Before and After

My journey in this course was an overall positive one.  If I was asked to summarize my experience I would say it provided me with the opportunity to be reflective of all the evidence that demonstrates how capitalism is the driving force behind the disparities embodied in our education system.  Initially I was reluctant to register for the course - I felt that knowledge of critical social theory wasn't something I was lacking.  Each of the courses in this program are designed to apply a critical lens to specific examples in education that are pertinent to to the content of the course.  For example, in the quantitative analysis course, the professor would usually analyze data sets through specific categories of race, ethnicity, SES, etc. for her lessons.  She would then model how the application of a particular statistical procedures can demonstrate how educational outcomes are consistently different between the Black and White students and the wealthy and poor.  The disparities are clear.  These numbers show consistent widening gaps between the performance of White affluent students and students of color or from low SES backgrounds.  With this experience I will always make the connection between statistical analysis as a great way to show how social injustices are clear in the numbers too.
So back to this course.  The most significant topic I learned about was Karl Marx's neoliberalism theories.  Specifically on how a capitalist society such as ours is the force that ultimately creates social classes.  Depending the the social class you belong to will determine the type of social, educational and financial benefits you receive.   This outcome is known as social reproduction theory.  This means that if you are financially affluent you will be able to afford a good education in a comfortable and safe neighborhood for your child.  Whereas poor families have no choice but to enroll their children in their local, low-achieving public schools.  It basically means that your success in academics, finances, career is commensurate with your level of affluence.  The idea is that these social boundaries are maintained by further enriching the affluent and criminalizing the behavior of those in the lower social realm.
Throughout the course I have thought of the theoretical framework for my study.  I believe this will help me to determine what I  really want to reveal based on my interests.  What are the social disparities behind the structure and recruitment procedures of dual language programs?  I feel like I have a better grasp on critical social theories and how they relate to injustices in education.