Fall 2018  |  SOC 3452 Section 001: Education and Society (33488)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/04/2018 - 12/12/2018
Tue, Thu 02:30PM - 03:45PM
UMTC, West Bank
Blegen Hall 120
Enrollment Status:
Open (48 of 58 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
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.
Class Notes:
Click this link for more detailed course information: http://classinfo.umn.edu/?warre046+SOC3452+Fall2018
Class Description:
Everyone thinks they know what "education" is and how schools work, partly because everyone has first-hand experience with schools and the education system. Most people have opinions about why some people go farther in school than others, why some people learn more than others, and what creates systematic group differences in educational outcomes. Beyond that, most people have ideas about how education shapes who knows more, who gets good jobs, and who enjoys a long and happy life. Virtually everyone has opinions about how schools and the education system should be changed or improved.

This course is designed to challenge and expand what we think we know about these things. We will critically engage research in sociology, education, economics, public policy, and elsewhere. And, we will bring academic materials into direct dialogue with structured experiences in community organizations to enrich our understanding of educational issues. The goal is to better understand how "education" works: what shapes educational achievement; where inequalities in educational achievements come from; how and why educational experiences and accomplishments result in better social and economic outcomes; and how educational institutions might be improved.

This is not a course in which I will tell you what is true. Instead, we will collectively draw on our individual backgrounds and experiences; read and discuss research and other scholarship; debate and argue about the issues; consider how academic issues play out in the community; and challenge and transform our ideas. For the class to succeed, we must all be willing to bring our unique backgrounds and experiences into dialogue with academic knowledge and community service activities and to have our ideas and assumptions challenged. We must also all be willing to listen respectfully and carefully to one another, even when we come from different backgrounds or have sharply different views.

NOTE #1: This course involves a substantial community-engaged learning component. This is a valuable learning opportunity, but it does require 25 hours during the semester of off-campus community service.

NOTE #2: See the web page for the most recent version of the course at: https://www.rob-warren.com/3452.html

NOTE #3: See the student course evaluations for the most recent version of the course on that same web page.
Grading:
1. Community Engaged Learning (CEL)
(130 points, or 65% of course grade)

Community-engaged learning (CEL) is a teaching and learning strategy that combines meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.

You will do 25 hours of service in a community organization and complete a series of written and other assignments reflecting on your experiences there.

2. Writing Assignments: Statements of Beliefs
(30 points, or 15% of course grade)

There are two writing assignments.

First, at the start of the semester you will write an essay about your educational biography, about the factors that contributed to your educational accomplishments, and about the nature of educational inequality in America. Second, at the end of the semester you will write a version of that same essay that focuses on how your views and opinions changed after taking this course. Your will get a chance to write a rough draft of the latter essay and then revise it.

3. In-Class Quizzes & Writing Assignments
(40 points, or 20% of course grade)

There will be a brief quiz or short writing assignment during every class session. They might happen at the beginning, middle, or end of class sessions. Some days, they will ask basic questions about readings or other materials I'll ask you to review before class. Other days, they will ask about activities or discussions that happen in class.

4. Extra Credit

There are multiple ways to get extra credit in this course.
Exam Format:
There will be no exams in this course.
Class Format:
There may be short lectures at the beginning of some class sessions, but mostly the class will be interactive discussions. There will be films, YouTube clips, Skype interviews with authors, and in-class visitors.
Workload:
Most of the work of the class involves community-engaged learning. You will serve for 25 hours during the semester at an off-campus organization, and then you will write a series of short papers reflecting on your experiences there in light of class materials and discussions.
Beyond that, there are two other short papers and daily in-class quizzes or short writing assignments.

For each class session you will need to read something and to consider some online materials.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/33488/1189
Past Syllabi:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/warre046_SOC3452_Spring2018.pdf (Spring 2018)
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
23 March 2018

ClassInfo Links - Fall 2018 Sociology Classes

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