The common sense view of compulsory schooling in western society is that such institutions are a crucial site for the appropriate socialisation, progression, and economic advancement of young people. Using the sociological imagination, this course will engage students in ideas which challenge such a view by drawing on critical theories of schooling including Labelling, Marxist, Foucauldian, and Anarchist approaches, and through exploring topics such as colonialism, patriarchy, racism, and the social control of youth. Consequently, the aims of this course are for students to:
• be introduced to a variety of critical approaches in the sociology of education;
• apply critical theories to key issues within the area of compulsory schooling;
• be able to understand, articulate, contextualize, and critically assess current theoretical arguments for the rationale and purposes of compulsory schooling in advanced industrial societies.