Sociological Perspectives on Special Education Theory and Policy
Mr. Israel Chestnut, better known as Ike, is quite a character. He is an “older”
African-American gentleman. Ike grew up in North Philadelphia. He was the seventh child
in a family of 16 children. Throughout his schooling, Ike was heavily involved in athletics,
basketball being his main focus. He served in the Vietnam War and graduated Penn State
with a degree in Special Education/Psychology. Throughout his career he has worked with a
number of state and government agencies. Ike is currently working at the IRS in order to
support his very expensive tennis hobby. He is known throughout the service center for
sharing freshly baked doughnuts. Since both Mr. Chestnut and I have interest in education, I
wanted to talk with him concerning some of his views on special education in the United
States.
1. What motivated you to pursue a career in special education? The motivation to work in
this field was borne out of my desire to educate. Then, when I discovered that in all of us
there is a need to learn some things differently from others, it became evident that education
needs to be specially formulated for each person. Therefore, special education was a natural
turn for me.
2. What types of changes have you seen in special education policy and curriculum since you
began your career? Before, a segregated nature of instruction was offered to children
designated as such. Later a move to "mainstreaming" was attempted to make social
adjustments easier for special needs children. In many situations it did not fair too well.
However, as local tax structures began to be squeezed by expansion, a lack of funding
encouraged mainstreaming.
3. In your opinion, did specific political and social movements influence these changes? Yes,
one such social issue that influenced these changes was the metropolitan experience. There
began to be many residents in a limited physical space, which increased the percentage of
special needs children. It also made for what became apartment and high-rise living,
whereby school taxes were not then applied as part of the mortgage formula and then the
effect being decreased revenue for the larger schools which now would be needed...thereby
leading to forced "mainstreaming”. This particular change has produced what could be
argued as a negative affect...pushing some children faster that they should go and restraining
others from progressing as fast as they might.
4. What direction do you feel special education needs to take in order to achieve the greatest
results for all parties concerned? The emotional impact of being labeled special needs is an
albatross around the neck of the educational model in America. It provides a staunch barrier
for the children trying against heavy odds to succeed and be like others. Thusly, the
environment in which they are educated ought to be well thought out and planned
5. Do you have any other points/insights concerning special education that you'd like to
address? A point that needs to be watched and addressed is the newly positioned global
process that we live in. Our communities are now expanded across many cultural, religious,
ethnic and historical backgrounds, this adds a different flavor to our pursuit of education and
more global positioning for the special needs child.
I did not tell Ike exactly what I would be doing with his responses, for fear he
would tailor his opinions to the needs of my project. Therefore, I was surprised that even
without him knowing my intentions, it was easy to classify his answers as falling within the
symbolic interactionist perspective. It was his interest in the specific interactions between
individuals that lead him to choose his profession. His overall philosophy in education is that
there is a need to respect and understand the people who you are educating on a very
individual level. He mentioned “the Pygmalion effect”, the idea that a teacher’s expectations
for a student greatly influence performance. We discussed the implications of labeling
students as “special needs.” He feels that the labeling process is flawed, much like the study
described in the article “On Being Sane in Insane Places.” This, again, is a very symbolic
interactionist viewpoint. He also touched on the fiscal problems encountered in inner-city
school districts and how poor funding and a focus on standardized achievement inhibit a
teacher’s ability to meet an individual student’s needs. Finally, Mr. Chestnut expressed a
concern that special education has to address multi-cultural issues. He feels that not only do
different students learn in different ways, but that cultural differences must also be taken into
account when educating. This idea also strikes me as interactionist, as this perspective is
concerned with reality construction, and people from varying cultures ascribe different
meanings to the same symbols. Thus, students from other backgrounds can interpret even the
most basic information differently, further complicating the already complex nature of
special education.