Exam 12: Education and Religion.

Schools play an active part in the process of assimilation, whereby recent immigrants learn dominant values, attitudes, and behavior so that they can be productive members of society. This exemplifies the manifest function of education referred to as __________.

A __________ is an unsubstantiated belief or prediction resulting in behavior that makes the originally false belief come true.

In very simple preindustrial societies, religions often take the form of __________, which is the belief that supernatural forces affect people's lives either positively or negatively.

__________ involves a decline in religion in everyday life and a corresponding increase in organizations that are highly bureaucratized, fragmented, and impersonal.

According to sociologist Emile Durkheim, sacred refers to those aspects of life that are extraordinary or supernatural, (those things that are set apart as "holy." People feel a sense of awe, reverence, deep respect, or fear for that which is considered sacred.

One of the fastest growing area of U.S. higher education is with small, independent church-related schools.

Schools are responsible for identifying the most qualified people to fill available positions in society. As a result, students are channeled into programs based on individual ability and academic achievement. This illustrates the manifest function of education referred to as __________.

Conflict theorists do not believe that public schools reduce social inequality in society; rather, they believe that schools often perpetuate class, racial/ethnic, and gender inequalities as some groups seek to maintain their privileged position at the expense of others.

Two approaches to stopping bullying were suggested in reading. Briefly explain these two.

Early in the twentieth century, all states passed __________ laws that require children to attend school until they reach a specified age (usually age 16) or complete a minimum level of formal education (generally the eighth grade).

__________ is a nontheistic religion, which is a religion based on a belief in divine spiritual forces such as sacred principles of thought and conduct, rather than a god or gods.

__________ is a system of beliefs, symbols, and rituals, based on some sacred or supernatural realm that guides human behavior, gives meaning to life, and unites believers into a community.

Discuss the conflict perspective on education and explain how tracking produces social inequality.

According to Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray, certain racial/ethnic groups differ in average IQ and are likely to differ in "intelligence genes" as well. For example, they point out that, on average, people living in Asia score higher on IQ tests than white Americans and that African Americans score __________ on average than white Americans.

Studies reveal that anywhere from _____ to _____ of U.S. students are bullied during the school year.

Provide a brief overview of education, define education, and describe cultural transmission.

According to sociologist Emile Durkheim, __________ refers to those aspects of life that are extraordinary or supernatural - in other words, those things that are set apart as "holy."

Describe the sociological study of religion from a historical perspective.

While character education has been suggested for reducing bullying, one alternative is to focus on what?

Clearly, test scores are subject to a variety of interpretations; however, for most __________ analysts, lagging test scores are a sign that problems exist in the nation's educational systems. Accordingly, improvements will occur only when more stringent academic requirements are implemented for students.