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Questions and Answers
What is the primary focus of sociology of education?
According to Tait, what is the primary purpose of mass schooling?
What is the outcome of the process of individuation, differentiation, and normalization in schools?
What is the primary criticism leveled against teachers by politicians in the 'Education Wars'?
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What is the primary goal of liberal forms of governance, according to Tait?
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What is the primary outcome of the categorization of people into social statistics, according to Tait?
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What is the primary argument of researchers and teachers who disputed the 'Back to Basics' movement?
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What is the primary characteristic of the 'disciplinary society', according to Tait?
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What is the primary role of the school in the 'disciplinary society', according to Tait?
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What is the primary outcome of the process of normalization in schools, according to Tait?
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Study Notes
Sociology of Education
- Education is influenced by socio-cultural contexts, which impact what is taught, by whom, how, and why, and whether it is accepted or resisted.
Mass Schooling and Governance
- According to Tait (2012, 2016, 2018), there are three myths surrounding modern schooling and social governance:
- Myth 1: Society was always a collection of individuals, but modern governance has led to the creation of populations with characteristics and categories, allowing for identity-based interventions and regulations.
- Myth 2: Schools are primarily about education, not regulation, but liberal governance has sought to regulate populations through institutions like schools.
- Myth 3: The structure of the school is not important to the education process, but mass schooling is an example of a disciplinary society based on surveillance, regulation of space and time, and management of behavior, involving individuation, differentiation, and normalization.
The Education Wars
- The Education Wars refer to the debates between politicians, researchers, and teachers on the role of education, critical thinking, and diverse perspectives.
- Politicians accused teachers of being "lefties/Marxists/post-modernists" and claimed that teaching critical thinking led to "poor standards" (Lewis & Salusinszky, 2006).
- Researchers and teachers disputed this, arguing for more reforms and against a "back to conservatism" approach (Apple, 2005).
- Newspapers fueled the debates, with some calling for a return to basic skills and others advocating for more critical thinking and diverse perspectives.
Staffroom Debates
- Some teachers struggle to understand critical thinking and its application in the classroom.
- Staffroom tensions arise from differing opinions on what and how to teach.
- Debates center on whether to teach classic texts and how to approach historical events, such as the 1788 Australian settlement, as discovery or genocide.
- The national curriculum is also a topic of debate, with some calling for more diversity and inclusivity.
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Description
Explore the socio-cultural contexts impacting education, including the myths surrounding modern schooling and social governance. Learn about the role of power and population in shaping education.
