This seminar course will examine the relationships between U.S. education institutions and society by reviewing a variety of sociological theories and empirical studies. A primary area of focus will be on the relationship between formal education and class, race/ethnicity, and gender-based inequality. Topics will include, but are not limited to, the following: the history and development of U.S. educational institutions, social mobility and stratification, social reproduction, the dynamics of race, class and gender in education, student teacher relationships, teaching as a profession, higher education, and an exploration of educational reforms.