This article argues that a problem for the contemporary sociology of education is that it has operated within a "secularisation of consciousness paradigm". This has limited both the depth and the scope of its intellectual enquiries. Sociological analysis which elides a religious dimension not only presents an over-simplified view of social…

The article takes as its starting point my recent ethnography of the Welsh National Opera Company, and the forthcoming monograph "Everyday Arias: making opera work". In the course of that work I revisited the theme of performance: the ethnography of performance and the performance of ethnography. I discuss briefly the everyday work of the opera…

This article reviews trends in school-to-work transitions since the 1970s and argues that educational expansion (more young people extending their school and college careers) is a large part of the problem, rather than an actual or potential solution to young people's transition difficulties. The causes of educational expansion are identified as…

The article explores the relationship between sociology and sociology of education in the United Kingdom (UK), with specific reference to the development of a sociology of higher education. Though the article is mainly concerned with the UK, the broader issues raised, about the status and location of the sociology of education in relation to…

The article aims to reveal teachers' dispositions concerning stability and change in the field of schooling and to suggest some possible connection to the social space. Forty teachers who attended a principals' training course were asked to write educational fantasies regarding their "dream school". A content analysis of the fantasies showed…

Quietly, without attracting too much attention from educational sociologists in Europe, a massive process has been underway for five years that is expected to revolutionize European higher education to an unprecedented extent. Launched by a number of European governments and subsequently taken over by the European Commission, the so-called Bologna…

The "drop-out" of working-class students from universities has been identified as one of the most pressing issues for the higher education (HE) sector in the United Kingdom. This article draws on the initial findings of a major research project that explores the meanings and implications of such withdrawal from HE amongst young working-class…

Examines the relationship between school segregation and minority suburbanization on enrollments during the years 1987-1995. Uses data from the school-level enrollment counts from the Common Core of Data (CCD) sets. Reports that increased suburban segregation corresponds to the increase in suburban enrollment shares in black, Hispanic, and Asian…

Examines the effect of family socioeconomic status (SES) and the self-regulation of children on the students' ability to adjust to kindergarten. Reports that self-regulation acted as a mediator between SES and interpersonal problems, the expectations of teachers at school, and assessment of students with hyperactivity-attention deficiency.…

Presents a study that uses measures of neighborhood characteristics and school problems as a means to predicting students' success on achievement tests. Focuses on students in tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades. Reports that students who live in neighborhoods with no racial inequalities achieve well in social studies. Includes references. (CMK)

Presents a study that investigated track mobility for four racial groups using data from the national data set High School and Beyond. Reports that the experiences in mobility of blacks and Latinos/Latinas differ from that of whites. Includes references. (CMK)

Discusses three characteristics of educational systems that have been used to explain social stratification processes: stratification, standardization, and vocational specificity. Describes how these characteristics affect the movement of students through school and into the labor force in France, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States.…

Discusses expansion of access to higher education. Reviews contested development and promise of the Weberian theory of educational credentialism. Examines the relationship of educational expansion to economic growth, relative importance of technical skills versus occupational status-group cultures in degrees and recruitment, significance of degree…

Discusses racial inequality in educational funding and other educational opportunities throughout the United States. Argues that reliance on local taxes as a primary source of school funding and the sanctity of local school-district boundaries are the main institutional obstacles to the elimination of racial inequality. (CAJ)

Discusses sociological contributions to understanding black and white inequality in education. Outlines political, cultural, and ideological perspectives on black-white inequality that guide empirical research about access to schooling, educational opportunities in schools, and outcomes of schooling. Relates these perspectives to educational…