SOC3452: Education and Society

Everyone thinks they know what "education" is. We've all been in schools, and we think we know how they work. We all have opinions about why some people go farther in school than others and why some people learn more than others. We all think we know what role education plays in shaping who gets good jobs, who has a good life, and who has more knowledge. This course is designed to challenge and expand what we think we know about all of these things. Students (and instructor) will critically engage scientific research in sociology, education, economics, public policy, and elsewhere. The goal will be to educate everyone about the current state of knowledge about how "education" works: what shapes educational achievement; where sex and racial/ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities in educational achievements come from; what role education plays in economic development; how and why educational accomplishments result in better social and economic outcomes; and how educational institutions might be improved. prereq: Soc majors/minors must register A-F.

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