Social Origins Of Educational Systems

First published in 1979, this now classic text presents a major study of the development of educational systems, focusing in detail on those of England, Denmark, France, and Russia - chosen because of their present educational differences and the historical diversity of their cultures and social structures. Professor Archer goes on to provide a theoretical framework which accounts for the major characteristics of national education and the principal changes that such systems have undergone. Now with a new introduction, Social Origins of Educational Systems is vital reading for all those interested in the sociology of education. Previously published reviews: 'A large-scale masterly study, this book is the most important contribution to the sociology of education since the second world war as well as being a substantial contribution to the consolidation of sociology itself.' - The Economist 'I cannot improve on her own statement of what she is trying to do: 'The sociological contribution consists in providing a theoretical account of macroscopic patterns of change in terms of the structural and cultural factors which produce and sustain them'...Unquestionably, this book is an impressive work of scholarship, well planned conceptually and uniting its theoretical base with a set of four thoroughly and interestingly researched case-studies of the history of the educational systems of Denmark, England, France and Russia.' - British Journal of the Sociology of Education 'This magnificent treatise seriously explores many of the most recalcitrant questions about institutional systems.' - Journal of Curriculum Studies 'A gargantuan and impressive socio-historical enterprise.' - Encounter '...a major achievement.' - New Society

Margaret Archer's Social Origins of Educational Systems (SAGE, 1979) has been hailed as a landmark in the sociology of education. It provides a major historical and structural comparison of state educational systems, and offers the first theoretical framework to account for their national characteristics and the processes of change they have undergone. In this University Edition, Professor Archer has skilfully condensed her large-scale study into a concise textbook, which retains all the force and vigour of the original. The University Edition of Social Origins of Educational Systems will be essential reading for students of the sociology of education, and for all students involved in the comparative and structural analysis of social change.

How do education systems shape educational inequalities and differences in educational outcomes? And how do advantages and disadvantages in educational attainment translate into privileges and shortcomings in labour market and general life chances? Education systems and inequalities compares different education systems and their impact on creating and sustaining social inequalities. The book considers key questions such as how education systems impact educational inequalities along such variables as social origin, gender, ethnicity, migration background or ability and what social mechanisms are behind the links between education system and educational inequalities and provides vital evidence to inform debates in policy and reform.

This wide-ranging handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the field of education as viewed from a sociological perspective. Experts in the area present theoretical and empirical research on major educational issues and analyze the social processes that govern schooling, and the role of schools in and their impact on contemporary society. A major reference work for social scientists who want an overview of the field, graduate students, and educators.

By studying how different societies understand categories such as time and causality, the Durkheimians decentered Western epistemology. With contributions from philosophy, sociology, anthropology, media studies, and sinology, this volume illustrates the interdisciplinarity and intellectual rigor of the “category project” which did not only stir controversies among contemporary scholars but paved the way for other theories exploring how the thoughts of individuals are prefigured by society and vice versa.

Britain was the last major European state to create a national education system and is set to be the first to dismantle it. In this wide-ranging comparative study, Andy Green examines the reasons for the uneven development of public education in England, Prussia, France and the USA.

A Social History of Educational Studies and Research examines the development of the study of education in the UK in its broader educational, social and political context since its early beginnings in the first part of the twentieth century. By providing a historical analysis of the contested growth of the field this book examines the significant contribution that has been made by institutions of higher education, journals, text books, conferences, centres, and academic societies. It discusses the problems and opportunities of the field, and its prospects for survival and adaptation to current changes in the decades ahead. The work draws on documentary sources, social network analysis, and interviews with leading figures from across the field. This book highlights international influences on the development of educational studies and research in the UK, its role in the growing internationalisation of the field as a whole, and also comparisons and contrasts with the nature of the field elsewhere. It relates the development to the wider social, political and economic changes affecting higher education in general and educational studies and research in particular. It addresses the historical development of disciplines in higher education institutions and the nature, extent and limitations of interdisciplinarity. A Social History of Educational Studies and Research discuss the problems and opportunities facing the study of education today, and its prospects of adapting to changes in the decades ahead. It is a distinctive and original analysis of educational studies and research that provides the first comprehensive study of its type.