Why Go to College? Continued…

For questions, please contact Zoë Williams at or Career Discovery Week and the UW Sociology Department present the career panel discussion: Wednesday, January 30 3:30 – 5:00 Anderson Hall Room 8

Soc Lexicon Terms Norms Norms Rules that define behavior that is expected, required, or acceptable in particular circumstances Rules that define behavior that is expected, required, or acceptable in particular circumstances Stratification Stratification The unequal division of rewards or valued things within a population The unequal division of rewards or valued things within a population Social Mobility Social Mobility A change of position within a stratification system A change of position within a stratification system Social Reproduction Social Reproduction The process by which features or characteristics of social life are transmitted from one group to another, especially position in a stratification system The process by which features or characteristics of social life are transmitted from one group to another, especially position in a stratification system

Readings This week Maureen Hallinan. “Tracking: From Theory to Practice” Sociology of Education Maureen Hallinan. “Tracking: From Theory to Practice” Sociology of Education Jeannie Oakes. “Response to Hallinan.” Jeannie Oakes. “Response to Hallinan.” Next week Jonathan Kozol: Shame of the Nation Jonathan Kozol: Shame of the Nation Chapter 2: Hitting Them Hardest When They Are Smallest Chapter 2: Hitting Them Hardest When They Are Smallest Chapter 3: The Ordering Regime Chapter 3: The Ordering Regime

A quick look at social reproduction

Issue of the Day… We know that a great deal of our socio- economic position is inherited… How does this happen? (answer: largely through education, which allows parents to pass on their socio-economic status)

All this points to the importance of education in contemporary life Above all things I hope the education of the common people will be attended to, convinced that on their good sense we may rely with the most security for the preservation of a due degree of liberty. Thomas Jefferson, 1787

Functions of education Is the function of education to sort people into positions? Is the function of education to sort people into positions? To help develop people who will be good workers: To help develop people who will be good workers: i.e., easy to control i.e., easy to control able to pay attention able to pay attention be on time be on time To help develop people who will think for themselves, make trouble, be interesting? To help develop people who will think for themselves, make trouble, be interesting?

Schooling in the US In theory, in the US all children between 6 and 16 have equal access to free and mandatory education In theory, in the US all children between 6 and 16 have equal access to free and mandatory education In this sense, schools offer kids a ‘second chance’ In this sense, schools offer kids a ‘second chance’ But what really happens in schools? But what really happens in schools?

Equality of Opportunity? Do schools break the link between parents’ social position and children’s social position? Do schools break the link between parents’ social position and children’s social position? Do schools offer kids a second chance? Do schools offer kids a second chance? Christopher Jencks, Inequality Christopher Jencks, Inequality

Early conclusions Kids do learn in schools Kids do learn in schools Resources aren’t the whole story Resources aren’t the whole story Two Caveats Research on education is contested business Research on education is contested business Focus on measuring achievement and inequality Focus on measuring achievement and inequality

Big Question: What is the goal of schooling? Raise overall achievement? Or… Diminish the gap between the top and the bottom?

Measuring Achievement and Inequality Use of standardized tests Use of standardized tests Culturally biased Culturally biased ‘plastic’ ‘plastic’ What to measure? What to measure? Absolute achievement Absolute achievement Gap between top achievers and bottom achievers Gap between top achievers and bottom achievers

Achievement and Inequality

Different views of outcomes Grades Grades Which distribution do you prefer?