Exploring Inequality and Education: A Comparison of Functionalist and Conflict Theories

read:
– “I Just Wanna Be Average” by Mike Rose; pgs. 11-37
– Mann_From Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education 1848_Excerpt
– Terkel_Stephen Cruz
– Nieto_Toward Understanding School Achievement pages 248-273
– Lareau_Ch. 3_The Hectic Pace of Concerted Cultivation-Garrett Tallinger.pdf
– Lareau_Ch. 4_A Child’s Pace- Tyrec Taylor.pdf
– Parsons The School Class as a Social System.PDF
– Bowles and Gintis Education Inequality and Meritocracy.PDF
– Wilcox differential_socialization_in_the_classroom.pdf
– Lareau_Ch. 6_Developing a Child-Alexander Williams.pdf
– Thur_Critique of the Functional Explanation for Inequality.pdf
– Lareau_Ch. 8_Concerted Cultivation in Organizational Spaces- Stacey Marshall.pdf 
– Lamont and Lareau_Cultural Capital.pdf pages 153-157, 161-165
– The Reproduction of Educational Inequality.pdf
– Anyon_Social Class and School Knowledge.pdf
– Gregory et. al._The Achievement Gap and the Discipline Gap.pdf
– Gregory et. al._How Educators Can Eradicate Disparities in School Discipline- A Briefing Paper on School-Based Interventions.pdf
Use materials and information only from the course provided readings up there.
Functionalist Theory & Conflict Theory – For each question, your answer should be 3-5 paragraphs.
1. Functionalists’ claims about inequality in society focus on differences between economic groups. Discuss three points or ideas the Functionalists use to explain why there is economic inequality in society. Another way to think about this is – Discuss three reasons the Functionalists offer to explain why there is economic inequality in society.
2. Functionalists’ ideas about the functions of education focus on the ways in which schools help maintain society over time (across many generations), specifically societies that have a formal class structure. Discuss three points or ideas the Functionalists use to explain the purposes of education in society. Another way to think about this is – Discuss three reasons the Functionalists offer to explain how schools help sustain societies over time.
3. Conflict Theorists also take an economic approach to explaining inequality in society, but in ways very different than Functionalists. Discuss four points or ideas the Conflict Theorists use to explain why there is economic inequality in society. If it’s useful, you can discuss these four points or ideas as critiques of Functionalists’ ideas.
4. Conflict Theorists also claim that schools function to help maintain society over time. Discuss four points or ideas the Conflict Theorists use to explain the purposes of education in society. Another way to think about this is – Discuss four reasons the Conflict Theorists offer to explain how schools sustain societies over time. If it’s useful, you can discuss these four points as critiques of Functionalists’ ideas.
Wilcox article – In 3-4 paragraphs, answer the following about Wilcox’s research.
5. How would Conflict Theorists explain the differences between the Smith classroom and the Huntington classroom? Be sure to give details about each classroom’s environment, curriculum, and the role of the teacher.