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Area Description
Area Faculty
Concentration Descriptions (SSPEP)
Specialization Descriptions
Area Description (SSPEP)
Philosophy Statement
The Social Sciences, Policy, and Educational Practice (SSPEP) Area focuses on interdisciplinary inquiry into the relationship between education and society. The goal of the Area is to teach students to use the tools of the social sciences to gain understanding of educational phenomena in the context of social change and, in turn, to use that understanding in improving educational practice. Faculty are generally discipline-based in anthropology, economics, history, linguistics, philosophy, political science, and sociology, but all students follow programs of study that necessarily are interdisciplinary. Students are encouraged to develop methodological strength in their specialty and to look across disciplines for ways to develop insights into a broad range of problems concerning education.
Overview
SSPEP is divided into four major Concentrations: 1) Administration and Policy Analysis (APA); 2) International and Comparative Education (ICE); 3) Social Sciences in Education (SSE) which includes a variety of specializations; and 4) Organization Studies. Each represents an organized program of study designed to give the student a solid theoretical foundation for educational research and evaluation in a variety of social settings. The Concentrations also are intellectual communities in which students interact with other students and faculty. The programs are flexible and students and faculty often find that their research takes them across Concentrations as well as into other departments of the University.
Whereas each Concentration provides the opportunity for students to pursue their interests within a larger program, all students in SSPEP are expected to develop an appreciation and understanding of social science research in education in a broader perspective as well as of their specialty. Several courses have been designed for students across the whole of SSPEP, and courses in the Concentration take an interdisciplinary approach to studying education. Students also develop their inquiry skills by obtaining a minor or master's in a social science (e.g., history, linguistics, philosophy or sociology) appropriate to their specialty.
Students in doctoral programs in SSPEP participate in a variety of research projects; this experience prepares students for writing dissertations and for their careers. Students also undertake individual research projects as part of their Concentration, with faculty supervision. Research workshops are also a regular part of the curriculum in all the Concentrations, and there are active SSPEP and Concentration colloquia with guest speakers. Master's students undertake individual research or evaluation projects, and many are placed in internships (usually outside Stanford). Procedures for the evaluation of student progress vary throughout SSPEP. The SSPEP chair is Professor Martin Carnoy.
Area Faculty (SSPEP)
APA Concentration Core Faculty
ICE Concentration Core Faculty
SSE Concentration Core Faculty
| Callan,
Eamonn |
Carnoy,
Martin |
| Carter, Prudence |
Gumport,
Patricia |
| Hakuta, Kenji |
Labaree,
David |
| McDermott,
Ray |
McFarland,
Daniel |
| Ramirez,
Francisco |
Valdes,
Guadalupe |
| Wotipka, Christine Min |
|
Organization Studies Concentration Core Faculty
|
