Sociology of Education

While the United States educational system is widely considered the main institution through which the nation delivers on its promise of social mobility, sociologists have long recognized that schools exacerbate – or even produce – social inequality. This course provides an introduction to the application of sociology to questions of education, with a focus on the United States education system. We will ask questions such as: What do schools teach besides academics? How do social class, gender, and racial/ethnic relations shape student experiences? How can we address critical social issues through education policy?