SCY3142

Sociology of education

Cathi Lewis

8 points
* 3 hours per week
* First semester
* Peninsula
* Prerequisites: First-year SCY sequence or equivalent

Objectives During the subject students will have confronted theories and concepts which account for the role of education, schooling and training in contemporary society; theories and concepts which explain the various roles enacted within education; the power of state educational policies upon curricular matters and their implications for the entirety of social life; the historical and cultural background which account for alternative school systems within a democratic and pluralist society; the structural interdependence of the various levels of education and how the various professions use their power to shape schooling and public education generally.

Synopsis This subject explores the main theoretical debates in the sociology of education from an historical perspective as it relates to the current debates surrounding this most contentious of areas. Students will be introduced to epistemological and practical issues underlying prevailing educational philosophies and their relationship to political and economic imperatives, and will examine current research and theoretical respresentations of policy and practice in schools.

Assessment Essay (3000 words): 40%
* Tutorial paper and presentation (2000 words): 30%
* Ten short class tests (approx. 5 minutes each): 30%

Prescribed texts

Subject reader available at enrolment