Sociology 11-30-09.docx

November 30th, 2009 Functionalism: Manifest and Latent Functions -Look at the benefits of education -Transmit cultural values -Promote social integration -Act as a gate keeping mechanism -Replacing aspects of family (such as child care) Self governing people need to be educated enough to govern themselves Conflict: educational system reproduces social inequalities -Examine how the educational system reproduces the social class structure -The Hidden Curriculum (for example, teaches conformity and obedience to authority) -conflict theorists stress the hidden curriculum helps to perpetuate social inequalities -Cultural biases in measures of intelligence -Unequal school funding Symbolic Interaction, the micro-perspective -Study face-to-face interaction in the classroom -Self-fulfilling prophecy teachers labeling students that will excel/do poorly as faster/slower learners A few words on the sociology of Religion - Durkheim (functionalism) -All religions separate the sacred from the profane -Sacred=aspects of life that have to do with the supernatural and inspire awe, reverence, respect, and even fear -Profane=aspects of life not concerned with religion, apart of everyday life -Ritualistic -In Durkheim?s Elementary Forms of Religious Life, religion is defined as: A system of beliefs and practices related to sacred things that unites believers into a moral community -Many know Karl Marx (conflict perspective) for: ?Religion is the opiate of the masses? -But for Durkheim, the community feels it?s own power, greater than any individual power, more awesome than what could be found naturally. It must be SuperNatural