DSOC 25A40 - Educational Inequality: Sociological Theories and Data Analysis

Educational inequalities are often explained through individual factors such as talent, effort, or motivation. This course shows instead that achievement is socially patterned and rooted in unequal resources, expectations, and institutional structures. We review major sociological approaches—cultural reproduction, rational-choice models, tracking and maintained inequality, and out-of-school effects. Sessions combine theory with hands-on analyses of a simplified PISA dataset in Jamovi. Students learn to read research articles, build hypotheses, and conduct basic descriptive and multivariate analyses to understand how social background shapes school outcomes.

No specific prerequisites. A basic interest in sociology, educational issues and statistical analysis is helpful, but the course is accessible to any student motivated to understand how social factors shape school achievement.

Class participation (10%), individual reading presentation (20%), group midterm literature review (30%), final group presentation based on PISA analyses (40%).