TOOLS OF INQUIRY Social Theory Schooling Training Education Political Economy Ideology

SOCIAL THEORY Explain social phenomena as well as reality and practice. Judging theories SCHOOLING Involves planned instruction and programs of study Learning is achieved through the hidden curriculum and the state’s goals for its citizens Refers to the totality if experiences that occur within the institution of school. NOT the same as education TRAINING A set of experiences provided to, in this case, humans in order to create predictable responses to the goals of the trainer. Mechanical with an emphasis on motor skills. Has an important, but limited value in schooling and education

EDUCATION Involves: Reason Intellect Intuition Creativity Process or set of experiences which allows humans to “create” themselves Education produces responses which the educator may not have even contemplated. Education prepares the individual for a range of roles—citizen, worker, parent, neighbor, friend, etc…

POLITICAL ECONOMY How a society is organized Includes the following dimensions of a society: Social Cultural Economic Political Demographic The SCHOOL is ONE of its institutions Other institutions: banking industry, police, family IDEOLOGY An interpretive lens that society looks through to: organize its experiences. the beliefs, value systems and understandings of social groups that guide the making of policy intended to explain and justify the society’s institutions and organization

ANALYTIC FRAMEWORK Political EconomyIdeology Institutions and Processes Political Theories Social Social Theories Economic Economic Theories Political Beliefs Educational Values Habits of Thought Schooling Organization and Processes Teacher’s Workplace Student Socialization Academic Political Social

KEY QUESTIONS What are schools for? What is the relationship between schools and larger society? What did you learn from school?