In recent times, it has become apparent that students have opted to drop out of university. Elements from an extensive research performed on Simon Fraser University in 2007, has shown that approximately 30% of the students admitted have departed the university, without even completing a credential (Morris, 2007). This astounding figure depicts a phenomenon which must be addressed in order to establish the reasons for the ever rising rate. Explanations for the departures of students can be condensed into two categories; macrosociology and microsociology. Macrosociology primarily fixates on viewing society on a grand scale, analysing social institutions and the population (Steckley, 2014). On the other hand, microsociology tends to take more …show more content…
For the most part, personal, financial, and health reasons dominated the discussion. Some of the macro sociological reasons mentioned by students included; course availability, employment and financial instabilities, and health. On the contrary, micro sociological reasons seemed more popular with students drawing conjectures ranging from; family issues, peer pressure, failing grades, to distractions.
After analyzing the Simon Fraser University report, it appeared macro sociological reasons were the primary reasons for the withdrawal of university students. While micro sociological reasons comprised of a lack of feeling part of the community, the general academic experience talking about the professor student relationship, and personal or health issue (Morris, 2007). However, with regard to macro sociological explanations, further accounts were found ranging from, course availability, dissatisfaction with student services, demographic issues where visible minorities felt excluded which led to less involvement in campus activities, curriculum, and the most popular being financial circumstances (Morris,
Campus Racism 101 is an article written by Nikki Giovanni that speaks of her struggles teaching at a predominantly white college. Speaking of the hardships she has faced when it comes to being African-American teaching mostly Caucasian students. “People who think I should be at a predominantly Black institution will ask “Why are you at Tech?”’- (Nikki Giovanni) Giovanni soon goes into why she doesn’t feel that just because she is African-American she should be at a predominantly black college. Bringing to topic everyone (Blacks and whites ect.)
One of the most strived for things in life is academic excellence however the path to it is never easy. Author Thompson Ford’s article “How To Understand Acting White” outlines Stuart Bucks arguments about the irony of desegregation in education. A separate essay written by, Alfred Lubrano, “The Shock of Education: How College Corrupts” has similar ironies about the average college student. If Ford was to read Lubrano’s essay, Ford would come to a more complex conclusion by incorporating arguments and concepts from Lubrano’s essay. Ford may utilize Lubrano’s essay to expand on certain concepts such as the proximity effect, socioeconomics, and the level of education in top tier schools to further explain the “acting white” phenomenon from his own article.
She states, “The reason for the more overall positive experience for Black students attending HBCUs than those attending PWIs can closely be linked to the unique institutional climate that HBCUs provide for students of color.” She talks about how HBCUs foster a “more encouraging and understanding for Black students” (Biehlmann) because of the higher percentage of Black faculty and administrators as role models. Biehlmann highlights how the presence of Black professors and administrators creates a setting that is in tune with the “specific knowledge of the Black experience in America,” (Biehlmann). Also, Blacks are the majority at HBCUs which can help them feel more comfortable and involved in their classes and campus. Whereas if a Black student attended a PWI, the student would feel alienated and disconnected from faculty, their White peers, and the campus
An essay’s purpose is to persuade and/or inform readers of a topic that a writer is passionate about. In an essay such as Pass, Fail by Ron Srigley the purpose is to persuade readers with a convincing argument and is an excellent example of an effective argument. Srigley is a university professor at UPEI who writes with passion and a slightly sarcastic tone throughout his article to prove his thesis. The purpose of his inductive essay is to persuade his audience (which are parents of future/current students in postsecondary institutions as well as students themselves) that the education system has gone down hill over the years and is therefore a waste of an educational experience. His thesis of the essay comes in the last paragraph: Not just
All of a sudden, I found myself thinking sociologically when I was watching the movie “Mean Girls,” because it reminded me of the cliques and peer groups that were in my old high school. The movie is about a teenage girl who ends up becoming a part of this clique full of mean girls and after an incident she sets out to try and ruin the leader of the clique’s life. It was the cliques and peer groups that made me start thinking sociologically, because it made me look back and see how much I have changed since I came to the University of Kentucky, and left my old clique or peer group behind. In my sociology class I learned that a peer group is a “group of individuals who are often around the same age and are linked by common interests and orientations.”
Most often, professors find an interest in the daily life of a college student, especially freshmen starting a new experience all over again. What is it like for them in college, and how does it compare to the modern college experience for the freshmen of today? A discussion on the third chapter of Rebekah Nathan’s My Freshman Year, “Community and Diversity” and how those two entities, or lack thereof can affect a student’s enthusiasm towards learning, doing homework, and immersing themselves in their own college experience. In the book, Nathan, a college professor, immerses herself into college life and makes an attempt to relive her college experience in the current time to find answers on why her students are not as animated about learning
The sociological imagination allows a person to tell apart their personal problems from problems that affect society as a whole, however they can see how the two are connected. In doing this a person can discover that the current social structure and culture that surrounds them can be the root cause of their personal problems. One example is that an individual can see their personal problem of being poor as also the outcome of lack of resources in their community for obtaining higher education. Rather than seeing their problem as only something that affects him, he can see that various elements of his culture and the social structure surrounding him play into his
Campus Racial Climate research focuses on how the racial environment of a university could foster positive academic outcomes and increased graduation rates for students of color (Solórzano, Villalpando, & Oseguera, 2005). For instance, Perrakis and Hagedorn (2010) contend that prejudice based on language, immigration status, culture and identity are ubiquitous in the American educational system. With regard to the experiences of Latina/o students, research indicates that when Latina/o students experience a high level of support and security while attending a university (a positive campus climate) this can improve their psychological well-being and academic achievement while in college (Gloria, Castellanos, & Orozco, 2005). Campus Racial Climate
They claim, “...students of color are showing that they feel disconnected from their respective schools, that implicit yet institutionalized racism creates emotional distance between them and their white peers and faculty. Being a black student on a predominantly white campus certainly, doesn’t guarantee that the student will develop mental-health issues. However, various studies suggest that perceived or actual discrimination can make it hard for students of color to engage with their campus in the way that their white peers do.” This explains how students sometimes feel like they don’t get enough support from their universities and this is dangerous because it can lead that student to drop out of school.
In a study conducted by Simon Fraser University, student attrition has become a reoccurring theme. In an investigation done in the study, an estimated number of 25,000 students are admitted annually. However, enormous rates of 30% of students are required to leave the university (Morris, 2007). The main reasons outlined in the study, were due to micro and macro level sociology. Micro sociology focuses on individuals, or specific groups.
Retention issues are an increasing concern to many institutions nationwide, most especially retention of minority students (Tinto 1987, Newman et al., 1998, Cole 2008, Veenstra 2009, Pidcock et al., 2008) and students in STEM disciplines (Tsui 2007, Cole 2008, Crisp 2009, Wilson et al., 2012). Bean (1986) concluded that institutional reasons for concern about retention rates are not simply financial, but relate also to the (1) possible attrition of college faculty because of feelings of demoralization when students withdraw or chose to transfer to another school or program, and (2) lack of demonstration of good faith that colleges and universities face when not fully ensuring success of their students. Mitigation of these issues has been a
success. Tinto developed a theory to explain student retention called Tinto’s Theory of Student Departure. Tinto’s (1993) theory of student departure, will also serve as the theoretical framework of this study.
The sociological imagination refers to Mills notion on how social forces can influence an individual. He refers to it as an ability to see situations in a broader social spectrum and see how interactions can influence an individual and situations. It is important in terms of studying society because it is a way to help us see things not how they appear to be on a surface elements but through an alternative perspective. The differences between micro and macrosociology is that micro sociology studies people at an interpersonal way, such as face to face interactions while macro sociology studies people on a much larger scale by looking at the bigger picture. A societal issue that can be studied using both perspectives would be divorce.
The reasoning of why I enrolled and the factors of how I got into college relate back to C. Wright Mills’s concept of sociological
At this level, the analysis will be very small and precise because it deals with the most basic form of interaction, between each other or small groups. When studying the issue of students dropping out of college at a single or small scale, there are many problems that could affect why one person would not be able to make it at a college or university. One example is a family cannot manage to maintain a student in college because they are needed in the home. A specific example would be if a parent passed away, and there is a new lack of stability for the family. A student might have to drop out and get a job to provide for younger siblings or a parent.