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Chapter 13 Summary and Review

Education in Global Perspective The Conflict Perspective:
Perpetuating Social Inequality
13.1 Understand how education is related to a nation’s
culture and economy; compare education in Japan, Russia, 13.3 Explain how the educational system reproduces the social
and Egypt.
class structure.
What is a credential society, and how did it What is the conflict perspective on education?
develop? The basic view of conflict theorists is that education reproduces
A credential society is one in which employers use diplomas the social class structure; that is, through such mechanisms as
and degrees to determine who is eligible for a job. One unequal funding and operating different schools for the elite
reason that credentialism developed is that large, anonymous and for the masses, education perpetuates a society’s basic so-
societies lack the personal knowledge common to smaller cial inequalities from one generation to the next. Pp. 410–413.
groups. Educational certification is taken as evidence of a
person’s ability. Pp. 403–406.
How does education compare among the The Symbolic Interactionist
Most Industrialized, Industrializing, and Least Perspective: Teacher Expectations
Industrialized Nations?
In general, formal education reflects a nation’s economy. 13.4 Explain the significance of teacher expectations and give
Consequently, education is extensive in the Most Indus- examples.
trialized Nations, undergoing vast change in the Indus-
trializing Nations, and spotty in the Least Industrialized What is the symbolic interactionist perspective on
Nations. Japan, Russia, and Egypt provide examples of education?
education in countries at three levels of industrialization. Symbolic interactionists focus on face-to-face interaction. In
Pp. 406–408.
examining what occurs in the classroom, they have found
that student performance tends to conform to teacher expec-
The Functionalist Perspective: tations, whether they are high or low. Pp. 413–414.
Providing Social Benefits Problems in U.S. Education—and

Their Solutions
13.2 Explain the functions of education: knowledge and skills,
values, social integration, gatekeeping, and replacing family
functions. 13.5 Discuss mediocrity in education, grade inflation, social
promotion, raising standards, cheating by administrators, and
What is the functionalist perspective on violence in schools.
education?
Among the functions of education are the teaching of What are the chief problems that face U.S.
knowledge and skills, providing credentials, cultural trans- education?
mission of values, social integration, social placement The major problems are mediocrity (low achievement as
(gatekeeping), and mainstreaming. Functionalists also shown by state tests and SAT scores), grade inflation, social
note that education has replaced some traditional family promotion, functional illiteracy, faked data reported by
functions. Pp. 408–410. school administrators, and violence. Pp. 415–418.