SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCTION - 10% - DUE FRIDAY JULY 22

Assignment Questions (do ONE only) 1) If you were the prin" rel="nofollow">incipal of an elementary school, what reasons might you give for bannin" rel="nofollow">ing homework? Be sure to mention the connection between homework and the class system. Additional in" rel="nofollow">instructions: Once you’ve chosen your questions, complete the readin" rel="nofollow">ings below and take a look at the powerpoin" rel="nofollow">int. Form an opin" rel="nofollow">inion based on facts gathers, and you may also in" rel="nofollow">include your own standpoin" rel="nofollow">int. Your answer should be 1-2 pages, typed and double spaced. Key Terms gender and educational performance reproduction of the class system vs meritocratic: trackin" rel="nofollow">ing, homework, unregulated tuition for professional schools (e.g., medicin" rel="nofollow">ine, law, dentistry), hidden curriculum, private schools Homework and its Sociological Effects Sociological analysis suggests that homework helps to reproduce the class structure. Children raised by educated, well-to-do parents have a number of advantages regardin" rel="nofollow">ing homework. Their parents are more able to understand the in" rel="nofollow">instructions given, and to help their children (sometimes doin" rel="nofollow">ing all of a project). They can provide a quiet dedicated space for doin" rel="nofollow">ing homework, as well as a high quality computer and other equipment that aids their children. Homework negatively affects family life. In 2008, Cameron and Bartel published Home-work Realities: A Canadian Study of Parental Opin" rel="nofollow">inions and Attitudes, based on the responses of over 1,000 parents to a questionnaire. Two conclusions related to family life: Homework reduced family time. One parent stated: “My children are in" rel="nofollow">in the educational in" rel="nofollow">institution for 6.5 hours per day. I feel this should be sufficient time to complete any school related tasks. I am with them for significantly less time and would prefer to use this time engagin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">in activities to promote our relationship and in" rel="nofollow">increase bondin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">in order to reduce their stress levels.” Homework was also seen as bein" rel="nofollow">ing “a primary source of arguments, [and] power struggles.” (2008:53-4) (contin" rel="nofollow">inued on next page) Math, Science and Readin" rel="nofollow">ing Scores: Canadian 15 year olds (500 = International Average) Year 2000 2006 2009 Female Male Diff. Female Male Diff. Female Male Diff. Math 529 539 M+10 520 534 M+14 521 533 M+12 Science 531 529 F+2 532 536 M+4 526 531 M+5 Readin" rel="nofollow">ing 551 519 F+32 543 511 F+32 542 507 F+35 International Education 2012: three highest were Shanghai, Hong Kong and Sin" rel="nofollow">ingapore Year Math Science Readin" rel="nofollow">ing 2000 7th 6th 2nd [U.S. 20th 15th 16th 2003 7th 11th 3rd 2006 7th 3rd 4th 2009 10th 8th 6th 2012 13th 11th 7th [US 36th 28th 24th ] Jean Anyon: Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work (1980) Jean Anyon studied five New Jersey elementary schools. Two she termed workin" rel="nofollow">ing class. Most fathers had semi-skilled or unskilled jobs (e.g. assembly lin" rel="nofollow">ine workers). Less than 30% of mothers worked. Schoolwork there in" rel="nofollow">involved followin" rel="nofollow">ing the steps of a procedure: The procedure is usually mechanical, in" rel="nofollow">involvin" rel="nofollow">ing rote [drilled memorization] behavior and very little decision makin" rel="nofollow">ing or choice. The teachers rarely explain" rel="nofollow">in why the work is bein" rel="nofollow">ing assigned, how it might connect to other assignments, or what the idea is that lies behin" rel="nofollow">ind the procedure or gives it coherence and perhaps meanin" rel="nofollow">ing or significance ...Most of the rules regardin" rel="nofollow">ing work are designations of what the children are to do; the rules are steps to follow ...The children are usually told to copy the steps as notes. These notes are to be studied. Work is often evaluated not accordin" rel="nofollow">ing to whether it is right or wrong but accordin" rel="nofollow">ing to whether the children followed the right steps. A 3rd school was middle-class. Parents worked in" rel="nofollow">in skilled jobs (e.g. plumbers or construction workers) or as professionals (e.g. teachers or accountants) or small busin" rel="nofollow">iness owners: One must follow the directions in" rel="nofollow">in order to get the right answers, but the directions often call for some figurin" rel="nofollow">ing, some choice, some decision makin" rel="nofollow">ing. For example, the children must figure out by themselves what the directions ask them to do and how to get the answer: what do you do first, second, and perhaps third? Answers are usually found in" rel="nofollow">in books or by listenin" rel="nofollow">ing to the teacher. Answers are usually words, sentences, numbers, or facts and dates; one writes them on paper, and one should be neat. Answers must be given in" rel="nofollow">in the right order, and one cannot make them up. The fourth school she termed affluent professional, with parents employed as corporate lawyers, engin" rel="nofollow">ineers and advertisin" rel="nofollow">ing executives: Work in" rel="nofollow">involves in" rel="nofollow">individual thought and expressiveness, expansion and illustration of ideas and choice of appropriate method and material.... The products of work in" rel="nofollow">in this class are often written stories, editorials and essays, or representations of ideas in" rel="nofollow">in mural, graph, or craft form. The products of work should not be like anybody else's and should show in" rel="nofollow">individuality.... One’s product is usually evaluated for the quality of its expression and for the appropriateness of its conception to the task. The fifth school Anyon called executive elite. Most of the fathers held positions such as presidents and vice-presidents of major corporations. In this school, work in" rel="nofollow">involved: ...developin" rel="nofollow">ing one’s analytical in" rel="nofollow">intellectual powers. Children are contin" rel="nofollow">inually asked to reason through a problem, to produce in" rel="nofollow">intellectual products that are both logically sound and of top academic quality. A primary goal of thought is to conceptualize rules by which elements may fit together in" rel="nofollow">in systems and then to apply these rules in" rel="nofollow">in solvin" rel="nofollow">ing a problem. Trackin" rel="nofollow">ing: A Form of Cultural Reproduction? Jeannie Oakes’ Keepin" rel="nofollow">ing Track: How Schools Structure Inequality (2005) addresses the issue of trackin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">in junior and senior high schools. She defin" rel="nofollow">ines trackin" rel="nofollow">ing as “the process whereby students are divided in" rel="nofollow">into categories so that they can be assigned in" rel="nofollow">in groups to various kin" rel="nofollow">inds of classes” (Oakes 2005:3). Trackin" rel="nofollow">ing is hierarchical, with both classes and students bein" rel="nofollow">ing labelled at different ability and ultimate goal levels (e.g., high school diploma, college or university entrance). Oakes studied 297 classrooms in" rel="nofollow">in 25 schools in" rel="nofollow">in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her work demonstrated that: sortin" rel="nofollow">ing is based as much or more on class, race and ethnicity as it is on perceived ability; lower tracks offer lower quality of education than the higher tracks do, and that, as a consequence the trackin" rel="nofollow">ing system reproduces in" rel="nofollow">inequality. Oakes found that lower class and nonwhite students were disproportionately represented in" rel="nofollow">in the lower track, while White and upper- and middle-class students were disproportionately represented in" rel="nofollow">in the higher track. She believes this reflects the cultural biases of testin" rel="nofollow">ing and the prejudices of counsellors and teachers. The lower quality of lower track education came in" rel="nofollow">in part from the lower occupational focus of academic (e.g., punctuation and form-fillin" rel="nofollow">ing as opposed to exposure to and analysis of great English literature, and basic computational skills as opposed to problem solvin" rel="nofollow">ing, critical thin" rel="nofollow">inkin" rel="nofollow">ing and abstract logic in" rel="nofollow">in Math) and vocational courses (e.g., clerical skills as opposed to the managerial and fin" rel="nofollow">inancial skills taught in" rel="nofollow">in high-track courses). Also important is the time spent on in" rel="nofollow">instruction or learnin" rel="nofollow">ing activities as opposed to class admin" rel="nofollow">inistration routin" rel="nofollow">ines and disciplin" rel="nofollow">ine. The teachers gave in" rel="nofollow">information that produced the followin" rel="nofollow">ing average in" rel="nofollow">in English and Math courses, a difference in" rel="nofollow">in figures supported by train" rel="nofollow">ined observers and by student assessment. high track English 82% in" rel="nofollow">instruction high track Math 77% low track English 71% low track Math 63% Relationship differences between teachers and students, amongst students and between students and the in" rel="nofollow">institution generally are significant. Bowles and Gin" rel="nofollow">intis poin" rel="nofollow">int to the “close correspondence between the social relationships which govern personal in" rel="nofollow">interaction in" rel="nofollow">in the work place and the social relationships of the educational system” (1976:12), that in" rel="nofollow">in terms of social relationships the education system train" rel="nofollow">ins students in" rel="nofollow">in the lower track to become lower class workers. Oakes summarized this as follows (pp119-20): [‘Lower class’] workers will be subordin" rel="nofollow">inate to external control and alienated from the in" rel="nofollow">institutions but willin" rel="nofollow">ing to conform to the needs of the work place, to a large extent because of the way they were treated in" rel="nofollow">in school....Bowles and Gin" rel="nofollow">intis suggest that the absence of close in" rel="nofollow">interpersonal relationships is characteristic of both lower-class work environments and class-room environments for lower-class children. In contrast, upper- and middle-class students, destin" rel="nofollow">ined for upper-status and middle-level positions in" rel="nofollow">in the economic hierarchy, are more likely to experience social relationships and in" rel="nofollow">interactions that promote active in" rel="nofollow">involvement, affiliation with others, and the in" rel="nofollow">internalization of rules and behavioral standards. Self-regulation is the goal here rather than the coercive authority and control seen as appropriate for the lower class. Oakes found that teachers were more punitive in" rel="nofollow">in lower-track classes and that more trustin" rel="nofollow">ing relationships were established between teachers and students in" rel="nofollow">in higher-track classes, that, “[t]rust, cooperation, and even good will among students were far less characteristic of low-track classes than of high. More student time and energy were spent in" rel="nofollow">in hostile and disruptive in" rel="nofollow">interchanges in" rel="nofollow">in these classes” (p132). Oakes believes that with the deep class, ethnic and racial distin" rel="nofollow">inctions existin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">in the U.S., a trackin" rel="nofollow">ing system can only reproduce in" rel="nofollow">inequality. She argues for more of a common curriculum shared by all high school students and for more mixin" rel="nofollow">ing of students of different ability levels. Student Examples from Oakes’ Study “What is the most important thin" rel="nofollow">ing you have learned or done so far in" rel="nofollow">in the class?” High Track: Vocational Education Junior High (p68) “We’ve talked about stocks-bonds and the stock market and about busin" rel="nofollow">iness in" rel="nofollow">in the U.S.A” English Junior High “Learned to analyze famous writin" rel="nofollow">ings by famous people, and we have learned to understand people’s different viewpoin" rel="nofollow">ints on general ideas.” (p69) Social Studies Junior High “The most important thin" rel="nofollow">ing is the way other countries and places govern themselves economically, socially, and politically. Also different philosophers and their theories on government and man and how their theories relate to us and now.” (p69) Low-Track: English Junior High “Learns to fill out checks and other bankin" rel="nofollow">ing busin" rel="nofollow">iness” (p71) English Junior High “to spell words you don’t know, to fill out thin" rel="nofollow">ings where you get a job” (p71) English Senior High “I learned that English is borin" rel="nofollow">ing.” (p71) Formula: Higher Track: draws mostly from more privileged classes and race provides education that leads to greater success Lower Track: draws mostly from less privileged classes and races provides education that leads to lesser success