This article presents the author's review of three books: (1) "The irregular school: exclusion, schooling and inclusive education," by Roger Slee; (2) "Confronting obstacles to inclusion: international responses to developing inclusive education," edited by Richard Rose; and (3) ""Hanging in with the kids" in tough times: engagement in contexts of…

Selective and comprehensive school systems vary in both the degree and timing of selection. To study the consequences of such variation, cross-national comparisons are usually undertaken. Given that cultural differences between countries affect pathways and outcomes, apportioning causal influence in such studies can be difficult. In 1970s Britain,…

This paper re-considers some of the evidence for low and declining social mobility in Britain, showing that one study based on a re-analysis of cohort figures appears to have had an impact on policy-makers out of all proportion to its scale and rigor. The study claimed to show that the income of parents and children were more closely related for…

Compares different sociological factors influencing postwar British and Swedish vocational education systems. Argues that, although Swedish vocational education aimed at creating the "new citizen" and an economic skills base, both motives were absent in post-1945 Britain. Suggests that attitudes of the two countries towards vocational education…

Examines changes in the positions and concerns of South African sociologists of education as they move from an oppositional status to a more ambiguous space. These sociologists now face the prospect of choosing between criticism and reconstructive efforts. Reviews themes and issues related to this conflict. (MJP)

Presents a socio-historical case study of English educational trends in the early twentieth century to examine some of the problems that have surrounded attempts to investigate the nature of curricular priorities in secondary schools. (Author/DB)

Stresses the need for an adequate sociology of the school, reviews literature on the study of schools as organizations, and hypothesizes why organizational analysis has not been applied more often to schools. (Author/DB)

Drawing on a recent empirical study of curriculum change in English secondary school mathematics and on the work of Kuhn, Bucher and Strauss, Archer, and Bhaskar, a tentative model for analyzing how and why changes occur in the legitimacy of particular definitions of secondary school mathematics and science subjects is developed. (Author/IS)

British middle schools, which were originally developed to minimize ability grouping, are coming under pressure from industry and government to group pupils. The history and response of six middle schools to these pressures are discussed. (IS)

Data from a study of physics postgraduate research students are used in an attempt to predict the possible effects on university research of any reductions in the numbers of graduate students. Manpower needs are only one important criterion in formulating policy on future numbers of graduate students. (Author/IS)

Much school humor is more than playful behavior; it is also a form of coping behavior for both students and teachers. Humor aids in the development and formation of the self and in the preservation of dignity and self-esteem, even though it sometimes does so through the humiliation of another. (IS)

In order to understand the factors which influence success or failure for adult students, a group of shop stewards attending a union training program were studied. The chief determinant of individual success was the attitude of the convenor, a higher level union official, who shaped behavior and attitudes toward learning. (IS)

The articles and reviews in three British journals--the British Journal of Sociology, Sociological Review, and Sociology--were examined to determine (1) what they published regarding educational sociology; (2) the way in which they reflected the qualitative changes of emphases in the field; and (3) the backgrounds of the authors. (RM)

The ideology perpetuated through commercial studies in Australian schools prepares students very well for the hierarchical and patriarchal relations of office work. However, recent changes in the structure of the work force and technological advancement have resulted in a number of contradictions in the school/work relationship. (Author/RM)

British students enrolled in a pre-vocational Certificate of Further Education (CFE) program were interviewed to determine their attitudes towards and views of the program. The students were very committed to the program because they saw it as a means to an end, e.g., as a way to enter another course. (RM)