The Way Schools Work: A Sociological Analysis of Education

This book is very effective in helping the reader to grasp a wide range of interpretive theoretical perspectives on education today. The text covers both the policy side of the question (control and finance, bureaucracies, school reform, and teaching as a contested profession) and the anthropological side (youth culture, oppositional culture, engagement and alienation). The text also covers curriculum theory and theories of knowledge. This book is particularly strong in contrasting and comparing social transmission and social transformation interpretive theories, particularly: functionalist theory, conflict theory, critical theory, and interactionism. There is a useful glossary of sociological terms in the back of the book, as well as 30 pages of excellent references for those who want to delve more deeply into the concepts raised. Chapters include: Theory and its influences on the purposes of schooling; The social organization of schooling; Youth culture and the student peer group; The labor force in education: teachers, counselors, administrators, and ancillary staff; Social class and its relationship to education, What is taught in schools: curriculum and the stratification of knowledge; Ethnic minorities: equality of educational opportunity; and gender equity in schooling. Each chapter is divided into logical and coherent subheadings and includes a useful summary of chapter contents. There are also suggestions for things to think about or activities to assign to help students grasp the concepts covered in the text more clearly. The text works well for foundations of education, sociology of education, education and public policy, and education and society courses. Unfortunately, like most textbooks today, this one is overpriced at about $75.

For anyone interested in the philosophy, theory, and/or practice of education, this book is a must. It is one of the few texts I have found that takes an unbiased approach to the practice of schooling. It is necessary to know the language of education before moving forward with readings of pedagogy; this text provides just such a vocabulary. Offering a full spectrum of views, practices, issues, and policies, this text is an essential introduction to the world of Education.

I have found this book to be an essential part of my collection of books on the sociology of education. As a doctoral student in the social foundations of education, I have consistently drawn on the material in this book for both papers and lectures. The book's organization and index make it an easy to use resource guide, much like an encyclopedia of the sociology of education. The text gives a general overview of the issues surrounding the historical and contemporary context of the public school system in the United States. While the book is limited in the extent to which it can talk about topics such as theories of reproduction and resistance, it nevertheless provides a starting point for further research endeavors. Don't sell yourself short on this one, it is well worth the price you have to pay.