Unit 13 Introduction
Reading: Chapter 14 in Macionis, pp. 409 - 447
In Unit 13 we study two institutions that are important to the functioning of modern societies: education and health care. Both of these institutions are controversial, in part because they are very costly. The have been debated for as long as the United States has existed. We will consider how these institutions are organized and some of the effects of the structures of these institutions. We also will look at some of the current issues in both realms.
 Fig. 13-1: University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont |
Unit 13 compares schools around the world, presents ideas on why we have schools and what they do for society, looks at how schools contribute to and even promote social inequality, and analyzes issues and problems in the American educational system. As students, you are very familiar with educational institutions, but may be unaware of some of the broader issues that shape how education is organized and offered in the U.S.
Unit 13 also considers health care around the world, focuses on important health care issues in the U.S., examines how health care is organized in the U.S. and offers explanations for our health care system. Good health is important to everyone, but access to health care and the quality of health care are social issues that depend not only on how we organize our health care system, but also on how we think about politics and economics as well.
In Unit 13 you will be presented with new perspectives on these controversial institutions. Perhaps you will come away with a new appreciation for the difficulties that policymakers face when making decisions about the best way to provide education and health care to the public.
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