Laboree: History of Education in the US

In the history of Education in the Us, Laboree explores the emergence of public schooling in the United States, driven by religious motivations and later adapted to support the development of nation-states. The narrative captures tensions between the utilitarian goals of education (economic survival) and broader civic aims (democratic participation). Theories like social reproduction and status competition emerge to explain the evolution of schooling and its stratifying effects on society. Based on the reading, I think that the historical lens provided by Laboree aligns with foundational theories of education as a tool for societal organization, while also exposing conflicts between meritocratic ideals and systemic inequities.