the new sociology of education pp

8/8/2019 The New Sociology of Education PP

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The new sociology ofThe new sociology of

educationeducation

byby KarabelKarabel & Halsey(1976)& Halsey(1976)

Presented byPresented by FekaduFekadu M.M.


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The new sociology of educationThe new sociology of education

Major emphases:Major emphases:

Critiques of old sociologyCritiques of old sociology

Elements of new sociologyElements of new sociology Countries in perspectivesCountries in perspectives

Challenges in new sociologyChallenges in new sociology


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Marxists see class interests behind a given patternMarxists see class interests behind a given pattern

of educational organization and seek to specifyof educational organization and seek to specify

the social groups supporting the relationsthe social groups supporting the relations

prevailing between schools and other socialprevailing between schools and other socialinstitutionsinstitutions

If both Marxism and functionalism see aIf both Marxism and functionalism see a

harmonious fit between the educational systemharmonious fit between the educational system

and the surrounding society, neither theory hasand the surrounding society, neither theory has

much need for a politics of educationmuch need for a politics of education


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For ifFor ifsocial formationssocial formations tend to have educationaltend to have educationalsystems which are "systems which are "appropriate"appropriate" to their needs,to their needs,there would seem to be little reason to expectthere would seem to be little reason to expect

political struggle over the shape of the schoolpolitical struggle over the shape of the schoolsystemsystem

But If theBut If the functionalistfunctionalist is susceptible to ais susceptible to aconfusion ofconfusion ofwhat iswhat is withwith what has to bewhat has to be, the, the

Marxist is susceptible to a hyperMarxist is susceptible to a hyper--functionalismfunctionalismthat sees whatever educational system exists asthat sees whatever educational system exists asan essentially unavoidablean essentially unavoidable reflection of thereflection of theparticular class structureparticular class structure in which it is embeddedin which it is embedded


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Many radical educational researchers,Many radical educational researchers,

however, do not succumb to a vulgarhowever, do not succumb to a vulgar

Marxist determinism that negates the needMarxist determinism that negates the needfor a politics of educationfor a politics of education

Katz, for example, focused his research onKatz, for example, focused his research on

thethe conflicting class interestsconflicting class interests that shapedthat shaped

the structure of American education in thethe structure of American education in the1919thth centurycentury


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Tyack has investigated theTyack has investigated the class basisclass basis ofof

the movement to "the movement to "professionalismprofessionalism" control" control

of educational institutions and uncoveredof educational institutions and uncoveredthe political interests behind thethe political interests behind the ideologyideology

of taking the school "out of politics."of taking the school "out of politics."

For reflection: Is politics in educationFor reflection: Is politics in education

dependent on situations, existent & nondependent on situations, existent & non--existent at times?existent at times?


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The works ofThe works ofradicalradical educational historianseducational historianstend to focus on conflicts over thetend to focus on conflicts over thestructurestructure (question of organization and(question of organization and

control) of the educational systemcontrol) of the educational systemReflection: Has there ever been conflict overReflection: Has there ever been conflict over

the structure of the education system inthe structure of the education system in

Ethiopia ? ( Education Sector Review,Ethiopia ? ( Education Sector Review,completion at Grade 10 now, schoolcompletion at Grade 10 now, schoolleaving age,)leaving age,)


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However, less visible in many of theseHowever, less visible in many of these

struggles has been the question of thestruggles has been the question of the

contentcontentof educationof education

Accordingly, historians interested in theAccordingly, historians interested in the

politics of educationpolitics of education have looked more athave looked more at

thethe structurestructure of schooling than at itsof schooling than at its

contentcontent


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Politics of education requires more thanPolitics of education requires more than

the study of patterns of control andthe study of patterns of control and

educational structureeducational structure

it calls for examination of changes in theit calls for examination of changes in the

texture of daily life in educationaltexture of daily life in educational

institutions that follow from macroinstitutions that follow from macro--

structural transformationsstructural transformations


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a critical element of the power of dominanta critical element of the power of dominant

groups resides in their capacity togroups resides in their capacity to imposeimpose theirtheir

own educationalown educational andand cultural idealscultural ideals on schoolon school

These ideals areThese ideals are reflectedreflected both inboth in what is taughtwhat is taughtandand how it is taughthow it is taught, for the goal of education is, for the goal of education is

to form both theto form both the mindmind and theand the personalitypersonality. Thus. Thus

what is regarded as knowledge and the way it iswhat is regarded as knowledge and the way it is

transmitted is an eminently political question,transmitted is an eminently political question,

even in the absence of overt conflict Max Webereven in the absence of overt conflict Max Weber


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the capacity tothe capacity to keep an issue offkeep an issue offthe agenda ofthe agenda ofpolitical debatepolitical debate may well be themay well be the ultimate form ofultimate form ofpowerpower

Taken together, conflict theory of an analysis ofTaken together, conflict theory of an analysis ofthe content of the educational system hasthe content of the educational system hasprovedproved damagingdamaging to theto the emergenceemergence of a radicalof a radicaltheorytheory of educational politics.of educational politics.

This same omission points to a weakness inThis same omission points to a weakness inconflict theory even with respect to the problemconflict theory even with respect to the problemto which it has been principally addressedto which it has been principally addressed--thatthatofofclass reproductionclass reproduction


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few conflict theorists would deny thatfew conflict theorists would deny thatmuch of class reproduction takes placemuch of class reproduction takes placethrough thethrough the differential levels ofdifferential levels of

achievementachievement of children from differentof children from differentsocial originssocial origins

How, then, is differential academicHow, then, is differential academic

performance explained in conflict theory?performance explained in conflict theory? the "rules of the game" favor the affluentthe "rules of the game" favor the affluent --

maintain the system of inequalitymaintain the system of inequality


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This leads to analysis of the social relations ofThis leads to analysis of the social relations ofpedagogy, showing how they reflect the culturalpedagogy, showing how they reflect the culturaldominance of elites handicap the learning of thedominance of elites handicap the learning of the

children of the poorchildren of the poor InIn rejecting genetic and cultural deprivationrejecting genetic and cultural deprivation

explanations of the correlation betweenexplanations of the correlation betweenscholastic achievement and social class, conflictscholastic achievement and social class, conflicttheorists find themselves pointing to the schoolstheorists find themselves pointing to the schoolsas the source of the problem without being ableas the source of the problem without being ableto specifyto specify what it is about them that iswhat it is about them that isresponsibleresponsible


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Conflict theory has thus been unable toConflict theory has thus been unable to

resolve the perennial problem of workingresolve the perennial problem of working

class "educability"class "educability"

focusing directly on thefocusing directly on the contentcontent ofof

education and theeducation and the internal operationinternal operation ofof

schools came to be called the "new"schools came to be called the "new"

sociology of educationsociology of education


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"social construction of reality" has become"social construction of reality" has become

an influential lines of inquiry of the newan influential lines of inquiry of the new

sociologysociologyEthnomethodologistsEthnomethodologists

phenomenologistsphenomenologists

symbolic interactionistssymbolic interactionists

a network of research workers sharing a commona network of research workers sharing a commonskepticism about macrosociological analysis ofskepticism about macrosociological analysis of

educational content appeared over the horizoneducational content appeared over the horizon


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the strategy for educational equality which hadthe strategy for educational equality which had

hitherto been followed put its main emphasis onhitherto been followed put its main emphasis on

structural reform but "never attacked the vitalstructural reform but "never attacked the vital

centre of the system, the curriculum, thecentre of the system, the curriculum, the contentcontentof what is taughtof what is taught

By the earlyBy the early 1970s1970s, a school of thought stressing, a school of thought stressing

the content of education was formed, wasthe content of education was formed, was

described as "the new sociology of education"described as "the new sociology of education" --

an emergent "an emergent "alternative paradigmalternative paradigm""


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the new concerns for educational researchthe new concerns for educational researchinclude:include:

curricular, pedagogic and assessment categoriescurricular, pedagogic and assessment categories

held by school personnelheld by school personnel teacherteacher--student interactionstudent interaction

the curriculumthe curriculum

From this perspective, the sociology ofFrom this perspective, the sociology of

education is no longer conceived as aneducation is no longer conceived as anarea of enquiry distinct from thearea of enquiry distinct from the sociologysociologyof knowledgeof knowledge..


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Perhaps the most striking feature of the "new"Perhaps the most striking feature of the "new"

sociology of education is that it is almost entirelysociology of education is that it is almost entirely

a British creation; it has, as yet, made fewa British creation; it has, as yet, made few

inroads into American educational researchinroads into American educational researchwhich is dominated by conflict theorywhich is dominated by conflict theory

the British cultural and political context wasthe British cultural and political context was

much less conducive than its Americanmuch less conducive than its American

counterpart to macrosociological studies ofcounterpart to macrosociological studies of

social conflictsocial conflict


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What is being questioned by theWhat is being questioned by the

ethnomethodologists in demonstrating theethnomethodologists in demonstrating the

fragility of tacit understandings underlyingfragility of tacit understandings underlying

daily social interactiondaily social interaction is not so much theis not so much the

legitimacy of existing social and politicallegitimacy of existing social and political

institutions as the accuracy of the commoninstitutions as the accuracy of the common

sense view ofsense view ofrealityrealityitselfitself


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the etbnomethodologists direct their attentionthe etbnomethodologists direct their attention

more tomore to microlevelmicrolevel interactions than tointeractions than to largerlarger

social structuressocial structures

their rebellion, thoughtheir rebellion, though radicalradical in its rejection ofin its rejection ofthe routines of everyday life,the routines of everyday life, avoidsavoids directdirect

confrontation with theconfrontation with the status quostatus quo

ethnomethodological epistemology: "knowledgeethnomethodological epistemology: "knowledge

... becomes thoroughly relativized and the... becomes thoroughly relativized and the

possibility of absolute knowledge is denied"possibility of absolute knowledge is denied"


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unlikeunlike either theeither the functionalistfunctionalist ororconflictconflict

theories of education, which aretheories of education, which are

essentially concerned with the macroessentially concerned with the macro--

sociological question of thesociological question of the structurestructure of theof the

relationships between schools and otherrelationships between schools and other

social institutions, thesocial institutions, the interpretiveinterpretive

approachapproach focuses directly on thefocuses directly on the internalinternaloperationsoperations of the schools themselvesof the schools themselves


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Proponents of the interpretive approachProponents of the interpretive approach

cited its relevance to teacher training ascited its relevance to teacher training as

one of its virtuesone of its virtues

as illuminating the classroom,as illuminating the classroom,

its appeal to students in schools ofits appeal to students in schools of

education and those sociologists whoseeducation and those sociologists whose

job it is to teach themjob it is to teach them


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With the "interpretive" paradigm, deeplyWith the "interpretive" paradigm, deeplyinfluenced by theinfluenced by the sociology of knowledgesociology of knowledge,,providing the theoretical framework of theproviding the theoretical framework of the

"new" sociology of edu"new" sociology of edu, three related, three relatedproblem areas emerge as the keyproblem areas emerge as the keyconcerns of the fields:concerns of the fields:

teacherteacher--student interactionstudent interaction,,

the categories or concepts used by educatorsthe categories or concepts used by educators,,andand

the curriculumthe curriculum


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Two of the key research issues identified by theTwo of the key research issues identified by the

interpretive approachinterpretive approach--thethe curriculumcurriculum & the& the

conceptsconcepts of educatorsof educators--posed particularposed particular

problems for the prospective researchers, for theproblems for the prospective researchers, for thenovelty of the subject matter called for thenovelty of the subject matter called for the

creation of new methodscreation of new methods

Even the more familiar problem of studentEven the more familiar problem of student--

teacher interaction, already treated by symbolicteacher interaction, already treated by symbolicintegrationists, posed at every turn the thornyintegrationists, posed at every turn the thorny

question of what counts asquestion of what counts as valid knowledgevalid knowledge


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empirical investigation of the problemsempirical investigation of the problems

raised by the interpretive approach couldraised by the interpretive approach could

not proceed with the type of "rigor"not proceed with the type of "rigor"

demanded by ademanded by a disciplinediscipline whichwhich accordsaccords

scientific statusscientific status only to propositions thatonly to propositions that

are replicable and falsifiableare replicable and falsifiable


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the "new" sociology of education wouldthe "new" sociology of education would

never generalizenever generalize data as tidy as thedata as tidy as the

quantitative figures on social stratificationquantitative figures on social stratification

produced in the political arithmetic traditionproduced in the political arithmetic tradition

Furthermore, careful and longFurthermore, careful and long--termterm

classroom observation called for anclassroom observation called for an

enormous 'investment of money, time, andenormous 'investment of money, time, andenergyenergy


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Interpretive sociologists hold thatInterpretive sociologists hold that social realitysocial reality,,which is "constantly in a state ofwhich is "constantly in a state ofbecomingbecomingrather thanrather than beingbeing ... is such as to preclude... is such as to preclude

conventional social science approaches to dataconventional social science approaches to data This suspicion of quantitative evidence, coupledThis suspicion of quantitative evidence, coupled

with a commitment to relativism, often leadswith a commitment to relativism, often leadsethnomethodologists to move from validethnomethodologists to move from validcriticisms of measurement error to a wholesalecriticisms of measurement error to a wholesaledismissal of attempts to measure phenomena asdismissal of attempts to measure phenomena asdiverse as academic performance anddiverse as academic performance andeducational aspirations.educational aspirations.


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The preferred method of the "new" sociology ofThe preferred method of the "new" sociology of

education is that of participant observationeducation is that of participant observation

Depending upon whether researchers draw theirDepending upon whether researchers draw their

theoretical cues from ethno-methodology ortheoretical cues from ethno-methodology orsymbolic interactionism, they may speak of thesymbolic interactionism, they may speak of the

""social construction of realitysocial construction of reality", or the "", or the "definitiondefinition

of the situationof the situation," but their closely related," but their closely related

concerns come together in analyzing theconcerns come together in analyzing theprocess of "process of "negotiation" over meaningsnegotiation" over meanings

the new sociology of education pp

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