Schools and Society: A Sociological Approach to Education - Softcover

A comprehensive, theoretically balanced overview of the sociology of education that features a wealth of original readings by noted scholars

Offering a wide array of theoretical perspectives and methods, a broad range of resources, and both classic and contemporary studies, this fully updated Fourth Edition uses the open systems approach to provide readers with a framework for understanding and analyzing the book’s disparate topics. Edited by Jeanne H. Ballantine and Joan Z. Spade, both of whom actively teach Sociology of Education courses, this text includes dozens of readable articles that illustrate major concepts and theoretical perspectives in the field.

New to the Fourth Edition:

· Twenty-four new articles by early and contemporary noted scholars have been added.

· Six articles have been revised and updated to reflect new perspectives and research.

· A new chapter on the research methods used to study education connects the methodological design to particular readings.

Features:

· Classic and contemporary readings are drawn from a wide range of sources, including books, journals, scientific studies and reports, and commentaries.

· Introductions to each chapter provide a holistic view of the field and demonstrate the interrelationships between the various issues in education.

· Remarks and questions precede each article to guide students and to demonstrate the article’s connection to other readings.

· Conclusions to each part include suggested projects for continued exploration.

Jeanne H. Ballantine is Emerita Professor of Sociology at Wright State University, a state university of about 17,000 students in Ohio. She has also taught at several 4-year colleges, including an “alternative” college and a traditionally Black college, and at international programs in universities abroad. She has been teaching introductory sociology for more than 30 years with a mission to introduce the uninitiated to the field and to help students see the usefulness and value in sociology. She has been active in the teaching movement, shaping curriculum, writing and presenting research on teaching, and offering workshops and consulting in regional, national, and international forums. She is a Fulbright Senior Scholar and serves as a Departmental Resources Group consultant and evaluator.

Jeanne has written several textbooks, all with the goal of reaching the student audience. As the original director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Wright State University, she scoured the literature on student learning and served as a mentor to teachers in a wide variety of disciplines. Local, regional, and national organizations have honored her for her teaching and for her contributions to helping others become effective teachers. In 1986, the American Sociological Association’s Section on Undergraduate Education (now called the Section on Teaching and Learning in Sociology) recognized her with the Hans O. Mauksch Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching of Sociology. In 2004, she was honored by the American Sociological Association with its Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award. In 2010, the North Central Sociological Association awarded her the J. Milton Yinger Award for Distinguished Career in Sociology.