Please follow these instructions:
American education has seen many generations walk to, through and past its doors. Americans saliently embrace the American Dream as a reflection of American Exceptionalism. When U.S. federal policy first embraced “educating the masses,” England was among the nations that criticized the U.S. for adopting this goal. Over the last century, education in the U.S. continues to be decentralized with some federal “umbrella” oversight, leaving most of the duties and responsibilities of educating at the local level. Research shows that American children continue to drop out of school, and do “worse” than their predecessors, even as more money is spent per capita on education. Policy makers and scholars alike delve in to the many facets of American Education, at times independently or uniformly justifying or crucifying American education.
What relationship does American education have with: the American Dream, education policy, social stratification, networks, and inequality? Consider and discuss the ways functionalist, conflict, and labeling theories apply within your response.
Employ theories learned in class, within class readings (labeling, conflict and/or functionalist, etc.,), and scholarly works to help present and support your arguments. The paper must be: double-spaced, in ASA writing style. You may use some of what you have written for class papers, including your midterm, to build your final paper: all arguments within your paper must cohere. If you are using some of what you have written, make sure that your previous arguments contribute to your present arguments and respond to the prompt above. You may use headers and sub-headers to organize your paper. Double-space and proofread your work before submitting. Remember that this paper must be submitted via blackboard, as a word document, in the content section of our class under Final.
DO NOT merely summarize the readings or lectures. Instead, develop an argument to show how the concept/s explain/s, OR fail/s to explain education from the lens of a Sociologist. Use class readings, lectures and other scholarly sources (some of which you may have read for or in other classes) to support your argument. Be sure to explain how you are operationalizing: concepts, lecture materials and readings.
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