Chapter 13 Education and Religion

1. Chapter 13Education and Religion  • Education in the United States:Theoretical Views • Inequality and the Schools • College: Who Goes and What Does It Do for Them?

2. Chapter 13Education and Religion  • The Sociological Study of Religion • Why Religion? Some Theoretical Answers • Tension Between Religion and Society • Religion in the United States 

3. The Functions of Education • Cultural reproduction. • Social control. • Assimilation. • Training and development. • Selection and allocation of statuses. • The promotion of change.

4. Latent Functions and Dysfunctions • The production of a generation gap. • The custodial care of children. • The creation of a youth subculture. • The rationalization of inequality. • The perpetuation of social inequality.

5.  Conflict Model of Education • The hidden curriculum teaches students obedience and conformity. • Credentialism amounts to using diplomas as passports to higher status. • Those of higher status can pass on their status-heritage in procuring superior education for their children.

6. Social Class and Schooling • Schools are a middle class domain dominated by middle class teachers. • Middle class or upper middle class children have likely been read to, and given opportunities to understand art and music.

7. Excellence Campaigns and Inequality • Efforts to improve the achievement of American students led to mandatory testing. • Teachers are forced to “teach to the test,” not to the goals of learning. • Research suggests that raising teacher expectations of students, smaller schools, and flexibility in the curriculum would help.

8. Going to College • 45% of recent high school graduates are enrolled in two or four-year colleges. • The number of minorities in college has declined relative to Whites since 1975. • Non-Hispanic white women are most likely to be enrolled in college and the group most likely to graduate.

9. Structural-Functional Theory of Religion Durkheim identified the forms of religion: • Distinction between things sacred and things profane. • A set of beliefs. • A body of rituals or practices.

10. Functions of Religion • At the social level, religion gives the normative order a moral imperative. • At the personal level, religion provides support, consolation and reconciliation in times of crisis or need.

11. Conflict Theory • Marx saw religion as an “opiate of the people.” • Modern conflict theorists are more interested in how religion may act either to express or repress class and ideological struggles.

12. Weber: Religion As an Independent Force • Weber combined ideas from structural and conflict perspectives. • Interested in the forms of religion and their consequences for individuals and society. • Argued that Protestantism incubated fundamental values, such as the work ethic which linked work to salvation.

13. U.S. Civil Religion Important source of unity for the U.S. • Beliefs: God guides the country. • Symbols: The flag. • Rituals: Pledge of Allegiance.

14. Consequences of Religiosity • People with higher levels of religious affiliation tend to be friendlier, happier, cooperative, and more satisfied with their lives than others. • Religious affiliation has also been linked to socially conservative and authoritarian attitudes that maintain the status quo.