Sociology of Education (SOED-GE)

Basic behavioral science principles applied to the study of education as a social institution. An examination of social pressures and conflicts that underlie controversies in the field of education. Inequality, innovation, organizational control are some areas to be studied.

The relationship of higher educational institutions to other social institutions in American society. The development of this relationship and its consequences and implications for the internal structure and functioning of higher educational organizations and for society at large. Issues surrounding role of students, faculty, administration, and external interests are examined.

It should be noted that independent study requires a minimum of 45 hours of work per point. Independent study cannot be applied to the established professional education sequence in teaching curricula. Each departmental program has established its own maximum credit allowance for independent study. This information may be obtained from a student?s department. Prior to registering for independent study, each student should obtain an Independent Study Approval Form from the adviser.

This course supports Sociology of Education students pairing an internship or fieldwork experience with coursework for course credit. Through course meetings and assignments, along with working in a professional setting, students develop the necessary skills for their career. Students complete at least 45 hours of work per credit.

This course examines the meaning and study of culture through a sociological lens. The first goal of this course is to provide a solid, introductory grounding in some of the many ways in which the term culture has been used in the study of societies. The second goal is to raise questions about the relationship between culture and structures and to provide analytical tools to understand institutions (like schools) as sites of culture-building and cultural struggle.

Consideration of the role of educational institutions in fostering, preventing, and maintaining equalities and inequalities in American society.

This course focuses on critical social theory and its connection to sociological and educational research. Explores the works of the Frankfurt School and Black Intellectuals in the early 20th century and their impact on contemporary critical theories. Examines theories such as Marxism, Critical Race Theory, TribalCrit, and Postcolonial theory. Issues of power, domination, and privilege in school and society will be analyzed

This course will cover issues concerning gender & inequality in education from early childhood to post-secondary education including professional schools with an emphasis on what happens to the success of girls in the elementary & secondary school settings once they enter post-secondary & graduate/professional education as well as the workforce. As there are limited opportunities to foreground gender in this manner, this course will be focused on it. The topics include how schools have historically shortchanged female students even after mass coeducation in the United States in the 1960s & 1970s & the passage of Title IX; single-sex education for females & for males at the primary, secondary & post-secondary levels; the differences between coeducation & mixed-sex education; legal issues & gender equality in education; & how gender, race & class come together in schools

In this course, an advanced seminar, students will deepen their understanding of the concepts of race, ethnicity, and racism across multiple contexts, such as the nation-state, region, schools, and others, with a focus on the United States. Through a range of texts drawn from the social sciences and humanities, students examine the processes of the social construction of race and inequality reproduction, engage historical ideas of race and racism, and consider future recalibrations of the forms of race and racism.

Students develop detailed proposals for their thesis research, obtain IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval (when applicable) and commence thesis work.

Examines major figures in social thought from the 17th to the 20th century. The course includes readings from the traditional canon - Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Simmel and Parsons - as well as critics of the canon from black and female writers. Major themes include the legacy of the enlightenment, increased differentiation between social, political and economic spheres, diverse theories of historical change, and how these authors have shaped contemporary theoretical and methodological approaches to contemporary analysis.