Social Foundations Courses (SOCFOUND)

SOCFOUND 2015. Perspectives on Education — 3 hrs.

This course explores foundational topics in education from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives at an introductory level. A major goal of the course is to help students deepen their understanding of and appreciation for education as a fundamental human endeavor that includes, but ultimately transcends formal schooling. (Variable)

SOCFOUND 2119. Social & Cultural Foundations of Education — 3 hrs.

This survey course is an introduction to the cultural, historical, philosophical, and social foundations of education. Students will explore foundational questions about the nature of schooling, curriculum, and teaching through the lens of interpretive, normative, and critical analyses of contemporary education policy and practice. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

SOCFOUND 2134. A Modern History of Education in the United States — 3 hrs.

This course explores the origins and historical development of educational thought and institutions in the United States with a specific focus on shifting societal and political aims of education over time. (Variable)

SOCFOUND 2243. Rethinking the Learning Society: Education and Its Future(s) — 3 hrs.

This course will explore the philosophical underpinnings of education as a concept and practice and consider various educational theories to explore assumptions about teaching, learning, the purpose of education, and the making of the educational subject. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

SOCFOUND 2274. Democracy and Education in the 21st Century — 3 hrs.

This course will explore the complex relationship between education and democracy. This will involve drawing on concepts and theories from the social foundations of education (history, philosophy, and sociology of education) in order to apply interpretive, normative, and critical perspectives on democracy and education, their historical and contemporary relationship, and the possibilities for future entanglements. (Fall and Spring)

SOCFOUND 2334. Education Policy and Politics of Education — 3 hrs.

This course explores the relation between politics and education, and considers the socio-political forces shaping education policies, structures, and practices. (Variable)

SOCFOUND 3219. Critical Perspectives on Technology and Education — 3 hrs.

We live in an increasingly digitally connected, globalized society. As such, "educational technology" has become a common feature of the American school system, both in P-12 schools and higher education. Drawing on the interdisciplinary field of Social Foundations of Education, this course critically analyzes the role of educational technology in a digital world. (Variable)

SOCFOUND 3319. Education and the Value Gap — 3 hrs.

This course examines education as a practice of world-making that involves ways of configuring politics, communities, cultures, economies, and subjective figures. It provides students with a historical foundation to understand how education has been associated with projects of world-making (settler colonial, capitalist, white supremacist, heteropatriarchal, and ableist) that assume some lives to be more valuable than others. Drawing on theoretical tools to understand the projects of world-making inherent in the very concept and practice of education, students will examine the continuity of world-making projects from the 1530s to our present moment in order to consider the structures and processes that constitute a political economy of life in contemporary schools. The course utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to study the emergence, rationale, and operations of world-making inherent in education. (Variable)

SOCFOUND 3334. Education, Power, and Change — 3 hrs.

This course explores the relation between education, power dynamics, and processes of societal transformation. Students will critically examine how power operates across intersecting domains and consider the potential of education as a catalyst for change. (Variable)

SOCFOUND 3419. Special Topics in Cultural Studies of Education — 3 hrs.

This course employs the interdisciplinary lens of cultural studies to explore specific topics in such fields as popular culture, political economy, social identities, or globalization as educational issues and problems. The course will work to build contexts around specific topics, connect them to the practices of teaching and schooling, and encourage students to make connections to their own educational experiences. (Variable)

SOCFOUND 3434. Social Movements and Education — 3 hrs.

This course examines the intersection of social movements and education, exploring how contemporary and historical grassroots movements have shaped and continue to inform the concept and practice of education. (Variable)

SOCFOUND 3519. Teacher Leadership & Educational Change — 3 hrs.

This course is designed to provide future educators with a comprehensive understanding of teacher leadership discourse and practice. Students will delve into the historical evolution of teacher leadership and its role within educational systems. They will critically analyze the various discourses surrounding teacher leadership, explore how these narratives shape perceptions of educators and their professional identities, and develop a commitment to maintaining and enhancing the professionalism of educators in a rapidly evolving educational landscape. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

SOCFOUND 4200/5200. The Ethics of Education in the Age of Technological Innovation — 3 hrs.

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) raises questions that cut to the heart of educational matters. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in our digital landscape and in the ensemble of educational technologies utilized in and around school settings, it is vitally important for educators to bring critical, normative perspectives to bear on the relationship between education and digital technologies. Drawing on theoretical perspectives from the philosophical foundations of education, this course explores the ethical and philosophical entanglements associated with artificial intelligence in education. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Spring)

SOCFOUND 4234/5234. Philosophy of Education — 3 hrs.

This course will survey various approaches and theories of educational philosophy. This will entail questioning common sense assumptions about education, schooling, knowledge, teaching and learning. Through a careful reading of foundational and contemporary texts, students will consider a number of critical issues related to education broadly and the establishment of schooling more specifically Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Variable)

SOCFOUND 6299. Research.

Prerequisite(s): consent of department. (Variable)