Sociology | Education and Society
S312 | 9555 | Jordon

4:00PM-5:15PM	MW	BH 228

In both the United States and abroad, education represents a major
contradiction within society.  Education is often seen as the great
equalizer, providing individuals with the greatest opportunities for
social mobility.  At the same time, education is a powerful source
of social reproduction and inequality.  This course is designed to
present you with an introduction to important issues in the
sociology of education.  Topics include equality of educational
opportunity, equality of educational outcomes, the dynamics of race,
class, and gender in education, tracking, school choice, teaching as
a profession, and issues in higher education.  Our chief goal for
the course is to understand how sociology offers a unique
perspective on the problems and promises of education.  Sociologists
focus on the social processes that affect both the means and ends of
education.  Therefore, we will pay particular attention to the
social processes and consequences of education for the multitudes of
people engaged in it.