Week 4: Curriculum, Ideology, and Power
Week 4: Curriculum, Ideology, and Power
The readings this week discussed that, throughout history, schooling has served people differently and unequally. The chapters included how social and economic institutions affect power dynamics and create hierarchies in schools. Furthermore, the author covered how periods of history- industrialization, urbanization, etc.- affected educational policy, curriculum, and treatment towards students of various identities and backgrounds. The attitudes and treatment toward immigrants and people of color in the past reflect similar experiences and conditions in today’s schools and society.
First, the author discusses the historical purposes of schooling. He begins by stating that in the 1850s, “education was the way in which the community life, values, norms, and economic advantages of the powerful were to be protected” (Apple). In other words, school was used as a way to create “moral” citizens. One of the purposes of school was to make children alike and reinforce a preferred way of acting. Yet, the author continues by stating that between 1870-1920, “the school was pronounced as the fundamental institution that would solve the problems of the city, the impoverishment and moral decay of the masses, and, increasingly, would adjust the individuals to their respective places in an industrial economy” (Apple). School continued to be a place to enforce uniformity and traditional values during this time period, but with industrialization, it became increasingly differentiated. This didn’t improve the purpose of schools; it simply changed it.
When the economic needs shifted, schools determined who should know certain knowledge to obtain certain jobs and fulfill obligations to make the economy function properly. The process of differentiating curriculum was both racist and xenophobic because it privileged the learning experiences of white “native” students and assumed lower intelligence in Black and immigrant students. Schools determined who was intelligent and worthy of a better education based on an assumed intelligence level. Therefore, schools were used as a form of social control to manipulate a workforce that benefited the current economy. Chapter 4 emphasizes the need to look at historical patterns to understand why education functions so well for certain groups and disadvantages so many other groups of people. The author asks, “For whom do schools work?” (Apple). He acknowledges that it is an uncomfortable but important question. Schools are designed to help white, middle and upper class students maintain their economic and social privilege- both historically and in the present. But they are also designed for controlling and limiting the behaviors, ideas, and thinking of students of color, especially Latino/a and Black students. This is seen through the “differentiated” curriculum that tracks students toward different careers and opportunities.
In chapter 5, the author offers “programmatic considerations” to improve curriculum and create more equal opportunities and schooling experiences for all students. The most insightful consideration that I felt I could use in my own teaching was this: “It might be wise to consider engaging students in the articulation and development of paradigms of activity within their everyday lives at school. Such involvement could enable students to come to grips with and amplify crucial insights into their own conditionedness and freedom” (Apple). The curriculum in many schools does not match the students’ experiences and it becomes unrelatable. So many students are expected to be complicit and obedient but aren’t being taught to think critically and question their society. Teachers must acknowledge why they are teaching and who they are teaching and shape their curriculum accordingly. Students need to be challenged in their education by questioning, exploring, and engaging in meaningful and relevant work. This can only happen by learning why and how power dynamics currently exist in education given our history in this country and moving forward to empower and educate all students fairly.
First, the author discusses the historical purposes of schooling. He begins by stating that in the 1850s, “education was the way in which the community life, values, norms, and economic advantages of the powerful were to be protected” (Apple). In other words, school was used as a way to create “moral” citizens. One of the purposes of school was to make children alike and reinforce a preferred way of acting. Yet, the author continues by stating that between 1870-1920, “the school was pronounced as the fundamental institution that would solve the problems of the city, the impoverishment and moral decay of the masses, and, increasingly, would adjust the individuals to their respective places in an industrial economy” (Apple). School continued to be a place to enforce uniformity and traditional values during this time period, but with industrialization, it became increasingly differentiated. This didn’t improve the purpose of schools; it simply changed it.
When the economic needs shifted, schools determined who should know certain knowledge to obtain certain jobs and fulfill obligations to make the economy function properly. The process of differentiating curriculum was both racist and xenophobic because it privileged the learning experiences of white “native” students and assumed lower intelligence in Black and immigrant students. Schools determined who was intelligent and worthy of a better education based on an assumed intelligence level. Therefore, schools were used as a form of social control to manipulate a workforce that benefited the current economy. Chapter 4 emphasizes the need to look at historical patterns to understand why education functions so well for certain groups and disadvantages so many other groups of people. The author asks, “For whom do schools work?” (Apple). He acknowledges that it is an uncomfortable but important question. Schools are designed to help white, middle and upper class students maintain their economic and social privilege- both historically and in the present. But they are also designed for controlling and limiting the behaviors, ideas, and thinking of students of color, especially Latino/a and Black students. This is seen through the “differentiated” curriculum that tracks students toward different careers and opportunities.
In chapter 5, the author offers “programmatic considerations” to improve curriculum and create more equal opportunities and schooling experiences for all students. The most insightful consideration that I felt I could use in my own teaching was this: “It might be wise to consider engaging students in the articulation and development of paradigms of activity within their everyday lives at school. Such involvement could enable students to come to grips with and amplify crucial insights into their own conditionedness and freedom” (Apple). The curriculum in many schools does not match the students’ experiences and it becomes unrelatable. So many students are expected to be complicit and obedient but aren’t being taught to think critically and question their society. Teachers must acknowledge why they are teaching and who they are teaching and shape their curriculum accordingly. Students need to be challenged in their education by questioning, exploring, and engaging in meaningful and relevant work. This can only happen by learning why and how power dynamics currently exist in education given our history in this country and moving forward to empower and educate all students fairly.
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ReplyDeleteHi, Sydnie, thank you for your sharing. What is the purpose of a school? As our world developed, we should change the purpose of schools or improve the purpose of schools? The main purpose of attending school is to receive an education that helps an individual throughout every phase of his life. Every day that a student attends school, he has the opportunity to learn something new that can change his life or the life of someone else. However, as the era change, I think the purpose of school should also be changed to meet students’ need and to meet the era’s need. Besides, I agree with your opinion that students need to be challenged in their education by questioning, exploring, and engaging in meaningful and relevant work. They should improve their mind to meet today’s need.
ReplyDeleteHi Sydnie. I agree that “It might be wise to consider engaging students in the articulation and development of paradigms of activity within their everyday lives at school. Such involvement could enable students to come to grips with and amplify crucial insights into their own conditionedness and freedom.”(Apple) There is little possibility that make the content of the curriculum fit to the experiences and backgrounds of each students in one school. In contrast, it is more likely to develop students independent and critical thinking ability which will help them to find what they truly need when are educated by the universal curriculum. In that way, the teacher’s role in this process is to stand behind them, give them supports and opportunity to explore the world and allow them make mistakes and help them correct.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this thoughtful post.
ReplyDeleteI agree with involving students, and it makes me think of something I read last year in my Sociology of Education class: Lareau and Horvat (1999) did a study of parents' involvement with their children's schools, and examined the differences between the interactions of Black parents and White parents, and how each navigated the hidden curriculum. The parents who understood that complicity with the school's rules had an easier time talking to the teachers and administrators, and they seemed less frustrated. This makes me think that in addition to involving students in curriculum, we might think about involving parents/caretakers/guardians as well. This might not be during the design process; but perhaps early in a brainstorming phase and later in an explanation/roll-out phase, involving parents/guardians would break down barriers between schools and these very important people who can help ensure students' success.
Thank you for sharing! I am impressed by the sentence "school was used as a way to create moral citizens". It makes me deeply think about the purposes of education and the history of education in ancient China. Education aims to create moral citizens for ancient Chinese society. One of the most influential standards is Rites of the Zhou. which was highly praised by Confucius around 2500 years ago. Therefore, people's behaviors and demeanors were deeply and gradually influenced and limited by Confucian code of ethics. But nowadays, education mostly aims to successfully pass the standardized tests. A potion of students has become the machine of test, and the whole society shows high emphasis on scores than being good men. Even though the nation has realized this problem and tried to reform the educational system, there is still a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI highly agree that teachers must acknowledge why they are teaching and who they are teaching and shape their curriculum accordingly. I would say there was a very famous educator in China called Confucius. Although his philosophy of education originated in ancient China, we have been using it until now. He advocated that educators should teaching in accordance with students' aptitudes. I think this is kind of like what you mean. Indeed, focusing on the interests of students will increase their sense of engagement. Thus, I think that education should be based on the interests of students rather tahn just focus on textbook knowledge.
Thank you for sharing! I enjoyed reading this week's reading as I've always enjoyed studying the societal influences on education in curriculum. You have stated in your summary, curriculum has been made to fit the needs of culture, economic reproduction, and to maintain cultural hegemony that can perpetrate cultural, ethnic, and economic discrimination and segregation. This kind of discrimination has been largely institutionalized within our educational system, which to but it briefly, means that although academic professional or administrator do not design curriculum with the intent to ignore the needs of marginalized groups of people, our history and polices has allowed discrimination to be intrinsically within the institution itself. One of my main takeaways from this article as someone who is studying education, it to be mindful of other cultures or the community, know the concerns of the group of learner who you are teaching.
ReplyDeleteAll. Of. This. Thanks for this thorough synopsis and analysis.
ReplyDeleteEven since the 1954 Brown V. Board decision, education for Black students has not improved. Since then the number of Black educators across the country have fluctuated and school funding based on property taxes has created disparity in the quality of education in neighborhood schools in low income communities (due to racialized capitalism impacts Black and Latinx families).Even in Chicago, CPS schools are more segregated now than they were in the 60s when thousands of students walked in protest of the "Willis Wagons". There needs to be a fundamental shift in society including how schools are funded, how much educators are paid, curriculum that goes beyond the canon and is inclusive and doesn't otherize identities that are "non-traditional."
Good for you, for pulling out something to assist you in the classroom! In Chapter 5, I also noticed Apple's statement, "children are confronted with a tacit emphasis once again on a stable set of structures and on the maintenance of order." This makes me think about school as another places of confinement and the hidden curriculum is rules that are not instruments of safety and molding leaders for tomorrow but as instruments for control.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing, Sydney. I agree with the reading and your statements about the need to first acknowledge inequity in education in order to transform it. I too think that education can be unrelatable, specifically in american public schools where education is historically and deeply rooted in systematic racism and fashioned for a very specific demographic. Your comment about the need for teachers to acknowledge who and why they teach is so important. I think this is true for administrators as well. The responsibility to have these conversations can be difficult to navigate (in and out of the classroom) and I truly think that teachers and administrators alike could benefit from professional development training on how to incorporate more diverse content into the everyday learning of diverse communities. I like your suggestion to include the education power dynamic dialogue in classrooms (great for student self advocacy!).