An Intro to my understanding of Sociology and Education

I would first like to start by saying that I do not have very much experience in sociology and how it connects into different aspects of the education system. I would appreciate any feedback and comments from those who either agree or disagree with my opinions and beliefs. I feel that these comments can help us all learn a little bit more about the sociological elements of education.

Reading the first chapter of Sociology of Education: An Introductory View from Canada, (J. Barakett, A. Cleghorn) provided me with a basic insight of sociology in general. I find the idea of social stratification to be astonishing. People generate ideas about someone and put them on a hierarchal scale according to different aspects of their lives. Everyone is given a status based on their access and possession of what is most valued. To me, it makes me wonder who creates these statuses and comes up with a consensus about what is worthy enough to be valued.

One quote that I noticed in the first chapter states that “there is no biological or genetic reason why one group or another should be overrepresented among either those who succeed or those who fail in school”. This is basically saying that no single group of people should be categorized as not being able to do something. For example, not all girls do poorly in math. If this isn’t the case, then why have I read so many articles stating the high scores for males in math and science. Have people actually found valid proof that this is true? I think a lot of it has to do with the negative connotations and stereotypes that people give certain groups of people. For example, if a group of aboriginal peoples were all doing poorly in a particular subject, it is most likely due to the teacher being overcome with the negative sterotypes and ideologies that are brought with the group of people. If a teacher believes these stereotypes, they are more likely to teach in way that does not provide the same education for these individuals.

The sociological aspect of education can be depressing at times. One of the main reasons that I am becoming a teacher is to make a difference in the lives of the students that I teach. I think at this point in my life, I am still very naïve to the depressing aspects of education. It is not that I do not know or realize that these things happen, I just don’t understand why or how these things occur. I hope that with the education of these sociology, we, as a society and teachers can make positive responses towards the problems.