Sociology of Education

The sociology of education studies how education systems shape, and are shaped by, society — their role in socialization, stratification, and the reproduction or alteration of inequality.

Scope

It covers schooling and social reproduction, educational attainment and mobility, credentialing, social capital, and the social organization of schools and curricula.

Core questions

• How does education reproduce or reduce inequality?
• What is the social role of schooling?
• How does educational attainment shape life chances?
• Why do credentials matter?
• How do social background and capital affect schooling?

Key concepts

• Social reproduction
• Cultural capital
• Credentialism
• Social capital
• Educational attainment
• Tracking
• Hidden curriculum

Key theories

Social reproduction

Bourdieu and Passeron argued schooling reproduces class inequality by rewarding the cultural capital of dominant groups.

Credentialism

Collins argued educational credentials function less to certify skill than to control access to positions.

Social capital and attainment

Coleman showed how social capital in families and communities supports educational success.

History

Building on Durkheim's view of education and socialization, the field developed reproduction theory (Bourdieu, Bowles & Gintis), credentialism (Collins), and the social-capital and attainment research programs (Coleman, Blau-Duncan), central to debates on equality of opportunity.

Debates

Does education promote mobility or reproduce inequality?

Liberal hopes that schooling equalizes opportunity contend with reproduction theories.

Key figures

• Pierre Bourdieu
• Jean-Claude Passeron
• Randall Collins
• James Coleman

Seminal works

• bourdieu-passeron-1970
• collins-1979
• coleman-1988

Frequently asked questions

What is social reproduction in education?

The process by which schooling tends to pass on existing social inequalities across generations, e.g., by rewarding dominant-group cultural capital.