Jennifer Jilot
October 2, 2012
Curriculum & Instruction 508 – Sociology of Education

1
Main Viewpoint
Conflict theory explores societal issues that culminate in the public school system. It examines how groups or individuals with specific agendas strive to bring change or control educational institutions to benefit their party. Steven Brint (1998) writes, “Indeed, throughout the history of schooling, we can see the imprint of powerful groups creating and transforming schools” (p. 15). Conflict theorists believe that an inequity of economic and cultural opportunities and resources creates tension between wealthy and impoverished communities that pervades the public school system. Furthermore, conflicts within schools themselves generate friction and mistrust between administrators, parents, community members, teachers, and students. Examining how opposition changes schools over time to meet the needs of individuals and groups in society is what propels conflict theory. Good explanation
K.B de Marrais and M.D. LeCompte (1999) pose four key questions. “What are the sources and the consequences of conflict in social systems? How do conflicting groups organize and mobilize? What are the sources of inequality in society? How do societies change themselves” (p. 11)? As conflict theorists grapple with these questions they explore transformations of American schooling through the eyes of people who have fought to be included in the American dream. School: The Story of American Public Education (Mondale &
Patton, 2001) describes historical and current events that illustrate social disparities, conflicts and outcomes unfolding in public schools. Groups including large businesses, political entities, people of color, and religious groups are among those who have struggled for control of school finances, curriculum, decision making, accountability, assessment, and grouping of students.
Excellent overview, Jenn.
Contributions

Conflict theorists interpret and describe motives of special interest groups who initiate or resist change in the public school system. Government and corporate control of public education
2 is apparent throughout American history as they strive to maintain their social and economic status, transmitting their rigid value system to future generations. One less discussed school policy is the establishment of American Indian boarding schools that were often located thousands of miles from tribal homelands. Substandard, disease infested facilities housed
American Indian children from all over the country, often stolen from their families and abused in the name of civilization and assimilation. This final Indian war waged against children, was used to deplete tribal lands and resources transferring them to government entities as they attempted to absorb American Indian people into mainstream society (Adams, 1995). Offreservation boarding schools, from 1879 to the early twentieth century, benefited local communities by providing jobs and cheap labor. David Wallace Adams (1995) explains, “A large Indian school would be a source of employment for local residents, would purchase many supplies on the open market, and through the school’s outing plan might supply a cheap source of labor for local farmers, ranchers, and businessmen” (p. 58). Conflict theory recognizes the financial and social gains of government and businesses secured through the American Indian boarding school policy designed to force a value system on a group of people, resulting in the acquisition of more land to be sold for profit, and fostering a cheap working class for the benefit of the American economy. Concise yet nuanced—very well explained and analyzed
Large businesses and government agencies have been the most influential faction in determining the operational structure of schools and curriculum. Conflict theorists acknowledge their power to preserve the socio-economic divide between the upper and middle classes, and the working and disadvantaged classes. “The powerful are the designers of institutions for conflict

theorists, and they are also the main beneficiaries of these designs” (Brint, 1998, p. 15). Today’s
3 rigid and unyielding school structure prepares children for the workforce, identifying those that will fill prestigious career positions, and those that will continue to be underprivileged. Brint
(1998) declares, “In the United States, the large business corporations provided the decisive models for the ‘one best system’ of schooling that became popular during the Progressive Era - a system based on standardized school districts, strict hierarchies of authority, age-graded classrooms, and regular testing for performance evaluation” (p. 15). Essentially, the wealthy and most powerful group prepares youth for an economically rigid social system; one that will continue to preserve their prosperous enterprises. exactly
Conflict theorists investigate methods used by diverse groups to transform education to meet their values. For instance, despite widespread disapproval of educators, parents and students, annual standardized testing has been used by government as the sole indicator of a school’s ability to meet specific standards. Media and politicians label schools with failing scores on national and statewide tests as not meeting high academic standards. “Test results are posted in local newspapers and readers know that school budgets and even property values hinge on the results” (Mondale & Patton, 2001, p. 210) Governments have used this data to promote private schools, often funded and operated by large corporations looking for a profit. The voucher system stemming from assumptions based on testing, causes competition amongst schools by allowing parents the choice to send their children to a school outside their district, thereby threatening the survival of some public schools. John Golle of Education Alternative, Inc, a forprofit company explains, “You want to improve public education? The way to do it is compete with them. Allow them the chance to compete with private enterprise and vice versa” (Mondale
& Patton, 2001, p. 187). However, voucher programs threaten the survival of some public

schools. School (Mondale & Patton, 2001) explains, “…voucher programs threaten public schools not only by siphoning off resources, but also by selectively sorting through students and
4 excluding those who are difficult or harder to serve” (p. 198). Many schools, especially those located in disadvantaged neighborhoods, are unable to reach the benchmarks required of the tests due to lack of funding and resources. Consequently, they have found themselves with even less funding due to the voucher program, furthering their inability to compete. Conflict theorists rationalize the use of standardized testing to separate and further alienate poor and struggling neighborhoods. The American public school system continues to contend with the implications of standardized testing and corporate operated public schools. Another strong paragraph
Conversely, less influential groups have challenged government education policies to improve schooling in underprivileged communities. The most well-known example of progress in American schools as a means to improve the over-all social and economic status of smaller, less powerful groups of people is desegregation. The purpose of segregation of schools and public facilities as seen by dominant wealthy Euro-American society in 1846 was to “…maintain that their [African American] peculiar physical, mental and moral structure requires an educational treatment different from that of white children” (Mondale & Patton, 2001, p. 43-44).
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), while defending
African Americans seeking equal educational opportunities and inclusiveness in mainstream society, established community support for protests and legal challenges in an effort to integrate public schools in the early 1950’s.
School (Mondale & Patton, 2001) affirms that, “By ending inequality in schools, they [African Americans] hoped to bring down all segregation in America”
(p. 137). The 1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka ,
Kansas, ended segregation in many states. Conflict theorists identify ending segregation as a

piece of the struggle for civil rights, displaying how societal issues filter into public education.
5
Right! And now our schools remain very segregated…with white students being the most segregated group!
Reaction
The history of public education in America illustrates numerous accounts of people working to bring change and progress to society. Conflict theory identifies and examines government policies initiated by the wealthiest most influential individuals, and the affects they have on different communities based on racial and socio-economic factors. Public schooling provides a window to the progression of a society. I have always asked “why.” Why do humans do what they do and how does it change over time? Why is the system the way it is? Who controls it? How can individuals and groups transform the current system into one that is more inclusive and acknowledging of the contributions of diverse people? Conflict theory allows me to explore these questions in the realm of education. Great
As an American Indian child attending school in a working class community, I noticed the disparities between schools from different neighborhoods as well as the lack of acceptance and recognition of my ancestors in the curriculum. My dream, as an educator, is to transform school structure, pedagogical practices and curriculum to benefit underrepresented groups in
American society, thereby altering the core value system that has prevailed in public schools since the establishment of the common school. Government funding helps prevent socioeconomic mobilization since it can limit valuable resources including sufficient and highly qualified educators. Since poverty stricken communities tend to primarily consist of people of color, it would seem that segregations still exists in areas of American society. The cycle continues. The question still remains and continues to invoke passion amongst the “have nots.”

“Will we give all students what they need to succeed, or stand by and see their opportunities limited” (Mondale & Patton, 2001, p. 213)? I want to be a part of progress in my community,
6 continuously questioning and working to improve the status quo.
This is the essence of Conflict
Theory. I love how you connect this theory to your own work and goals.
Option 1 - SCORING INSTRUMENT
Criteria
Description & Importance
Description of main viewpoint of theory is clear and accurate.
Exploration of the theory’s contributions to this to the knowledge base about how schools work is thoughtful and supported by readings.
Support/Application
Appropriate application of theory to at least 2 examples from readings
(i.e. the School text or outside readings).
Reflection
Reflection/reaction explores the ways in which the theory supports and/or counters author’s understanding of education, as well as the value the theory holds for the author.
Score
0-7pts
7
0-10pts
10
0-7pts
7
Written presentation
Writing is clear; ideas are effectively presented. There are no mechanical, spelling, grammatical errors.
APA format is used for in-text citations and on reference page.
0-6pts
6
Very well written.
Total points (30 max): 30 (wow! Jenn, you have done an excellent job demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of this theoretical framework in your explanations and examples.

7
References
Adams, D.W. (1995). Education for extinction: American Indians and the boarding school experience, 1875-1928 . Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas.
Brint, S. (1998). Schools and societies (2nd ed.). Stanford, CA: Standford University Press, 1-30. de Marrais, K.B. & LeCompte, M. D. (1999). Theory and its influences on the purposes of schooling. In The way schools work: A sociological analysis of education (3rd ed.). New
York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1-22.
Mondale, S. & Patton, S. (eds). (2001). School: the story of American public education . Boston:
Beacon Press.