chapter 12 - education & religion Flashcards
(28 cards)
sociologists are interested in understanding:
- how educational institutions are organised
- how edu. shapes beliefs and values
- how edu influences and is influenced by social stratif.
- relationship bw education and larger society
formal education
- one of the most important institutions in modern society
- powerful agent of socialization
- impacts life chances, social strat. and teaches values + norms
rise of formal education coincided with what?
industrialization
rationalization
orientation towards efficiency, specialization and expertise led to rise of formal mass education
functionalist perspective
- educational institutions provide important functions for society
- manifest and latent functions
- human capital theory
- pass on society’s values
manifest functions
transmission of knowledge and bestowal of status; intended consequences
latent functions
transmitting culture, promoting social + political integration, social change, etc.; uninted consequences; respecting authority
human capital theory
- people regarded in market based on bundle of skills they carry
- assess the costs and benefits of investments in human capital
- different investments explain different outcomes
conflict perspective
- education institutions are an instrument of elite domination
- reinforces + perpetuates inequality
- credentialing theory
credentialing theory
- rise of mass formal education driven by the need for credentials, not demand for skills
- educational credentials legitimate the unequal rewards and power enjoyed by higher status groups
- serve to legitimate inequality and group boundaries
symbolic interactionist perspective
- micro-level interactions in educational contexts influence ideas about self and society
- teacher-expectation effect: impact of teacher expectations on student performance
stratification and life chances
- educational attainment imp for determinant of life chances
- differing realities among more and less educated
hidden curriculum
- schools helping perpetuate social + economic inequalities across generations
- social reproduction; addresses that much of what we learn in school isn’t academic
educational attainment is…
- influenced by family + socieconomic background
- related social mobility, earnings, poverty, etc.
religion
cultural system of shared beliefs and rituals
three common elements of religion
- beliefs
- rituals
- moral community
beliefs
shared ideas that translate into values and norms
rituals
special behavioral practices and activities
moral community
social group organized around shared beliefs and rituals, provide a sense of meaning
functionalist (durkheim) religion
- system of beliefs relative to the “sacred” and “profane”
- essential social glue
sacred
- elements of the world that inspire awe, respect, and fear
- participate in sacred thru rituals
- church, cross
profane
rock is profane unless ppl start praying around it
ordinary and commonplace
conflict (marx) perspective
- “opiate of the masses”
- impedes social change + class conflict
- legitimates social inequalities
- “will of God”: attention is diverted from injustices in this world by the promise of heaven; provide justifications for ppl
in power.
conflict (weber) perspective
- study religions worldwide
- connection bw religion and social change
- religion inspired movements produced social transformations
- Protestantism and development of the western world capitalism, etc
- christianity salvation religion
