Politics of Education

In this course, politics is interpreted broadly to include both formal policy-making processes and any situation in which people have to solve a problem or come to a decision. The purpose of this course is to explore the following processes: (1) how ideologies and power dynamics influence educational policies and decisions; (2) how educational policies and decisions translate into specific school programs and practices; (3) how specific programs and practices influence pedagogies, especially in the relationships among students, teachers, and knowledge pedagogies; (4) how these pedagogies impact student opportunities and outcomes; and (5) how student outcomes and opportunities reinforce ideologies and power dynamics. This course considers politics across time, space, and individuals, noting how historical, geographical, cultural, social, psychological, political, and economic contexts can shape the politics of education. In addition, as this course considers the relationship between politics and power, we explore how politics can manifest itself in ways that promote exclusion and subjugation or work toward the common good. Finally, after carefully examining the research on inequalities and inefficiencies resulting from the current politics of education, we will transition from problem identification (i.e., "What went wrong?") to problem solution (i.e., "Where do we go from here?"). Prerequisite: Completion of any 1000, 2000, or 3000-level Education course, graduate standing, or permission of instructor. Enrollment note: All students are enrolled onto the waitlist. Priority is given to Department of Education majors, minors, and graduate students. Undergradutes must enroll in Educ. 462, while graduate students must enroll in Educ. 5620.
Course Attributes: EN S; AS SSC; AS SD I; FA SSC; AS SC; AR SSC

Politics of Education

SOCIOLOGY 4621

Section 01