Sociology is not cool any longer. A discussion about teaching of sociology in secondary schools in Argentina exploring teachers, students and curricula

This paper reflects upon the reasons and propositions that educational reforms in Argentina have included or excluded the teaching of sociology in Secondary School curricula during the last two decades. Thus, the main goal of this article is to compare two different projects aimed to introduce sociology as a necessary discipline to be taught at schools in certain regions of the country, trying to show differences in perspectives, foci, and especially in the definition of sociology itself. The discussion explores possible political and intellectual reasons of those changes. Alongside, the work also intends to show distinctive differences in the teaching of sociology at public and private schools in Buenos Aires, paying special attention to sociology syllabus designed for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). The whole work includes in addition a discussion about the role of teachers who had dissimilar freedom and power in each case to select topics, approaches and bibliography for their courses. Finally, using some data recollected from sampled local Secondary students on their perceptions on sociology and sociologists, the paper shows that students do have a very imprecise image of both the general sociological perspective and the professional role of sociologists, but, what is most interesting, having learned sociology or not at Secondary School do not make much difference or increase sociological vocations either.