EPPL751: SOCIOLOGY OF HIGHER EDUCATIONMonica D. Griffin, Ph.D., Sociology;Director, Engaged Scholarship, W&MJuly 2, 2012

Course Introductions Goals for the Course Personal Introductions Sociology 101 Autobiographical Paths in Education Sociological Thinking and Perspectives Readings?

Goals for the Course To explore the intersection of sociological issues and

interests in the study of higher education To introduce sociological lines of inquiry and major

theoretical schools of thought that advance particular sociological perspectives

To understand social foundations of education in terms of the social and cultural processes at work in higher education

To examine and evaluate structural and contextual factors that impact practice and policy in education

Goals, continued To develop students’ skills for developing academic

and/or action research plans that potentially form a productive practice-based partnership with other organizations or institutions connected with higher education fields and/or settings

To synthesize theoretical modeling with organizational dimensions of practice in education as a basis for forming research inquiry

To evaluate social scientific approaches and methods for studying higher education in order to advance student progress toward developing a Master’s or Dissertation thesis proposal.

Monica D. Griffin, Ph.D., Sociology – Profile Born and raised by civil servant parents

in Arlington, Virginia until age 9 when we moved to Vienna, VA – “NoVA Kid;”

B.A., 1988, English and Sociology, W&M; M.A., 1993; Ph.D., 1998, Sociology, UVA;

Mother, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Friend Educator, Administrator, Creative Writer

who can’t live without Pilates

My Family

My Specialties Race Culture and Literary Studies;

Inequality Studies in Family, Health, and Education; Medical Sociology; Sociological Theory

Service-Learning; community-based action research; integrative dynamics of teaching and learning;

Recent interests/endeavors: critical literacy studies and public health literacy

SOCIOLOGY 101: What is it?He who watches a thing grow has the best view of it. – Heraclitus (c.540-480 B.C.E.)

SOCIOLOGY: The systematic study of social behavior and human groups.

Systematic Study Groups & Social Behavior

C. Wright Mills – The Sociological Imagination (1959)Mills defined sociological imagination as "the vivid awareness of the relationship between experience and the wider society.“

Related Terms:Social NormsSocial StructureCultureSocializationActionSocial Context

In – Class Activity: Autobiographical Path in EducationCan you use a Sociological Imagination to describe your autobiographical path in education? First, try it out with a partner; Then, share with the class.

Sociological Thinking Critical, analytical approach to

understanding the social world, reliant on

Empirical Observations; Generalizability; Refers to group behavior and patterns.

Sociological PerspectivesThree elements that typically characterize social theory (and sociological perspectives):1. Conception of society2. Core Values that maintain social order3. Attention to interactions and social

processes that create or stifle social change

How Inquiry, Methods, and Theory Work Together

Theories

Hypotheses

Observations

Empirical Generalization

s

Inductive v. Deductive Reasoning – in Education Research? Action Research?

Theories

Hypotheses

Observations

Empirical Generalization

s

Readings DiscussionBased on what you’ve read so far, what do you observe/recall about how each perspective:1. Conceptualizes society2. Relies on core values that maintain

social order3. Focus on interactions and social

processes that create or stifle social change

Perspectives (in this text) Functionalist Conflict Symbolic Interactionist Code Theory Cultural Capital and Symbolic Violence Educational Outcomes Status Competition and Interaction Ritual Institutional Theory Postmodernism and Critical Theory Feminist Theory

Happy 4th of July!The Class Wiki site will be posted by noon on Wednesday, 7/4. Thank you for your patience.

Have a good weekend.