Question 1

School subcultures consist of a hierarchy system in which popularity is strongly related to social class. However, a small minority of students in each grade were perceived as being at the lowest end of the hierarchy, these students tended to display ________ and ________.

Accepted Answer

Students at the lowest end of the hierarchy often display atypical gender behavior and perceived unattractiveness, which can lead to social marginalization in school subcultures.

Question 2

Suppose that a bright high school student from a working class background has saved money for university or college. She decides to go to college and complete a program in skilled trade that will basically guarantee her a well-paying job upon graduation instead of pursuing a university degree with no practical applied instruction component. This scenario is best explained by:

Accepted Answer

Rational choice theory explains this scenario as the student is making a decision based on weighing the costs and benefits, choosing the option that maximizes her future economic benefits and job security.

Question 3

What empirical evidence exists to support the importance of social class as a factor in the level of educational attainment achieved? Briefly describe: resistance theory, rational choice theory, correspondence theory, and habitus and cultural reproduction.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What empirical evidence exists to support the...

Question 4

________ looks at ways in which education can become more empowering and be a catalyst for social change.

Accepted Answer

Critical pedagogy focuses on education as a means to empower individuals and promote social change by encouraging critical thinking and challenging societal norms.

Question 5

________ means that through our upbringing and social environment, we come to see the world and our place in it in a certain way, which in turn creates dispositions to act, interpret experiences, and think in a certain way.

Accepted Answer

Habitus refers to the ingrained habits, skills, and dispositions that individuals acquire through their upbringing and social environment, influencing how they perceive the world and act within it.

Question 6

Bordieu describes the ways in which working-class students' life experience find little resonance in the school curriculum as ________, which ultimately leads working class students to engage in forms of self-selection and self-censorship.

Accepted Answer

Bourdieu uses the term "symbolic violence" to describe how the dominant culture imposes its values and norms on others, leading to self-selection and self-censorship among working-class students whose life experiences are not reflected in the school curriculum.

Question 7

What social factors contribute to the occurrence of bullying on school grounds? How has bullying changed in the past decade?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What social factors contribute to the occurrence...

Question 8

________ is an often taken-for-granted school practice in which students are grouped together with other students who are considered to be like them academically.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ________ is an often taken-for-granted school practice...

Question 9

________ is the principal that persons are selected for social positions based on merit, or achievement in accordance with universal standards and criteria such as talent, motivation, tenacity, and hard work.

Accepted Answer

Meritocracy is the principle where individuals are selected for social positions based on their merit, which includes their talents, achievements, and efforts, rather than on their social class or other non-performance-related factors.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about involuntary minorities is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

According to Ogbu, the most successful students from involuntary minorities are not those who overtly oppose the system, but rather those who find ways to navigate and succeed within it while maintaining their cultural identity.

Question 11

What kinds of suggestions have been made for educational reform in the future? Are such changes necessary? What criticisms of these suggestions have been made?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What kinds of suggestions have been made...

Question 12

Describe the purpose of the education system from a functional perspective. Include the following terms in your discussion: Parsons, role differentiation, and meritocracy.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the purpose of the education system...

Question 13

Do students learn better in an education system that uses streaming? Provide empirical evidence to support your position.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Do students learn better in an education...

Question 14

Despite some sociologists arguments that traditional structural factors have lost their significance in shaping individual lives, empirical studies persistently show that ________ continues to be the most important predictor of educational and occupational attainment.

Accepted Answer

Social class remains a significant predictor of educational and occupational attainment, as it influences access to resources, opportunities, and networks.

Question 15

Define the terms: autonomous minority, voluntary minority, and involuntary minority. Describe how each of these groups experiences the education system in Canada. Use examples where applicable.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define the terms: autonomous minority, voluntary minority,...

Question 16

Despite Canadian students' high achievement on tests such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), critics from the left, teachers, and teacher federations, have voiced concerns that curriculum content and teaching are increasingly driven by the demands of ________.

Accepted Answer

Critics argue that the focus on standardized testing can lead to a narrow curriculum that prioritizes test preparation over a more holistic educational experience.

Question 17

________ arose out of the Marxist school of thought and stated that the role of schools was to legitimatize class differences and socialize individuals to accept their future exploited status in society.

Accepted Answer

Correspondence theory, associated with the Marxist school of thought, posits that the education system reflects and reinforces the existing class structure, preparing students to accept their roles within a capitalist society.

Question 18

The premise of Willis's ________ is that people's actions reinforce their social position and lead to the reproduction of existing inequalities. For example, working class young men will act in ways that lead to their positioning in working-class jobs.

Accepted Answer

Willis's resistance theory suggests that individuals' actions, often in opposition to dominant norms, inadvertently reinforce their social positions and contribute to the perpetuation of social inequalities.

Question 19

Which of the following has NOT been a concern of feminists with respect to education?

Accepted Answer

Feminists have generally not been concerned with the emergence of critical pedagogy itself, as it is a framework that often aligns with feminist goals by challenging traditional power structures and promoting social justice. The other options are direct concerns of feminists regarding gender equality in education.

Question 20

According to Ogbu, ________ make up only a small portion of the total population but then are largely integrated into the culture of mainstream society.

Accepted Answer

Autonomous minorities, according to Ogbu, are groups that are small in number but have integrated into mainstream society while maintaining their distinct cultural identity.

Quiz 13: Education

School subcultures consist of a hierarchy system in which popularity is strongly related to social class. However, a small minority of students in each grade were perceived as being at the lowest end of the hierarchy, these students tended to display and .