Spring 2010

SOC 308 • Education & Society

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to the sociology of education. The overarching goal of this course will be to enhance your understanding of how schools work and how they influence individual lives and opportunities. Is education the great equalizer in American society or does it reproduce existing patterns of social inequality? Topics will include the historical development and organization of the American educational system; differential access and attainment along race, class, and gender lines; and the effect of education on employment, income, relationships, health, and crime.

Grading Policy

Exams (3) 70%
Assignments 20%
Class participation 10%

Texts

Schools and Society: A Sociological Approach to Education, (3rd Edition), edited by Jeanne H. Ballantine and Joan Z. Spade
Course Packet

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