EPE 301- Education in American Culture

EPE 301- Education in American Culture

Fall 2006

This course provides a critical examination of contending views, past and present, regarding the nature and role of educational institutions in American society.

Course Description:

EPE 301 explores the context of teaching and learning in American society, both within and outside of the classroom. EPE 301 critically examines different perspectives on education and culture, explores anxieties and aspirations about schools, the ways popular culture influences schooling, and studies the impact of race, class, gender, ethnicity, religion, language, and nationality, both past and present, on teaching and learning. EPE 301 considers what roles schools play in constructing and perpetuating inequalities and opportunities, as well as the specific dimensions and practices of schools which marginalize or privilege particular groups of people.

Goals for Student Learning:

To promote skills of critical analysis by examining historical and contemporary debates about the nature of schooling and education in American society.

To develop the ability to evaluate educational policies, structures, and processes for their differential impact on groups.

To critically analyze differing historical and contemporary definitions of education and culture.

To understand the social, economic, and political dimensions of schools that shape the possibilities of education.

To explore the ways in which race, class, gender, ethnicity, rurality, and nationality mediate student and teacher subjectivities and shape the processes and organization of schooling.

To develop an increased awareness of what it means in school cultures to be a person of our own gender, race, class, etc., as well as understand how these categories affect those who are different from us.

Required Readings:

Edward Stevens, George Wood, and James Sheehan. (2002 4th edition) Justice, Ideology, and Education. McGraw Hill.

Jonathan Kozol. (1991) Savage Inequalities: Children in American Schools. NY: Harper Collins.

Melba Pattillo Beals. (1994) Warriors Don’t Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock’s CentralHigh School. Pocket Books.

Additional readings will be drawn from the list below and are available on reserve and/or on-line:

McIntosh, P. (1995) "White Privilege and Male Privilege," and Donna Langston "Tired of Playing Monopoly" in M. Andersen and P. Hill Collins (Eds.) Race, Class and Gender: An Anthology, Wadsworth; Kozol, J. (2005)“Still Separate, Still Unequal: America’s Educational Apartheid,” Harper’s, Sept. 41-54; Rutherford, E. “Black Children Still Victimized by “Savage Inequalities:” Public Education amid Racism and Isolation.” The BlackCommentator 13 (October 3, 2002);Kozol, J. (May 3, 2004) “Beyond Black, White and Brown: AForum,” TheNation;Gallangher, B. (2000) “Teaching (Native) America: Tribes Face an Uphill Battle to Blend Culture with Traditional Coursework,” The Nation,06/05/2000, vol. 270, no. 22; Manning, S. “Students for Sale,” The Nation. 09/27/99; Fain, T. (2004)“American Popular Culture: Should We Integrate It into American Education?”Education 124 (4), 590; Labaree, D. (1997) “Public goods, private goods: The American struggle over educational goals,” American Educational Research Journal, 34, 39-81; Gurian, M. and K. Stevens (2004) “With Boys and Girls in Mind.” Educational Leadership, (November): 21-26;Neff, L. “Walt Whitman High Point: A Dallas School for Gay Students Was on Its Last Leg When MTV Taped the New Documentary School’s Out, but Now Everything is Looking Up,” The Advocate. (April 15, 2003), 16; J. Scott (2005) Class in America: Shadowy lines that still divide,”New YorkTimes; Lewin, T. “Up from the holler: Living in Two Worlds, at home in neither,” New York Times;Cochran-Smith, M.(2005) “No Child Left Behind: 3 Years and Counting,” Journal of Teacher Education, 56(2),99; Boyce, A. (2002)“Title IX: What Now?” The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. 73(7), 6; Rhoads, S.(2004) “Sports, Sex and Title IX” Public Interest, 154, 86;Dillion, S. (2006) “In schools across the U.S., the melting pot overflows, (August 27) New York Times; Bulman, R. (2005) Hollywood Goes to High School: Cinema, Schools, and American Culture. Worth Publishers; Delpit, L(1995) “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children,” and “Education in a Multicultural Society: Our Future’s Greatest Challenge,” In Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom, New Press. 21-27;“The University of Kentucky has No Difficulty in Assimilating Negro Students” Courier Journal, July 17, 1949; “University of Alabama tries to end racial segregation in Greek system,” Lexington Herald, August 31, 2001;J. Nelson et al (2004) “Basic Education: Traditional or Critical and “What Should Be Taught: Knowledge and Literacy,” in Critical Issues in Education: Dialogues and Dialectic; “When Money is Everything Except Hers,” New York Times, 10/14/98; Stone, C. “Counselors as Advocates for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth: A Call for Equity and Action.” Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 31, (April 2003), 143-155; Lareau, A. "Social Class in Family-School Relationships: The Importance of Cultural Capital," Sociology of Education, 1987, vol. 60, 73-85; Nelson, J. (Eds.) (2004) Gender Equity: Eliminating Discrimination or Making Legitimate Accommodations in Critical Issues in Education: Dialogues and Dialectics; “Homophobia Often Found in Schools.” New York Times, 10/14/98; “Gay Alliance taking hold in Schools,” Boston Globe, 4/15/01; “Gay-Straight Alliance wins right to meet at school,”Lexington Herald, 4/19/03;Davis, B. (1993) “Diversity and Complexity in the Classroom: Considerations of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender,” in Tools for Teaching, Jossey-Bass; Banks, J. (1997) Issue 6 “Multicultural Education: Development, Dimensions and Challenges,” and Chavez, “Demystifying Multiculturalism,” from Noll J. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Educational Issues, McGraw-Hill.86-103; Spring, J. (2004) “Education and American Global Power: The Political Road to No Child Left Behind,” in Conflict of Interests: The Politics of American Education.

Course Requirements:

1) Class Attendance and Participation:

Since this course in large part is an exploration of issues that affect our own lives and your own educational histories experiences are an important departure point for exploring the diversity of educational experiences, you are expected to contribute your thoughts and questions to our collective consideration of these matters. You are therefore expected to complete all assigned readings on times indicated in the course outline and to be prepared to discuss, challenge, and argue the issues they raise during the class sessions when they are due. You will be expected to be prepared for each class meeting by completing the readings, preparing questions and critical comments, and being actively involved in class conversations. Throughout the semester, students will be expected to participate in small group projects and in class simulations. More specific guidelines for these in-class assignments will be distributed throughout the semester.

2) Socio-CulturalSchool Map

Schools are one of the few public arenas in which people of differing class, race, and cultural identities engage in regular and sustained interactions. Schools are therefore, an important place to witness patterns of race, ethnic, and class relations by exploring the daily workings of a school and how teachers and students respond to diversity. For this assignment you need to design a map showing the participation patterns and boundaries, inside and outside of the classroom, operative in a school of your choice. You also need to write a short paper interpreting your social map and explaining how your interpretations connect to assigned readings in this course.

3) Field-Based Inquiry Project

A field experience placement of 15 hours is required for all EPE 301 students. Using historical, interview, participant-observation, and/or document policy analysis, you need to analyze the educational dynamics in your field placement. This essay is an exploration of your field placement in relation to the concepts and perspectives addressed in this course. Your analysis should integrate course readings and discussion as well as include two journal articles not assigned in class. More specific guidelines for this assignment will be distributed later in the semester.

4) Experiencing Diversity, Difference, and Privilege in Schools - Analytic Essay

You are to conduct two in-depth interviews with persons different from yourself about their educational experiences. The essay discussing these interviews should consider how race, class, nationality/region, and gender were\are interwoven into these persons' educational experiences and expectations. You will be expected to use concepts covered in class and readings to inform your analysis of your interviews. More specific guidelines for this assignment will be given out later in the semester.

5) Exams

Exams will require the integration of assigned readings and classroom discussions.

6) Reactive Essays

You will need to submit critical commentaries on our readings throughout the semester. In these reactive essays, you need to address the following areas:

1) Briefly summarize the main argument(s) that particularly interest you (one or two paragraphs only);

2) Outline the major contributions and weaknesses of the arguments;

3) How does you connect these readings relate to other texts in this class or in your other classes;

4) What assumptions are made about education and culture?

5)What are some of the key concepts, methods, and arguments?

Upper Tier Writing Option:

EPE 301 has been approved as a writing-intensive (W) course to fulfill the upper-tier graduation writing requirement (GWR). In order to receive W credit for this course, you must have successfully completed the first-year writing requirement (ENG 104 or its equivalent) and have completed at least 30 hours of coursework.

Learning Outcomes for the Upper Tier Writing Option (as approved by the faculty senate):

• Write a paper that is essentially free of mechanical errors (grammar, punctuation, spelling, and syntax) and awkwardness, using a style that is appropriate to the purpose and audience.
• Demonstrate an ability to discover, evaluate, and clearly present evidence in support of an argument in the subject area and utilize documentation that conforms to the formats and the citation conventions of the subject area.
• Be aware that composing a successful text frequently takes multiple drafts, with varying degrees of focus on generating, revising, editing, and proofreading.
• Write a capable, interesting essay about a complex issue (discipline-specific) for a general university audience.

GWR Grading:

To pass the course and fulfill the upper tier of the GWR, you must submit all formal writing assignments (in draft and final forms) and earn a grade of C or better on each. Any major assignment that receives a D or below must be revised and resubmitted. You must schedule a conference with the instructor in such a case. You may resubmit a revised assignment once. If you fail to achieve a C grade on the final version of any major writing assignment, you will receive a failing grade for the course. Note that assignments or requirements other than the formal writing become a factor in the final determination of your course grade only if you have achieved a grade of C or higher on all formal writing assignments.

Final Paper and the SACS Assessment:

Please submit two copies of your best paper to your instructor. One copy will be graded. The second, with only your social security number listed at the top of the page and all other identifying information (your name, instructor name, and course and section number) removed, will be used for SACS assessment.