Does education in the United States encourage social mobility or help to reproduce socioeconomic inequality? What is the hidden curriculum—the ideas, values, and skills that students learn at school that are not in the textbook? Who determines what gets taught in school? How do schools in the US compare to school systems in other countries?  What makes school reform so hard? Questions like these drive this course which offers students an introduction to the sociology of education including topics such as schools and communities; student-centered pedagogies; the role of teachers, students, parents, mentors, and peers in producing and addressing educational inequalities (including tracking and measures of achievement); school violence, school reform, and knowledge production. We also look comparatively at education systems across the world.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 30

Crosslisted Courses:

Prerequisites: None.

Distribution Requirements: SBA - Social and Behavioral Analysis

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall

Notes: