Sociology of Education

This course provides an overview of Sociology of Education, covering substantive, theoretical, and methodological issues in the field. Beginning with classical theories of education, the course will then provide an overview of the relationship between education and society, with a focus on its role in reducing and reproducing inequality. We will discuss causes and consequences of educational inequality, paying particular attention to education and the labor market. In the process, we will engage with ascriptive forms of stratification, including race and ethnicity. The focus of the course is education in the U.S., but we will occasionally incorporate international comparisons.