1. SOCIOL 316: Critical Theories of Schooling
Week 1: Introduction
Lecturer: Dr Bruce Cohen

2. Alex Birchall Stage 2 and 3 Sociology Tuākana
Office hours: Tuesday 12-2, HSB 502
Please accept the invitation to
‘Tuākana Arts (Sociology)’ on Canvas
if you haven’t already.
We’re committed to academic success for Māori
and Pacific Island students.
Workshop info: please see Canvas or contact me

3. Today Introductions Course objectives Outline of course Assessments
Resources
Class Representative selection

4. Introductions Lecturer: Bruce Cohen Email: b.cohen@auckland.ac.nz
Office hours: Fridays 11am-1pm (HSB 920)

5. Course Aims The aims of this course are for students to:
be introduced to a variety of critical approaches in the sociology of education;
apply critical theory to key issues within the area of compulsory schooling;
be able to understand, articulate, contextualise, and critically assess current theoretical arguments for the rationale and purposes of compulsory schooling in advanced industrial societies.

6. “The term ‘critical’ in the field of education can refer to a broad range of intellectual projects; I use it … to indicate scholarship in educational theory which … understands social structure and processes of domination as governed by the imperative of hegemony and as produced within the historical dialectic of struggle, especially on the terrain of ideology, between dominant and subordinate classes and groups.” (De Lissovoy 2012: 481)
Critical theories

7. SOCIOL 316 Teaching & Learning
‘Active’ versus ‘Passive’ learning….
I strongly encourage you to:
take notes;
ask questions;
discuss ideas and arguments;
do further background research and reading on topics, scholarship and theories which interest you...

8. Course structure Week 1: Introduction/History of Compulsory Schooling
Week 2: Conservative Theories of Schooling
Week 3: Labelling Theory
Week 4: Marxist Theory I
Week 5: Marxist Theory II
Week 6: Study week (*)
Week 7: Foucauldian Theory
Week 8: Critical Feminist Theory
Week 9: Critical Race Theory
Week 10: Abolitionist Approaches
Week 11: Review of Critical Theories
Week 12: Education Documentary Workshop I (*)

9. -Upload to Canvas by 6pm on Friday 1 September. Second Essay (50%)
Assessments
First Essay (50%)
-Upload to Canvas by 6pm on Friday 1 September.
Second Essay (50%)
-Upload to Canvas by 6pm on Monday 23 October.
do not hand in essays to Arts 1 reception.
do keep a copy of your Turnitin receipts.

10. First Essay 3,000 word essay (including references)
Using labelling and/or Marxist scholarship critically assess conservative theorist claims that compulsory schooling operates on a meritocratic basis.

11. Second Essay 3,000 word essay (including references)
Drawing on critical theories and scholarship, sociologically investigate a specific issue or practice of your own choice from compulsory education.

12. Resources Lecture(s) (3/10 hours a week).
Course outline (includes a useful list of general and classic texts on the topic)
Canvas – readings, etc.
Office hours.
The Library – one of the best in Australasia.
Sociology Subject Librarian.
Tuakana.
Student Learning Services.
Counselling services (student health).
Class Representative selection…

14. History of Compulsory Schooling & Conservative Theories of Schooling
Next Week:
History of Compulsory Schooling & Conservative Theories of Schooling