1. Reform Movement
2. Sociology of Education
2.1. Functionalism: Functionalist sociologists start with a picture of society that stresses interdependence of social systems. Functionalists view society as a machine, where all parts depend on each other to produce the dynamics to create a functional society. Emile Durkhiem, an early educational sociologist, recognized that education had taken different forms at different times. Education in his mind was of critical importance in creating moral unity needed for societal harmony. Conflict in a functionalist's view breaks down shared values. Schools should socialize students into the appropriate values, as well as be sorted according to their ability. Educational reform in this viewpoint is supposed to create structures, programs, and curricula that are technologically advanced, rational, and one that creates social uniformity. Most American educators base their reforms on functional theories of schooling.
2.1.1. Conflict Theory: Social order is argued on whether or not it is based on collective agreements, or the ability of dominant groups to impose their will on others through force, and or manipulation. In this view, society is held together by political, military, and cultural power. Conflict sociologists emphasize struggle in schools as a social battlefield. This has students struggling with each other, as well as teachers. Often though, this fight is silenced by authority and achievement ideology. School systems in this regard convince students and teachers to promote learning and to sort students based on abilities, not social status. In this view, the achievement ideology hides the real power relations within the school, which then reflect power relations within the larger society (Bowles & Gintis, 1976). Gintis used Marxist perspective for examining growth in the American public school system. In his mind there is a direct link between the organization of society and the organization of schools. Until society has changed, there is little to no hope in his mind that a true reform will take place.
2.1.1.1. Interactional: Interactional theories about the relation of the school and society are primarily critiques of the functional and conflict theories. The functional and conflict theories are abstract and have structure and process at a vague, general level. This general level of analysis does indeed aid in understanding education as a whole, it hardly provides an insight on how schools are on a daily basis. Interactional theories attempt to analyze everyday behaviors between students and teachers. What makes this problematic is what is not being questioned. For example, the process by which students are labeled gifted or disabled are important to analyze, because this is carried with them in assumptions about learning and students. By looking at the interactional parts of school life, people are not as inclined to create logical theories without meaningful content. The structural aspects of education systems and interactional aspects of said systems reflect each other and must be viewed as a whole. Speech patterns reflect social class, as well as social background. Certain students are at a disadvantage solely on where they are in the social class heir-achy. Class analysis and interactional analysis can link language with educational processes and outcomes.
2.1.1.2. Bowles and Gintis: schooling in capitalist america
2.1.2. http://study.com/academy/lesson/emile-durkheims-theories-functionalism-anomie-and-division-of-labor.html
3. Philosophy of Education
3.1. Existentialism: Existentialism has origins to the bible, in relevance to education, it has origins as late as the nineteenth century. It is centered around the analysis of human existence. "In simpler terms, existentialism is a philosophy concerned with finding self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. The belief is that people are searching to find out who and what they are throughout life as they make choices based on their experiences, beliefs, and outlook. And personal choices become unique without the necessity of an objective form of truth. An existentialist believes that a person should be forced to choose and be responsible without the help of laws, ethnic rules, or traditions" (All About Philosophy).
3.1.1. Generic Notions: Existentialists pose questions in reference to its impact on individual life. Existentialists believe everyone is placed on Earth alone and must figure out life for themselves amidst the chaos. People create themselves, thus creating their own meaning. Choices carve the pathway through life, constantly encountering both good and evil. The choice is made based on each individual. With these choices come the power to be great, and also to be meaningless. Most existentialists are Christian, or believe in some sort of higher being.
3.1.2. Key Researchers = Soren Kierkergaard, Martin Buber, and John Paul Sartre
3.1.3. Goal of Education: Existentialists believe that education should be an individual focus on one's self. Education should also focus on individuality. Discussion of non-rationales as well as the rational world should take place. Anxiety should be addressed, specifically anxiety brought on by conflict. Education is seen as an activity than liberates an individual from a chaotic world.
3.1.4. Role of Teacher: Teachers should be aware of their worlds, as well as their student's worlds. This will aid students in achieving the best individual world's that they can. Teachers should be willingly to take risks on resistant students; working constantly and consistently on the student becoming "awake".
3.1.5. Method of Instruction: Existentialists would be against the current instruction being taught in school. This is because they believe learning is personal, and that each student will have a different approach to learning needed. This is up to the teacher to find out about each individual student. Martin Buber wrote about the "I-approach", whereas teacher and student learn from each other; they become friends in a way.
3.1.6. Curriculum: Existentialists see curriculum biased towards humanity. Literature has meaning due to the fact that it evokes awareness, and emotion. Art, and drama is also meaningful to existentialists for the same reasons. Students should be exposed at an early age to problems and possible situations.
3.1.7. Existentialism: Crash Course Philosophy #16
4. Schools as Organizations
4.1. Federal Alabama Senators
4.2. House of Representative
4.3. State Senator
4.4. State Superintendent
4.5. Representative
5. Equality of Opportunity
6. Educational Reform
7. http://study.com/academy/lesson/horace-mann-education-reform-contributions-philosophy-quiz.html
8. Politics of Education
8.1. Role of Education
8.1.1. Intellectual: The intellectual purpose of education are to teach more cognitive skill sets. This includes math, writing, and reading. This introduces students to higher-order thinking like evaluation, analysis, and synthesis.
8.1.2. Political: The political purposes of education are to have students become patriotic, or have some form of it known. This is to prepare students to function in current democracies as they become adults. Overall the purpose is to teach students the most basic laws of, at least in America, American society.
8.1.3. Social: The social purposes of education are to help students understand and solve social problems. Students are taught to be as "one"; a unified force. This purpose is meant to create a stable society for future generations.
8.1.4. Economic: The economic purposes of education are to prepare, and train students for their careers as adults. Each society will have varying schools for varying job markets.
8.2. The role of the school (Conservative): The conservative perspective views the role of the school as providing educational training to the more talented and hard-working students. Those students will be given the tools needed to maximize social and economic productivity. Students should be socialized in accordance to their social order. Conservatives view schools as essential roles in the stability of economic and social stability.
8.3. Explanations of unequal performance (Conservative): Conservatives believe that a student's achievement is solely determined on their ambition, hard-work, and intelligence. If a student does not succeed, this has only to do with how well they applied themselves and or performed. Schools should ensure that each student has the opportunity to compete individually. The overall role of the school is to be a place for individual performance to be encouraged, and if permit-table, rewarded.
8.4. Educational Problems (Conservative): Conservatives believe that a student will rise and fall in accordance to their own intelligence and determination. The school system in this viewpoint is set up to allow each individual the opportunity to succeed. When success is not met, this reflects on the student's lack of ambition, sacrifice, or even a deficiency in some way shape or form.
9. History of U.S. Education
9.1. Horace Mann and Education Reform: Horace Mann is the man who fought for free public education. Horace was born into a poor family, sent to school in a one room building that was often in disrepair. School during this time was very random, and hindered true learning. Even in that environment, he found success, and went off to college to study law. Horace became influential, being a part of the senate. He was a social reformer, and helped establish an insane asylum to better understand mental illnesses. Later in his career, around the 1830's, he was frustrated with the way education still was in Massachusetts. In 1837 the state created the first board of education, and Horace became the secretary. He used both his personal and professional views to shape public school reforms. He argued for the creation of common schools, which would be publicly funded. He wanted social stability, and mobility which free education would address. He wanted an equal approach to education, as education was fueled by wealth at this time. Students now can thank Horace Mann for fighting to create a free public school system available to all.
9.1.1. Historical Interpretation of U.S Education: The Democratic Liberal School = Democratic-liberals believe the history of American education involves a school system that is progressive in providing equal opportunity to all. Historians suggest that the periods of educational expansion involved the attempts of liberal reformers expanding education to large groups of the population rather than just the wealthy. Historian Lawrence A. Cremin represents this view point. Cremin portrays education in two ways: multitudinousness and popularization. Throughout educational history both the expansion of purpose and opportunity have shaped American education. As America grew, as did immigrant population, which created vast diversity. This created more social goals than intellectual ones. In Cremin's book, Popular Education and Its Discontents, he summarized this perspective as: "That kind of organization is part of the genius of American education- it provides as place for everyone who wishes one, and in the end yields one of the most educated populations in the world" (pg.46).
9.1.1.1. Patricia Albjerg Graham - On Lawrence Cremin