EDUC254 Family Resources, Culture, and Education

Explores the relationship between social class and family background and educational achievement/performance. Concentrates on the family in a cultural context and the link between family resources and education, focusing on the importance of social context for theories of student learning and educational achievement.

Education has the power to both challenge and reproduce social inequalities; it privileges some groups, while excluding others. This paper will introduce you to a range of important critical thinkers in education who have examined how educational institutions advantage and disadvantage children and their families based on social class and culture. The paper will also provide you with provocative tools for reflecting on the social processes that have influenced your own educational experiences and achievements. This paper will appeal to students from a range of disciplines who have an interest in sociology, social justice, diversity and education.

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Prerequisite

EDUC 101 or EDUC 102 or 108 points

Schedule C

Arts and Music

Notes

With approval, students who have passed EDUC 105 prior to 2017 may be admitted without the normal prerequisite.

Contact

catherine.hartung@otago.ac.nz

Teaching staff

Co-ordinator: Dr Catherine Hartung

Teaching Arrangements

13 two-hour workshop/laboratory sessions and 13 one-hour lectures

Textbooks

Required readings are available online.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised

Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.

Learning Outcomes

• To be familiar with the educational sociology literature about education, achievement and post-school transitions
• To recognise the importance of social context and family resources for education
• To be familiar with New Zealand research on achievement in the sociology of education

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