Key Terms
Formal education
Learning of academic facts and concepts through a structured curriculum.
Informal education
Learning of cultural values and expected behaviors through participation in society.
Cultural transmission
The process through which people learn the values, beliefs, and norms of their culture.
Universal access
The equal ability of all people to participate in an education system.
Current debate
Inclusion (full immersion in standard classrooms) vs. mainstreaming (split time between special-needs and standard class
Manifest functions
Intended, visible, openly stated goals. Latent functions: hidden, unintended, unstated outcomes.
Another functionalist point
Schools have taken over functions traditionally handled by families — sex education, budgeting, job application skills.
Cultural capital (Pierre Bourdieu)
Cultural knowledge that functions as currency to help navigate society. Upper- and middle-class families have more of it
Hidden curriculum
Nonacademic knowledge absorbed through informal learning in schools; reinforces existing social hierarchies.
Tracking
Formalized system placing students on separate academic paths based on perceived ability; conflict theorists argue it pe
IQ and standardized tests (conflict theorist view)
Tests measure cultural knowledge, not raw intelligence. Questions assume familiarity with dominant-culture experiences.
Core argument
Limited access to education limits women's ability to achieve financial independence and equal rights. Equal education i
Labeling theory in education
Low test scores or poor early performance lead to a student being labeled a low achiever. That label is hard to escape;
Credentialism
Emphasis on degrees and certificates as symbols of qualification and achievement.
Grade inflation
Pattern of awarding higher grades than earned; the threshold for an A has declined over time.