What is more important in explaining social life-individuals or the social structures around them? This is the question at the heart of the debate between agency and structure. These terms are macrosocial theory, microsocial theory, agency, and structure. Some terms, however, are used throughout the discussion of theory rather frequently. Many of these terms are specific to one particular body of theories or a particular theorist. Below, many such instances of these terms are discussed: cultural capital, habitus, racialization, and primary effects, just to name a few. Theorists have adopted the use of specialized words to capture concepts that often have very complex meanings. Various theories are peppered with strange terminology. When you are learning about sociological theories, you may run across numerous words that you have not encountered before. This chapter is meant to be a synopsis of the various theories used by sociologists of education it is in no way an exhaustive overview of all theories within the discipline. Understanding the era of a theory-that is, the historical circumstances under which it emerged-often also helps to understand the emphasis given to different aspects of social life.įigure 2.1 Theory and the Sociology of EducationĮach theory is presented with a brief overview followed by examples from recent research, including Canadian research where possible. However, it is important to understand the origins of all theories of educational sociology in use today. Some of these theories were very popular in the discipline at one point (e.g., structural functionalism) but are barely considered now. And the prominence of particular theoretical perspectives follows definite trends. There is much overlap, and while many theorists talk about class, for example, you will find that they think of it in markedly different ways. All theories focus on different aspects of human society some focus on class, others on race, others on gender. No one theory is “right”-you will see that every theory has its own strengths and weaknesses. Many theories are given consideration in this chapter. In this chapter, theories are presented chronologically as they have developed over time. The way we see the world clearly influences how we interpret the social processes that are occurring within it. It is like seeing the world through a specific set of glasses (see Figure 2.1). Each theoretical perspective represents a particular way of understanding the social world. Sociological theories help us to assemble diverse views about society and then construct or constitute a more comprehensive understanding of what is happening and why. Because this text explores education from a sociological perspective, it is essential that we consider how theory contributes to our understanding of education as a part of society. This chapter introduces several theories concerning the sociology of education. Describe the social mobility approaches to the sociology of education.Explain what is meant by social capital.Define what is meant by cultural reproduction theory and identify major theorists associated with this orientation.Explain how critical pedagogy is associated with the Marxist perspectives.Explain Marxism and neo-Marxism, and name the major theorists associated with these perspectives.Explain critical race theory and how it is related to the sociology of education.Describe how feminist theory is connected to the sociology of education.Explain how agency, structure, ontology, and epistemology are related to major underlying assumptions within sociological theories of education.
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