Sociology of Education Essay Example for Free

Sociology of Education EssayEducation is a social institution that sociologists argon very interested in studying. This includes teaching formal knowledge such as reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as teaching other things such as morals, values, and ethics. Education prepares young peck for entry into society and is thus a form of socialization. Sociologists want to know how this form of socialization affects and is affected by other social structures, experiences, and outcomes. Sociology of upbringing is a field that focuses on two separate levels of analysis. At a macro-level, sociologists work to identify how various social forces, such as politics, economics, culture, etc. , creates magnetic variation in school days. In other words, what effects do other social institutions have on the educational system? At a micro-level, sociologists look to identify how variation in school practices lead to differences in item-by-item-level student outcomes. That is, when scho ols have different teaching methods or have different practices, how does that affect the individual students and what are the individual outcomes? Example of Sociological Studies on EducationA classic study by sociologist James Coleman done in 1966, known as the Coleman Report looked at the performance of over 150,000 students and found that student background and socioeconomic status were much more important in determining educational outcomes than were differences in school resources, such as per pupil spending. He also found that socially disadvantaged dimmed students benefited and did better in school when they were in racially coalesce classrooms rather than black only classrooms. This ignited controversy that still continues today.Major Sociological Theories of Education Like any other topic in sociology, the threesome major theoretical perspectives (functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interaction theory) each have different views on education. The functionalist p erspective argues that education serves many an(prenominal) important functions in society. First, it socializes children and prepares them for lifespan in society. This is not only done by teaching book knowledge, but also teaching the societys culture, including moral values, ethics, politics, religious beliefs, habits, and norms.Second, education provides occupational training, especially in industrialized societies such as the United States. Unlike in less complex societies or in the United States forward to 1900 when most jobs and training were passed on from father to son, most jobs in the United States today require at least a high school education, and many professions require a college or post-graduate degree. The third function that education serves, concord to functionalist theorists, is social control, or the regulation of deviant behavior. By requiring young people to attend to school, this keeps them off the streets and out of trouble.The symbolic interaction view of education focuses on interactions during the schooling process and the outcomes of those interactions. For instance, interactions between students and instructors can create expectations on both parts. The teacher begins to expect certain behaviors from students, which in turn can actually create that very behavior. This is called the teacher expectancy effect. For example, if a White teacher expects a black student to perform below average on a math test when compared to White students, over time the teacher may act in ways that encourage the black students to get below average math scores.Conflict theory looks at the disintegrative and disruptive aspects of education. These theorists argue that education is unevenly distributed through society and is used to separate groups (based on class, gender, or race). Educational level is therefore a mechanism for producing and reproducing inequality in our society. Educational level, according to conflict theorists, can also be used as a tool for discrimination, such as when potential employers require certain educational corroboration that may or may not be important for the job.It discriminates against minorities, working-class people, and women those who are often less educated and least likely to have credentials because of discriminatory practices within the educational system. The sociology of education is the study of how public institutions and individual experiences affect education and its outcomes. Educational Sociology and Sociology of Education are two branches of study that are sometimes understood as one and the same branch, but they are actually not so.They indeed show some differences between them when it comes to the subjects of their study and the temperament of the branches f study On the other hand educational sociology is the branch of study that deals with the various methods providing better education to society through an in erudition research of our culture and society. Educationa l sociology is a subject that has to take both the sociologists and the educationists into consideration. This makes the subject an invaluable asset to all the students and researchers of social sciences, particularly sociology and education. It is a common belief that such of those who are involved in a deep study of education will benefit more from the branch of educational sociologyIn the poem of Okot p Biteks My Husbands Tongue is Bitter is evident in its use of the selfand other. The speaker of the poem is a black woman talking to her conserve. The husband sees their colonizers as modern, progressive, civilized and educated. He considers learning English and following their acts would also make him one of them (colonizers), and by doing so, he will acquire the identity of the self. On the other hand, he offended his wife and his own people by citing and ennumerating their deeds as backward, primitive and ignorant.