UCI Podcast: How educational categories create inequality

Schools shape the lives of students in many ways. Along with teaching the basic skills that will help them function in and contribute to a society – such as reading, writing and arithmetic – ideally, a school will also help young people identify their strengths in order to reach their full potential. In addition, schools educate students about identities. From early labels like “kindergartner” or “English-language learner” to later designations such as “honor roll student,” how do assigned categories affect a young person’s life? This is the topic of "Schooled and Sorted: How Educational Categories Create Inequality," a new book by Andrew M. Penner, UCI professor of sociology; Emily K. Penner, UCI associate professor of education; and Thurston Domina, professor of educational policy and organizational leadership at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this UCI Podcast, we talk to the Penners about the challenges and opportunities presented by educational categorizations. The married co-authors also offer examples of how we can create categories that help instead of harm students. Music for this episode, titled “Metamorphosis,” was provided by Quincas Moreira via the audio library in YouTube Studio.