Instructor: David Bills, Ph.D.
 

e-mail: david-bills@uiowa.edu

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Course Objectives:

This course focuses on the relationships between education and schooling and various aspects of the world of work. I interpret education and schooling broadly, to include formal secondary and post-secondary schooling, training, and learning that takes place out of school. We shall examine both conceptual and theoretical ways of thinking about schools and workplaces as well as several policy proposals for linking these institutions (e.g., school to work programs, job training, career academies, magnet schools, etc.).

Class activities will vary from day to day, ranging from lectures to open discussions to panel discussions to student presentations. Students will be active participants in the course. You are encouraged and expected to ask questions, raise issues, and otherwise contribute to classroom discussion. 

For the class to work effectively, all of the reading must be done on time. The reading load will vary somewhat from week to week, but regardless of the volume, you should read everything carefully and critically.

Your grade will be based on several short (3-5 pages) written assignments, a research paper, a presentation of this paper to the class, and your overall participation. I shall accept serious attempts to rewrite papers with no penalty. I shall explain this more fully in class. Please turn in your assignments on time. Please submit all of your written work electronically as an e-mail attachment. Make sure your file can be clearly identified.

Your research paper should be presented in a style suitable for submission to a scholarly journal.  It should follow the general format and structure of a research paper in your field, including a title page, abstract, and bibliography. Please submit only an electronic copy of your paper (as well as of all other written assignments).  A one‑page proposal of your research paper is due on February 13, 2006.  I shall talk about all of this more in class.

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Required Textbooks:

You should purchase the following books from the Iowa Memorial Union Bookstore or online (e.g., through www.amazon.com).

There will also be a selection of required journal article readings (see below, under Required Article Readings).

Bills, David B. 2004. The Sociology of Education and Work. London: Blackwell.

Rosenbaum, James E. 2001. Beyond College For All: Career Paths for the Forgotten Half.  New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

Thelen, Kathleen. 2004. How Institutions Evolve: The Political Economy of Skills in Germany, Britain, the United States, and Japan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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Required Article Readings:

Readings:    Most of the readings are available on electronic reserve through the University of Iowa's Psychology Library. If readings are not on electronic reserve, then they are either directly linked to an Adobe PDF file or to an online journal article.

The following instructions explain how to access readings that are posted electronically via the University of Iowa's
Psychology Library (NOTE: you must have your student Hawk ID to access these):

• http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/psych

• This URL takes you to the Psychology Library’s home page.

• Click on RESERVE SERVICES.

• Click on ELECTRONIC RESERVE (at: http://libres.lib.uiowa.edu/psych/)

• Click on desired class (Bills' 07B:134).

• Download and print out readings.

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Other Recommended Books:

The following books are highly recommended. I haven't placed an order for them, but they should be easily available.  I haven't placed an order for them, but they should be easily available from either the Iowa Memorial Union Bookstore or online (e.g., through www.amazon.com):

The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 559 (September, 1998).  Special Issue on "The Changing Educational Quality of the Workforce." edited by Robert Zemsky and Peter Cappelli. 

Buchmann, Marlis. 1989. The Script of Life in Modern Society: Entry into Adulthood in a Changing World. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Crouch, Colin, David Finegold, and Mari Sako. 1998. Are Skills the Answer? Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Czikszentmihalyi, Mihaly and Barbara Schneider.  2000. Becoming Adult: How Teenagers Prepare for the World of Work. New York: Basic Books.

Grubb, W. Norton (ed.). 1995. Education Through Occupations in American High Schools, Volume 1: Approaches to Integrating Academic and Vocational Education. New York: Teachers College Press.

Grubb, W. Norton and Marvin Lazerson. 2004. The Education Gospel: The Economic Power of Schooling. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Smith, Vicki. 2001. Crossing the Great Divide: Worker Risk and Opportunity in the New Economy. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

Tilly, Chris and Charles Tilly. 1998. Work Under Capitalism. Boulder: Westview Press.

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Other Recommended Readings:

I have listed several recommended readings on the syllabus schedule (see below and the recommended readings link). This is an extremely selective list and only scratches the surface of what is available. I think many of these will be useful to you as you prepare your research projects, and I encourage you to pursue some of them.

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Listserv:

So that I can set up a listserv and stay in contact with you over the semester, please e-mail me soon after the first class session, so that I can capture your email address.  You will receive many of your assignments and other course information via this listserv, and are responsible for all material that is communicated over the listserv.

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Accommodations:

I would like to hear from anyone who has a disability that may require some modification of the seating, testing, or other class requirements so that appropriate arrangements may be made.  Please see me after class or during my office hours.

From this online syllabus, I have hyperlinked two short documents. These are "Policy on Student Academic Misconduct" and "Student Complaint Procedures."  Please take a few minutes to read these.

Finally, please feel free to stop in or call anytime throughout the semester if you need additional assistance or instruction.

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Other Course Policies:

This course is given by the College of Education. This means that class policies on matters such as requirements, grading, and sanctions for academic dishonesty are governed by the College of Education. Students wishing to add or drop this course after the official deadline must receive the approval of the Dean of the College of Education. Details of the University policy of cross enrollments may be found at:
http://www.uiowa.edu/~provost/deos/crossenroll.doc.

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Syllabus Schedule: