week 4 blog post

    What’s the essence of the school or education? what’s the function of the education? Does it follow the social needs or social classes?  “For whom do schools work?” (Apple, p.76) These are the main topics that are discussed in the readings this week. This week’s readings mainly talk about the functions of schools and the influence of ideology and social power on curriculum theory and development from socio-economic and socio-cultural perspectives historically. 
    
    In the author’s opinion, educators or the most influential curriculum workers always obeyed the social and economic interests which were not neutral, but contributed to inequality. In addition, social and economic control in education do not only occur in the forms of the rules and routines, but also in the hidden curriculum, which I think, embodied a rooted cultural and social perception. As what is argued that “Formal corpus of school knowledge can become a form of social and economic control” (Apple, p.61), schools convey the “legitimate knowledge” that benefit or is on behalf of specific groups and the other groups are educated to accept it. I think education should meet or consider all students’ need, however, it is always for the upper economic classes. Furthermore, curriculum development is strongly connected to and influenced by economic needs and changes, as what is mentioned in the reading, “The curriculum would be used to foster social integration (Apple, p.66)”.
    
    The author argues that, “along with other mechanisms for cultural preservation and distribution, schools contribute to what has elsewhere been called the cultural reproduction of class relations in advanced industrial societies” (Apple, p.62). In addition, “the schools reflected the attitude of the general native public, who wished to Americanize the habits, not the status of the immigrant” (Apple, p.63). It seems that curriculum was designed for specific groups, and serve individuals of high intelligence.
   
     In Chapter five, the author talks about a concept, which is called “hidden curriculum”. It is “on the norms and values that are implicitly, but effectively, taught in schools and that are not usually talked about in teachers’ statements of ends or goals (Apple, p.78)”. 
I like what the author mentioned in the reading that the hidden curriculum conveys a legitimated ideological world-view in the schools. 
    
    According to the readings, education served social needs historically, and it still does currently. From my understanding, education plays an important role of social development and it serves social needs. Thus, the purpose of education and the curriculum design always depends on different requirements of social development in different periods. I do not think education can be separated from politics because both of them belong to the whole development of society or a country. However, I think, the curriculum should serve individual development or individual needs more as the society develops, in which democracy is pursued.











Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 6, 2019 at 9:40 AM

    Thank you for sharing! I agree that education plays an important role in social development and social needs in different periods. For example, with the high-speed development of the information technology, many universities this time has gradually set Artificial Intelligence as an important major to meet the evolution of social needs. Education also varies in different educational systems and educational backgrounds among different countries. For example, the differences of history and politics between the Western and Eastern countries lead to their different educational policies and classroom atmosphere.

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  2. SteveFebruary 7, 2019 at 11:17 AM

    Thank you for your blog. I like that you began with the question from the reading "For whom do schools work?" The answer suggested by the reading is that they work for the rich, white, and privileged. I believe it has been written elsewhere that schools put a meritocratic sheen on the current social order, so that those at the top will continue to be at the top, but will think that they have "earned it," because they succeeded in schools that they had every advantage in (help at home, extra curricular activities, best schools/districts/teachers), whereas those at the bottom may believe that they deserve to be at the bottom because they failed in schools where they had every disadvantage (pressures of poverty at home, no summer enrichment programs, worst schools/districts/teachers). As educators or future educators or policy influencers, it's important to understand this perspective, as well as that of the "hidden curriculum," that a good deal of what school does is teach students to be compliant, on-time, uncomplaining task-finishers who can leave having the skills to get a repetitive, dull job while only a few fly high enough to get fun, interesting jobs. Interesting reading and interesting thoughts!

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  3. AnonymousFebruary 7, 2019 at 1:33 PM

    First of all, thank you for your sharing. This week, Apple's two chapters discuss the function and purpose of school education, and mention the concept of hidden curriculum. I strongly agree that education can be separated from politics because both of them belong to the whole development of society or a country. In a sense, education is also a means for countries and governments to consolidate their rights, but this does not hinder the progress of education. On the other hand, the curriculum should serve individual development or individual needs more as the society develops, in which democracy is pursued. Education should be a balanced process, not just for politics, or for a single race, which is not desirable.

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  4. AnonymousFebruary 8, 2019 at 3:23 PM

    Thank you for sharing! I agree with your idea that education might not ever find a space separate from politics or sociology. It has served as an institution that has perpetrated the variety of economic, class and cultural differences in our society. I thought that the author's statement of the hidden curriculum meant to preserve a cultural hegemony was an interesting one. From there, I thought about the times in U.S. history where separate but "equal" facilities or forced learning of the English language were still very legally acceptable. It is obvious to see that the social dynamics have since change and we have made strides for equity in or curriculum, but I feel remnants of that preservation are still present in our society today.

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  5. AnonymousFebruary 8, 2019 at 7:51 PM

    Thank you for sharing. Firstly, I totally agree with that education plays an important role of social development and it serves social needs. Thus, the purpose of education and the curriculum design always depends on different requirements of social development in different periods. Education firsy changes individuals so that changes the society. And I’m glad that we can have the debate that day. That debate makes me feel more that every department inside of society is part of education and you can say which one is the most important one. Because each department has different responsibilities. To achieving the purpose of education needs the cooperations of every departments. Of course it means that whole society should make efforts for education together.

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  6. AnonymousFebruary 11, 2019 at 4:08 PM

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I like that you brought up the role that education plays in social development and social needs. Curriculum design is very unlikely to think about the social needs of the students. I think curriculum is starting to become more sensitive with social needs of the children. CPS has just made a policy that has every school implementing social emotional learning. It has teachers incorporate social and emotional learning that can also be carried across the whole curriculum. Curriculum needs to change from being group focused to being individually focused.

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  7. April McFaddenFebruary 17, 2019 at 8:09 PM

    This summary brings up a few things for me:

    1. How is society defined? Who's needs and what ends are prioritized when curriculum and educational goals are defined?
    2. “The curriculum would be used to foster social integration (Apple, p.66)” - Social integration is the assimilation into the dominant class which is hegemonic and oppressive. And this desire for social integration is manifested in the hidden curriculum. And that is troubling especially at a time in young people's lives when they are grappling with their own identities, but in a place where they spend the most time in their lives tells them to conform and integrate in dominant society.
    3. How much influence should national/federal/economic priorities have in curriculum?

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