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Introduction to Sociology 3e

Key Terms

Introduction to Sociology 3eKey Terms
credentialism
the emphasis on certificates or degrees to show that a person has a certain skill, has attained a certain level of education, or has met certain job qualifications
cultural capital
cultural knowledge that serves (metaphorically) as currency to help one navigate a culture
cultural transmission
the way people come to learn the values, beliefs, and social norms of their culture
education
a social institution through which a society’s children are taught basic academic knowledge, learning skills, and cultural norms
formal education
the learning of academic facts and concepts
grade inflation
the idea that the achievement level associated with an A today is notably lower than the achievement level associated with A-level work a few decades ago
Head Start program
a federal program that provides academically focused preschool to students of low socioeconomic status
hidden curriculum
the type of nonacademic knowledge that people learn through informal learning and cultural transmission
informal education
education that involves learning about cultural values, norms, and expected behaviors through participation in a society
No Child Left Behind Act
an act that requires states to test students in prescribed grades, with the results of those tests determining eligibility to receive federal funding
social placement
the use of education to improve one’s social standing
sorting
classifying students based on academic merit or potential
tracking
a formalized sorting system that places students on “tracks” (advanced, low achievers) that perpetuate inequalities
universal access
the equal ability of all people to participate in an education system
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