Sociology Now, Census Update

Recent surveys support Small’s observations, consistently finding that students

are working harder and longer today than they ever did (Table 17.6). Students study

harder, and nearly half have paid jobs outside of school. Students also have far less

sex and drink far less than observers—and students themselves—imagine (Perkins,

2002). As with most sociology, it isn’t the case that students are complete party-going

alcohol-sodden, sex-addicted sports fans or serious academic nerds who live to study.

They’re both—although preferably not at the same time.

Education, Inc.

One of the dominant recent educational trends, in primary and secondary education

as well as in higher education, has been the spread of the marketplace. For centuries,

colleges and universities were a sort of refuge from the market, a place where the pur-

suit of dollars didn’t interfere with the pursuit of knowledge. Not anymore.

For-Profit Universities

Traditional universities are not-for-profit organizations. However, an increasing num-

ber of proprietary or for-profit universitieshave arisen in recent years. They have some

advantages over traditional universities: The cost is comparatively low, the univer-

sity rather than the professors owns the curriculum, and students can graduate rela-

tively quickly. They omit or severely curtail the traditional social activities of a college;

their facilities are usually very limited; and their degrees lack the prestige of a degree

from a traditional university. However, most students today are far more interested

in developing practical, job-related skills than in a “total college experience,” and they

have found proprietary schools a viable alternative. Each school has developed its own

practical market niche:

■Strayer concentrates on telecommunications and business administration.

■Cardean University offers online business education, including MBAs.

■Concord Law School, owned by Kaplan (in turn owned by the Washington Post)

has one of largest law school enrollments in the United States.

580 CHAPTER 17EDUCATION

TABLE 17.6

Student Life by the Numbers

In 2005, the National Survey of Student Engagement, administered by the Center for

Postsecondary Education and Indiana University, surveyed more than 48,000 college seniors.

Here’s how they spend their time (the numbers indicate percentages of students)

ACTIVITY 0 HOURS/WEEK 1–5 6–10 11 OR MORE

Studying and preparing

for class 0 20 25 55

Working for pay 56 6 9 29

Activities outside of class

(organizations, publications,

student government, sports) 43 30 12 15

Relaxing and socializing 2 33 29 35

Source:National Survey of Student Engagement, 2006.