state in society and that conflict represents a breakdown of shared values.
5.1.1. Functionalism
5.2. Conflict Theories
5.2.1. What holds society together is the economic, political, cultural, and military power. As a result of this, there is a conflict of interest for those in power, creating and legitimizing inequality and the unequal distribution of material and cultural goods. Conflict theorists emphasize struggle, recognizing schools as social battlefields, where students struggle against teachers, teachers against adminstrators and so on. Karl Marx was a man who brought the inequalities to light in the 1800's claiming that in order for reform in the classroom, reform must be done in society. Another sociologist who sought change was Max Weber. He agreed with Marx, but exclaimed that class warfare was not the only issue with society, it is an issue that can be taken down to each individual person in society, Weber made a the distinction between the "specialist" and the "cultivated" man.
5.3. Interactionactionalism
5.3.1. Interactional theories emphasize the need to see past the 'big picture' of education. These theories want a better understanding of the details of what happens on a daily basic between teacher and students. Without an understanding of details such as this, we may not be able to enforce educational reform.
6. 5 Effects of Schooling
6.1. Knowledge and Attitude
6.1.1. Social background, in general, does have an effect on student's attitude towards their education. It has been found that there is a distinct correlation between social class status and achievement levels for students. Social status is not, however, the only factor in student success. Academic programs and policies also hold a key role in academic progress.
6.2. Education and Mobility
6.2.1. Most Americans believe that the higher your level of education, the more mobility you have. Hopper made a great point when saying that there is a difference between educational amount and educational route. Education alone does not guarantee social mobility. There are many other factors involved in mobility, including social status, test scores and competition among students.
6.3. Teacher Behavior
6.3.1. Teachers are very busy professionals who must learn to balance various tasks such as being an instructor, disciplinarian, bureaucrat, employer, friend, confidant, educator, etc. Keeping up with all of these demands can be very stressful for teachers, causing role strain for them. The attitude and energy coming from the teacher has a large impact on the quality of education of their students. Research has shown that teachers expect success differently among different types of students. For example, a teacher may expect a student from a higher socioeconomic background to score higher that a student from a lower socioeconomic background.
6.4. Student Peer Groups and Alienation
6.4.1. The culture among facility members compared to the culture among students is very different and many times, strained. This causes alienation and, at times, violence. Stinchcombe found, for instance, that students in vocational programs and headed towards low-status jobs were the students most likely to join a rebellious subculture. Violence has become a normal part of life for many students and that carries over into their schooling and on. There are four major types of college students; careerists, intellectuals, strivers, and unconnected. A student's cultural experiences play a key role in their educational experiences.
6.5. Sociology and the Current Educational Crisis
6.5.1. Poverty has a massive effect on the children of this country and their education. Many children's success is determined before they reach their first day of Kindergarten. Current issues throughout the education system are complex and not easily fixed. Connecting the dots between society and school is one of the many ways in which education may begin its reform.
7. Pragmitism
7.1. Generic Notions
7.1.1. Greek philosopher, Plato, distrusted the world of matter; he believed that it was in a constant state of flux. He believed in engaging in discussions with individuals in order to debate their point of view. This approach, called the dialectic, was used by Plato to move individuals from the world of matter to the world of ideas. He also believed in mass education by the state that encouraged students to reach their full potential. For example, the brighter students would focus on ideas rather that concrete matter.
7.2. Key Researchers
7.2.1. Plato is not the only philosopher to thank for this type of idealism. Others include; St. Augustine, Rene Descartes, Immanuel Kant and George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegal.
7.3. Goals of Education
7.3.1. Educators who subscribe to idealism are interested in the search for truth through ideas rather than through the examination of the false world of matter. Education is transformation.
7.4. Role of Teacher
7.4.1. Teachers play a vital role in creating new levels of awareness for their students primarily through action and connect analysis. A teacher accomplishes this through various forms of open communications with students on a daily basis.
7.5. Method of Instruction
7.5.1. Idealist teachers turn to Plato's methods of instruction. This includes more open discussions and active learning as opposed to lecture based instruction. Students gain social mobility and skills through group activities and research projects.
7.6. Curriculum
7.6.1. Without knowledge of history, students may not have the ability to comprehend and handle the present or future. Many idealists support a back-to-the-basics approach to education, which emphasizes the three R's.