Assignment 1: Part I

See Below 

What is the sociology of education?

The sociology of education is an example of how social institutions are manifested within socioeconomic structures. It is linked to socioeconomic status. Education has evolved from learning survival skills such as foraging and farming from parents and communities to the development of the public education system. Education has evolved throughout history to fit changing conditions such as industrialization and capitalism. A new social order and skilled workforce is required for jobs and socialization. Credentials and hopes of getting reasonably well-paid jobs have become the motivator for postsecondary enrolment. Throughout my years of undergrad, I have begun to notice the link between an ability to attain a level of education and structural inequality. I feel it has become a means to reproduce an unequal social and wealth distribution. A Bachelors degree is no longer sufficient enough. The aim of education is to provide an opportunity to compete in a capitalist marketplace.

My Activity- ASL Sign Language class

But... we go to school to learn... so how do we learn in the first place?

When our professor asked the class this questions the first response that came to mind was "when I know something that I didn't know before" and had a moment of personal growth. So for my learning activity I participated in an American Sign Language workshop at Ryerson University. I learned about linguistic and cultural diversity. As well, a new method of language, communication, building allies and disrupting an ablest rhetoric. I left the workshop with that same feeling, "Wow, I know something that I didn't know before". It was an ASL101 class where the teacher taught us the alphabet, how to count till ten and some important phrases such as "Hi, nice to meet you, my name is Shanee." I now know how to say my name in Sign Language. This workshop provided me with the opportunity to look at Deaf Culture in a new lens. 

What is learning? (and how do you know when you've learnt)

Alright...So, I'm in the midst of learning a new language BUT let's dig deeper... that still does not answer, what on earth is learning and how do we know if we have learnt? 

I believe learning is an epistemic action that involves social relations. It is the relationship between the social world and individuals. It is a social creation. What makes it intriguing is that individuals create learning yet learning shapes and creates individuals. When I get that, "Ah, Ha! I know something new that I didn't before" moment happens, I've realized it is because I am habitually accepting ideas that appear as absolute truths. These ideas come from religion, professors, parents and the mass media. It is not that I passively accept knowledge, I acknowledge counter-ideologies and perspectives but I believe knowledge is a social construction. It is mesmerizing to think about why and how I know what I know. The contemporary world emphasizes the individual and convinces us that we live in a world where neutrality exists. I have begun to realize that relations of power, history and a process of socialization shape my beliefs and ideas. I did not consciously construct my worldview myself. My ideological framework has been fabricated over the span of my lifetime. 

Why am I taking Sociology of Education?

So I must be taking Sociology of Education to learn something that I didn't know before right? 

Well, technically, yes, I am! I guess its obvious by now that I have a curiosity about the social world and a passion for knowledge. My need to keep having that "Ah, Ha! I learnt something new" moment attracted me to this course. I want to gain a deeper understanding in the relations of power and social structures that shape our education system. Opposed to conform, my goal at the end of this course would be to move a step towards challenging these structures. I believe the privilege of education provides ability to critique and puts students in a position where they could demand progress and reflection. Education provides the opportunity to decide what I can do to make the social world and the education system better for other people. The knowledge I am hoping to gain is not merely to be written on papers for an assigned grade, be kept hidden and forgotten. I believe it will carry beyond the classroom after December 9^th, 2016. I want to take what I will learn and give back.

So, anyway, hopefully you got that "Ah, Ha!" moment from reading my post and will go off now to learn how to say your name in Sign Language!